Grandpa Barney passed away on Thursday, the 19th, very peacefully at home. My mom said she along with her siblings were with him during his last moments and that it was a therapeutic experience.
It feels good to no longer think of my Grandpa being sick in a hospital bed; I'm glad he is at peace in heaven. Grandma is doing well but becomes very sad at times. Monday she will be moving into her own apartment in an assisted living facility. She will need help with many of her everyday activities, mostly because of her poor memory.
This Thursday I will be flying into Spokane for the funeral on Friday. I am looking forward to seeing my family again and saying my final goodbye to Grandpa Barney.
Thanks for your prayers, everyone, and thanks for your kind words, Johanna.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
The most recent news in my life is unfortunately not happy news. Last week my Grandpa was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. He had (and is almost over) pneumonia, but the really bad news is that he has acute leukemia that is untreatable due to his age (85). He is still in the hospital and will be able to go home this Thursday. The doctors say he may only be around another 6 weeks.
I flew to Spokane on Saturday to be with my family and visit with Grandpa. He seemed to be taking the news pretty well, considering he was in good health and pretty active prior to this diagnosis. It was very hard for me to see him in a hospital bed and I had a hard time telling him all the things I needed to say.
I spent most of the time at my Grandparent's house helping my mom, aunts, and sister take care of Grandma. She asked for Grandpa over and over, quickly forgetting that we had already told her he is at the doctor. She misses him quite a bit and I'm sure she'll be relieved when he comes home.
My aunts are figuring out all the details of hospice/in-home-care as Grandpa will no longer be able to fully take care of himself, much less take care of Grandma as he has been for the past 8 years.
So I guess thats the update of my life, sad as it is. If you could say some prayers for my family, especially for Grandpa, I would really appreciate it. At this point its best to hope that Grandpa will be comfortable, pain-free, and at peace with himself for the rest of his days. I know God hears our prayers, especially prayers said for the ones we love.
I flew to Spokane on Saturday to be with my family and visit with Grandpa. He seemed to be taking the news pretty well, considering he was in good health and pretty active prior to this diagnosis. It was very hard for me to see him in a hospital bed and I had a hard time telling him all the things I needed to say.
I spent most of the time at my Grandparent's house helping my mom, aunts, and sister take care of Grandma. She asked for Grandpa over and over, quickly forgetting that we had already told her he is at the doctor. She misses him quite a bit and I'm sure she'll be relieved when he comes home.
My aunts are figuring out all the details of hospice/in-home-care as Grandpa will no longer be able to fully take care of himself, much less take care of Grandma as he has been for the past 8 years.
So I guess thats the update of my life, sad as it is. If you could say some prayers for my family, especially for Grandpa, I would really appreciate it. At this point its best to hope that Grandpa will be comfortable, pain-free, and at peace with himself for the rest of his days. I know God hears our prayers, especially prayers said for the ones we love.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Blue Looks Good On Us
Erik's first day at work was yesterday. So far he really likes it and is catching on quicly (according to his coworkers). Oddly enough we are currently doing the same kind of extractions (various fuels from water and soil samples). We never would have guessed that we would graduate and get such similar jobs! I am still loving my job (I would hope so after only 2 1/2 weeks!), most of the people I work with are great and I am busy all day.
We don't have any plans for the 4th but I'm sure we'll at least BBQ with Todd and Sobo and eat lots of good food. Who knows. Kristin and I picked raspberries at a berry farm on Sunday and made lots of jelly and some syrup. It was so much fun, I want to go back and pick some blackberries and marionberries. The weather is absolutely beautiful here, hot and sunny. Almost too hot actually, especially when sitting in traffic waiting to get home. I'll be taking the bus on Thursday and Friday so I can at least read while stuck in traffic.
Speaking of reading I have more books than I know what to do with. I had no idea public libraries in big cities were so great. I got a card at the Beaverton Library and it works all over Washington County. I went to the Tualatin library during my lunch break and got the second book of a great series I am reading, three CDs (TV on the Radio, 10,000 Maniacs, and We Are Scientists). So far I am pleasantly surprised by the 1st and 3rd, I didn't even realize that I knew who We Are Scientists were until I started listening. I also got a graphic novel, House of M, which I started reading while stopped at red lights. This is not meantioning the stack of books I already have, including dog training books, fiction novels, and some classic works of literature. Online book renewal is an evil thing.
We don't have any plans for the 4th but I'm sure we'll at least BBQ with Todd and Sobo and eat lots of good food. Who knows. Kristin and I picked raspberries at a berry farm on Sunday and made lots of jelly and some syrup. It was so much fun, I want to go back and pick some blackberries and marionberries. The weather is absolutely beautiful here, hot and sunny. Almost too hot actually, especially when sitting in traffic waiting to get home. I'll be taking the bus on Thursday and Friday so I can at least read while stuck in traffic.
Speaking of reading I have more books than I know what to do with. I had no idea public libraries in big cities were so great. I got a card at the Beaverton Library and it works all over Washington County. I went to the Tualatin library during my lunch break and got the second book of a great series I am reading, three CDs (TV on the Radio, 10,000 Maniacs, and We Are Scientists). So far I am pleasantly surprised by the 1st and 3rd, I didn't even realize that I knew who We Are Scientists were until I started listening. I also got a graphic novel, House of M, which I started reading while stopped at red lights. This is not meantioning the stack of books I already have, including dog training books, fiction novels, and some classic works of literature. Online book renewal is an evil thing.
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