Rough patch

Our regular followers and even those who just check in on our blog now and then, have come to know that I can get rather wordy...the following post is no exception, so be forewarned that you will want to get comfy. I write this post mostly for the sake of family history, so I don't forget the details; but also to help me as I figure out a few things. As I wasn't sure how to word what I wanted to say exactly, it's a post I've kind of been avoiding. So if you want to skip it, I understand. ~Zippy

Ever been out adventuring when the wind is calm and it seems like smooth sailing ahead and then suddenly, the wind picks up and you hit a rough patch? Well...that's kind of how things have been around here.

When it began:
Early in May J-rod began a lo-ong stint of night shift...12 nights to be exact. 12 nights where he would work for 12 hrs and be gone for a total of 14 hrs. 12 nights where he came home in the morning just as the rest of us were getting going for the day. J-rod would come in, say hello, give everyone a hug and kiss and then he was off to sleep for the next 8 hrs. After 8 hrs. up he'd get, shower & get ready for his "day", spend two-hours with the family and off he'd go to work again. For 12 days he worked very hard away from home so that I could stay home and be with our sweet little ones. I enjoy being with our little ones, but I don't love it when I have to do it all on my own, especially for 12 straight days and nights. We LOVE our J-rod and all that he does to take care of our family, but boy do we miss him when he's gone!!
We are so very grateful for the wonderful ward we live in and it's many, many, many loving and caring members that help us out when I'm on my own! I couldn't get through Tuesday nights and Sunday services without ALL of the outstretched arms that help hold our baby, carry one of the many bundles that always seem to come & go with us, and/or help with our boys. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

How it got a bit rougher:
Also at the beginning of May, an older sister of mine passed away at a rather young age from complications due to the reappearance of her breast cancer, a battle she had been bravely waging for a long time and had beat at one point in time. D was 42 years old. She passed away three weeks prior to her 43rd birthday. She was a beautiful young woman, wife, mother of two, daughter, sister, an elementary school teacher, and friend.

J-rod was at the beginning of his 12 night stint and was unable to get the time off to go with me to the funeral, so a few days prior to the services my younger sister A flew out here to help me drive home. A, the three kids, and I had a fun little road trip as we journeyed safely home to spend a short weekend at my mom and dad's. The boys had a great time on Mama & Papa C's swing set and they played lots with Aunt A's dogs. All three kids enjoyed all of the extra love and attention from Mama & Papa C as well as Aunt A. I'm so grateful A was willing and able to help me and the kids drive home so we could spend this weekend with our family...I wish this reunion of sorts happened under different circumstances, but I'm grateful we were able to be there.

The day of the funeral we met up with our other siblings at the church where we sat with D, S, R, as well as S's daughters A and A for the crowded service. It was nice to see that my sister was so well-loved. Following the funeral service as all were exiting the church, each guest was given a pink ribbon to wear in honor of D...a nice touch I thought. It was later pointed out to me that the pink ties and handkerchief's in the breast pockets of all the pall bearers were also in honor of D's battle against breast cancer.
After the service we took our place in the long line of cars headed to the cemetery for the burial. It was a neat sight to see how the police officers (all on motorcycles) stopped and directed traffic along the three and half-mile stretch between the church and the cemetery. At the end of the short burial service, a single white dove (representative of D) was released into the air and shortly after that my sister's husband, daughter and son were invited to release another basket full of white doves (representative of all my sister's loved ones). It was a beautiful sight!

After the burial, all of D's family members and close friends met at a reception hall for a yummy lunch. One of our nieces shared her BEAUTIFUL voice by singing a medley in honor of D, "I Am a Child of God" and "The Wind Beneath My Wings." Later a video of pictures from throughout D's life was played. Since this is one my siblings my children had never had an opportunity to meet before (sad, I know...a post for another day) poor Li'l J was confused throughout much of the video. He was sitting on my lap and each time a close-up of D would come up on the screen he would point to it and say, "Look Mama, there's you!" or "Oh Mama, you're so pretty." Uh, trying to explain to my sweet four-year old that it wasn't me and who that young woman on the screen was, was tough. Yes sir, that's when the waterworks finally started for me.
Anyway...at the end of the lunch as we were getting ready to leave, one of my other sisters A (a sister who grew up with D), mentioned the following, "Too bad it took D passing away to get all of Dad's kids in the same room, at the same time!" As she was saying it, we all looked around and noticed the sad truth of this statement. Before the moment passed and anyone of us left, A's husband was able to get hold of a camera (I had left mine in the car all day...oops!). We gathered everyone up (including whichever of my dad's grandchildren happen to be there...sadly some had left already, and some hadn't made it at all that day) around my Dad...reluctant as he was...and had N snap a couple pictures. I have yet to see it, and hope I will soon, but I'm glad we all have a moment to remember having been brought together. I hope that now we will all make more of an effort to seek one another out and be closer and that we won't wait for another funeral before we all get together again!

A bit rougher still:
Ever heard the phrase, "they go in 3's" or "things happen in 3's"? I heard it many times while I was growing up but used to think it was just my mom being superstitious. Well superstitious or not, I recently saw this rule of 3's at work.

The week following my sister's funeral we learned that the day of her funeral one of my dad's cousin's (that he was close to like a sister) passed away. Then the day he attended her funeral, he got word that a life-long friend of his (who was like a brother) had passed away that day as well. Oh my poor dad!

What's next?
Now I don't know if it's a coincidence or if one thing even has anything to do with the other but...ever since the loss of three loved ones in such a quick succession, my dad's health has begun to deteriorate rapidly. He hasn't been able to keep much weight on, last week he lost his balance three times and the third time that he fell was unable to get back up without assistance. Then this week he became jaundiced and spiked a fever. Yesterday he was admitted to the hospital and had a cat scan, the results of which we should hear tomorrow. Today a drainage tube and a shunt were inserted into the opening of his bile duct to help drain all that had backed-up and caused the jaundice. He is sleeping comfortably now and hopefully on his way to recovering. An extra prayer or two on my family's behalf would be appreciated!

The following collage is made up of pictures taken when we went home for D's funeral.