The day my life changed forever

         It's been four years now. So much has happened in those four years. Time has flown by but yet when I think of daddy the day stands still. My memories are still very fresh I can still remember very vivid moments of our times together. The earliest moment is of me in my red motorcycle helmet I was probably 3 or 4 holding on tight to the front of our four wheeler as daddy drove us around our property on Old Middleburg Road.

        Helping daddy get our two German Shepard's ready to deliver their puppies. I slightly remember daddies motorcycle accident mostly just the scars on his leg where he almost lost it. I remember mom and dad saving everything they had to build us a new house, I remember coming home from school and dad would have the boat ready to teach us to wake board and hydro slide, homework could wait it would always be there but little did we know daddy would not. I remember thinking it was cool for dad to pick us up from school in the police car.

               He was the dad who brought flowers to me at my dance recital, gave my mother a card at every little holiday or just because  , raced to my side when I got in my first car accident, trusted in me when no one else did.

       Walked me down the aisle at my wedding and was so nervous he carried a card in his pocket that said "her mother and I do" he didn't want to mess it up. Danced stiff as a board at my wedding not wanting the attention. Threw David and I an amazing reception that we will always remember. Drove us to the airport the day after our wedding to send us off.

          Cried with me when we had our first miscarriage,  waited for hours at the hospital  for his first grandson to be born after a full days work.  Would stop by on his way to work to see Jacob and was so excited to be the first to babysit.

     
         Then it happened a few symptoms, a cat scan, a pet scan and our world fell apart daddy had cancer. Bladder cancer not very common to be treated with Chemo and radiation. Then more symptoms a few months later now lung cancer, and in a few more months brain cancer. Within six months this poison had ripped through my fathers very healthy body and shredded it down to nothing, ate away at everything it could, there was nothing left but a good heart and a good man. Friends and Family surrounded us as my father signed his life away to God (or they called it hospice but signed that he was ready to die). Sent him home with no more hope. 48 hrs of visitors and people he had not seen in years. I regret that I could not spend every hour with him I struggled to keep it together for my 8 month old baby Jacob, sometimes feeling my arms collapse while holding him getting more and more bad news.

              I remember that Sunday morning like it was yesterday. February 3, 2008 the phone rings in the early hours, mom says we never discussed if you want to be here when dad passes but the time is coming. I felt like our car had wings, my husband was determined to get me to my father and my father was determined to wait for me. Not 15 minutes after that phone call we were there. I climbed in bed with him his breathing was labored, his hands cold, and his eyes so big and beautiful. We had made it he had waited for me. I remember my mom, my brother and David. I told him I loved him and I was sorry this was happening and within five minutes of us arriving he went to be with God. Within 15 minutes our family and JSO family was there the people who had held our hand through everything who took shifts at the hospital keeping daddy company. They arranged everything, made the phone calls, made the apts, made sure we had food, even bought us toilet paper! Parked outside of the house and never left we went to bed and they were there and we woke and they were there delivering us breakfast. We took a week to plan his funeral and little did I know his JSO family was going to make it a time to honor him and help us.
          I can not write about the funeral I have to post pictures it was amazing from the flag at half staff at the police station to the fire trucks displaying the American flag across Kingsley Ave., the people lining the road saluting dad as his casket made its way to the church, the gun salute, the motorcycle escort. Thank you to all who made those things happen you are an incredible family and definitely unforgettable.

Flag over Kingsley Ave