Prayers for the family

This is one of the sadder posts that I have made.

Yesterday I got an email from my dad - that I did not get until later that night - that said my Grandpa Krutzig was transferred to Hospice care at the hospital, the doctor had detached his defibrillator and if I wanted to come say my goodbyes, this would be the time to do it, as it looks like he'll only have a couple of days left in him.

I was debating whether or not I wanted to go - I am becoming more of a believer that I don't like going to see people in the hospital because I want to remember just the good memories, not how awful, or struggling they are in the hospital, ya know?

Well, my mom called at about 9:30pm last night after I had just gotten out of the shower and told me that just our "little" family was there, and they sent my Grandma home for a couple of hours so that she could get some rest. I hemmed and hawed about going, and felt the daughter-to-father pull that he needed me to be there.

So, I changed out of my pjs and Derick and I drove to the hospital. It was rough. As we walked into the hospital, everything about the place seemed unwelcoming. The smell of sterilization and sanitizer and even the lady and the security guard at the information desks weren't overly pleasant. One more thing about hospitals - why is it that just about everyone is like the hardest building to navigate period?! You would think that they would have another method. Like, for instance, Derick and I had to enter through the Emergency patient entrance, ask at the info desk where to go, go over to the security desk to get a visitor badge and he said to go to the end of the hall and take the elevators to the 4th floor. Ok, we walked to these huge, grey, steel double doors that look like all of the ones in the shows and movies that you "cannot go through." but, we had to then press an intercom and he had to buzz the doors to let us in.

Once we got to his room, my mom made me go and sit in the chair by my Grandpa's bed. I was not ready for that. I should have said no and gone to where I ended up spending the rest of my time there that night - sitting in a chair behind my dad on the other side of my Grandpa's bed.

Watching him was hard. Both my dad and my Grandpa. My Grandpa struggled to breath and then would wake up a little and struggle to sit-up and get comfortable. I liked the quiet in there with him. You just felt led to think about happier times with him and just zone out and be there for him and for the rest of the family. That is, until my mom began her nervous (?) chatter that seemed to last too long. Then my Grandma and aunt Beth showed up again. My Grandma seemed happy to see me, but seeing her there trying to take care of him made me very sad as her whole world seemed to be falling apart.

It has been her life for so long to take care of him as he has had failing health for years and years. There was one point where I looked over at her leaning over his bed and she was just shaking her head. That is one of the most helpless moments that I have ever experienced.

We stayed until after 11pm and then I hugged my dad again - and he seemed like he did not want to let go. It was a good moment, one that also made me realize a couple of things:

1. Life is too short
2. The good ones go too soon
3. I need to tell people that I love, that I love them more often

and one last thing...

4. I think that I inherited my love of plaid from my Grandpa. He was wearing a plaid shirt (that I later found out was not his, but one that the hospital had put on him) and he usually wore plaid shirts.

It is going to be a rough week for the Krutzig clan, so please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.

-L

Happy Birthday America!

How nice is it to have a four-day weekend? Let me tell you – it is a beautiful thing!  I was able to relax as well as be rather productive!

On Friday, Derick and my dad went up to their lake place to work on the cabin and the boat. Later in the afternoon – I picked up my mom and we headed up there. Shortly after we arrived, we got things together and went over to my aunt and uncle’s cabin just a few miles away from my parent’s cabin for dinner and fireworks. It was nice to sit, relax and chat with the family. They have a “Lighting of the Lake” that takes place every 4^th of July weekend that is really cool to watch/see. About 9:45 pm, when it is dark, each cabin lot gets about 3 red flares, spaces them out on the shore of their property and lights them. You can see them go all around the smaller lake that they are on and also the larger- adjoining lake through the channel.

Awhile after that, the fireworks started and lasted awhile. My uncle lit fireworks until they started and some of them were crazy! Fireworks always make me a little nervous, mostly because you can never fully trust them to do exactly what you expect them to do or go where you aim them to go!  Derick and I drove back to the house that night. He took off the next morning to go work on the boat some more and then go fishing with Joe, who met up with him up there. The guys fished up there, and ended up spending the night – Derick slept in the truck and Joe, in his car. (what some guys will do to have a fishing weekend…)

Saturday I did a lot of cleaning and also made a new type of cookie. Last week I had brought in some cookies to work, and now have more people telling me that they will be my cookie taste-testers always! So, I might have to bring those in and have them try them out. Jana and I went to see Toy Story 3 in 3-D in Champlin. That was a really cute movie, and made me want to go out and get both of the other Toy Story movies, since I don’t have any of them and don’t have many cartoon movies in general. I still have my doubts about the 3-D technology, but it was interesting and both my sister and my first time watching a movie in 3-D.

Let’s see – Sunday, the 4^th, Derick came home in the morning because it was raining and looked as if it would continue all day. Sunday was a pretty lazy day for us, and I was just fine with that! We watched tv – caught up on the season of Parenthood (just an ok show) and watched some comedy central. I made another new cookie – that one was pretty yummy. Then later that night, since it was kind of yucky outside, we watched the Boston Firework show and that was pretty amazing!! They were all synced up to music that was playing and there were a TON of fireworks going off at one time off a small barge-type set-up.

Monday I had off from work and Derick had off from watching the boys. We were pretty lazy in the morning, but then got down to business in the afternoon. I did the finishing touches on cleaning the house, then we prepped, cleaned and painted the sunroom!! It is now “Prairie Green” vs the original white paint we had before. It looks really nice with the light woodwork and wood blinds that we have in there. It just feels more ours and more finished now. We are still debating on painting one wall with all of Derick’s fish paintings on it – just because there is some funky wall architecture going on and we are debating on how we should address that.

This week should go by pretty quickly. I have a mini-floorset tomorrow and walk-through Thursday, so that will keep me out of trouble. Then just a ½ day again on Friday! I think this weekend Derick, Joe and Paul are all going to try to go fishing, so me, Jenny and Ava might have to have a girl’s day/weekend! We still have to see if it will work, but at least that would give me something other than cleaning and organizing this weekend!

I am thankful for a great weekend that I got to spend with family this weekend, and yet be able to be at home and spend time with my husband and our puppy Tucker.



I hope that you all were able to have a nice, relaxing 4th of July as well!
-L