My Last Day in Utah

I was hoping that I could stay another week in Utah with my daddy, but circumstances back at home mandated that I come home to Texas and take care of a few issues here.  I was beyond disappointed but realized that life does deal us some situations and people in our lives that sometimes, we can't be where we always WANT to be, but most times, we are where we NEED to be.
My brothers Mark and Phil both arrived to see daddy and daddy appeared to be so pleased to see them both. Of course, it was NOTHING like when he saw his daughters...the tears and touching moments and all.  There is nothing quite like a daddy with his little girls.  But he was glad to see the brothers none the less.

Daddy having his in grown toenails fixed by the podiatrist.

This was also Valentines Day.  We had wanted to surprise mom with a card from daddy, but we knew it was going to take some real time and planning to get daddy to write something.  It took days.  On the inside of the card, he wrote, To Sheila From Von.  That took hours for him to do.

This is what he wrote on the outside of the envelope.
We all cried.

Mark did a lot of daddy's therapy with him so he could follow up during the following days.  We played some games and daddy did try to stay up instead of sleeping the whole time.  At one point, during our game playing, two young ladies, probably in the mid to late twenties, came in the room bringing daddy's a box of homemade English toffee as a gift for Valentines Day.  The ladies were really pretty, and as we all chatted with them and asked where they were from and the details of the gift, I noticed daddy just watching them with sparkling eyes.  When it was time for them to leave, I said, 'Daddy, what do you say to the nice ladies?', hoping a kind 'thank you' would be appropriate.  Instead, he looked over at them and said, 'I wish I had another son!'  Too cute!!!

Later, Von and Ann came over and daddy was able to sing two of his favorite songs..'The Lilac Tree' and 'Patter of the Shingle'.  Both were done with some difficulty, but still, they were the most beautiful to hear.  It will be the last time he sings either of them, I'm sure.  He also spoke some beautiful doctrine and bore a strong testimony, giving counsel and love to all of us there.  Jennifer and her two youngest daughters had come to visit, bringing with them, daddy's favorite....ICE CREAM; with whipped topping, no less.  We made him sing for his dessert and he was justly rewarded with a nice sized bowl of ice cream, which he devoured proudly.

This was the last time, I imagine, I will see my daddy alive.  I'm thinking it will be within 6 months that he will leave us to return to our Father in Heaven.  When it was time to leave, daddy had been dressed by my brothers and mom in his silky green pajama's and they had tucked him gently into bed.  Mark had placed the oxygen around his ears and in his nose and daddy had already shut his eyes when I approached his bed.  When daddy closes his eyes, it's only within minutes that he falls asleep, so I quickly bent over and kissed his cheek.  I said, 'I love you daddy.'  His eyes fluttered open and he barely whispered, 'I love you, Marlys.'

Del had called me first thing that morning to wish me a Happy Valentines Day and then later in the day, Kylie sent me this adorable picture, with a Valentine wish from her family.