Reflections

Well, the past two weeks have been quite a whirlwind for Jamie and myself. As some of you may already know, my father unexpectedly passed away, so we packed our bags, skipped our classes, and headed to Nebraska for a week to be with my family. It was nice to be able to see so many family and friends, I only wish it had been under different circumstances. So since I've been better at blogging than journaling lately (which is incredibly sad because I've only written a few posts...) I'm going to write a bit of a personal reflection of my father.

My father was unyielding in just about every aspect of life, and I would dare say even stubborn at times. Despite having NUMEROUS heart problems, he could always be found at Burger King or Runza chowing down a greasy burger, and after attending cardiac rehab for the first time, he was convinced that his doctor was trying to invoke a another heart attack by making him walk on the treadmill and therefore vowed never to return again. He could definitely be described as "one of a kind". He always had a joke to tell (although not always the most appropriate...), and could strike up a conversation with any stranger. He freely shared his opinions with others, and had an opinion on pretty much everything.... except when Jamie asked him for permission to marry me; according to Jamie, the phone conversation was 1 min, 7 seconds long and my father's response was "Well, she's old enough to make up her own mind." He loved eating buttery (of course) popcorn, finding a comfortable spot on the couch, and watching tv. In fact, sometimes he got too comfortable. This was rather unfortunate as on one occasion one of my high school friends walked into my house to find him sitting comfortably in his whitey tighties watching Law and Order while chowing down some 'corn. Despite being a little "rough around the edges" he had a good heart and helped many people in need. He was a mechanic and often fixed the vehicles of those with limited resources by giving them a reduced rate or accepting whatever they had to pay-sometimes it was labor, sometimes a meal, once a purebred dog...haha. His charitable qualities are something I try to emulate in my own life.

Although losing my father has been very hard, I find comfort in the fact that he is now freed from the cares of the world and no longer physically suffering. Jamie and I are so grateful for the wonderful, supportive family and friends we have. A hard time was made more bearable because of them. I know that one day I will get to see my father again:)

Here's a few pics I took while home

Little Alice
















Lucie Can't take her eyes off the cartoons.....

















Stacy and Ben
















"Fat kid love cake"
There's never a shortage of sweets at mama's house.
Jamie captured this lovely photo after I proceeded
to 'sneak' a huge bite of his cake.