Sweet Papa

Hospice needed to be called in to help in the care of Papa. 

They advised that we needed to bump up our Christmas if we wanted to spend it with him.

What a hard pill to swallow.

With the organized Grammy that we have, she already had set December 15th
 to be our Christmas party.

Only instead of it being a party, it was a very special, sacred evening spent

with the most incredible family.

We started out pretty solemnly.

Taking turns holding Papas hand.

They gave him a special blessing.

Allowing him to move on if he felt he needed to.

Thanking him for all that he had done for us, and will continue to do.

He was not able to communicate with us with words.

However, I knew he was very aware of who was there and 

talking to him.

He would doze in and out of sleep.

He was also in a lot of pain. That was hard to see. 

And also leave it to Grammy to have him dressed 

all festively.

This group of boys had Papas heart.

His very first crop of grandsons, (after a slew of of grand daughters)
who he loved fiercely.

And who they loved unconditionally as well.

We ate dinner then moved onto the nativity. 

Lindi was head over heels excited it was her turn to be Mary this year!

Sweetest little angel there ever was.

Papa is usually the one who reads the nativity from the scriptures.

Valerie was able to find a video on her phone from past years of a quick excerpt, 

just so we could hear his voice.

It was getting late.

Papa was becoming more agitated.

Hospice was on its way with more pain relief.

Nobody was aware of what would come in the next hour.

We figured it would be a week, maybe 2 before it actually happened.

The grand kids said their tearful goodbyes.

Siblings stayed behind, to get him settled for the night
 before going home themselves.

It wasn't an hour before I got the call from Casey.

He could hardly blurt it out.

But I knew. 

He had passed. 

Surrounded by each one of his loving children and wife. 

He held out for us.

For one last special night all together.

I think that is what gets me the most.

A strong confirmation that family was his everything!

He didn't want to leave, he fought it until the end.