Mission Accomplished!

This past week I have been in Astoria, Oregon getting things organized for my dad. If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that I was not exactly looking forward to this trip. However, I am happy to report that I had a terrific time!

Yes, it is true that my dad is declining in his health. He is not close to the man he was just a year and a half ago. He is very unsteady on his feet, sleeps a lot, should not be driving, has agreed to have meals brought in once a day and even allowed us to set up a housekeeper to come clean twice a month. If you have ever met me dad, allowing us to do anything for him is quite a feat. I feel that my mission was accomplished!

I also am happy to say that we had a fantastic visit. I really enjoyed spending time with him. We talked about so many things and laughed a lot too. I was worried that this trip would be very stressful because of the list of things I had to get done. This was not the case at all. Yes, the first two days of paperwork and phone calls were not too thrilling, but after that, we had a great time.

I even learned some things about him that I had never heard of before. I loved listening to the stories of his trips to Europe many years ago. I never knew that he had visited over 14 countries...how many people can say that? He told me where his passports are located so that I can take a peak at all his stamps on my next visit. He also gave me some short history lessons about the Roman Empire (he was a Art History teacher at Clatsop Community College for over 30 years). I have always been fascinated about this period and loved listening to him tell me about the Roman government and the fall of it. We talked about his childhood and his conversion to the church. What a mighty change the gospel can make in a families' life. He told me stories about his life in the army with his twin brother. More stories about the numerous places he was employed throughout his childhood and teenage years. We talked about gospel related topics as well. What a educational feast I enjoyed!

We tentatively agreed that I need to start coming out every couple of months to help him out. I am now really looking forward to it. I feel like I need to write these stories down or at least tape record them for my children and their children. I am so blessed to be able to spend some wonderful quality time with him at this period of his life.

All in all, it was a great visit. I checked off every item from my list that I wanted to complete and I also was able to have memorable conversations with my dad. What more could I have asked for?