Sunday evening

All in all, today was a good day. Even though I didn't feel like going out, I went to church and the family dinner. I'm glad I did as I had a good time at both. I still feel very sad about Mr. Nelson's passing...if I think about it too much, I just want to cry. A part of me wishes I knew he had this issue and I would have stuffed him full of hamburgers and treats. It just seems like so much went by so fast and I'm still trying to comprehend it all.

The kids are already thinking of new dogs and puppies. I admit, I am too. I'm very glad to have Penny, here. I even want to think about how much harder this would be with out her. I'm also glad she is mixed and not a "pure" breed dog. It seems nearly every dog like this out there has some sort of health concern.

We lit firecrackers at the family gathering. Harrison loved it but was a little afraid too (thankfully). The fireflies and kids running around was very sweet. I could tell it made everyone feel happy.

Some good news for my dad. He is much more stable, on a better "calming" drug where he's able to communicate and do physical therapy. His pain is down considerably and is related primarily to his dislocated shoulder. They seem to have wrapped it and he isn't in pain from the bone cancer. So, this is a huge, huge relief. We know his heart is healing (from the infection) and this could take him any time, but for now, he is stable. This is a huge blessing and keeps things balanced.

I sometime forget to add things to my blog...photos and such. I usually update my facebook more frequently. Here's a picture of my dad from last week (thanks, to my brother). :) Dad is looking so much better and quite distinguished. My brother, David, showed him the photo and dad said, Is that me? He was shocked at how pale he looked. Jon said he looks like John Brown. :) This made me smile. Quite a few people on FB were sweet and commented on my dad looking really good and stately. I told my mom and I know she'll let my dad know.

Well, tomorrow is Monday. This past week felt choppy and odd with a holiday stuck in the middle and having lost our dog. We did get to see a large fireworks display as we drove home past the Lakemont park. It was quite fun and we stopped in a parking lot to check it out. It made me feel happy and forget about the troubles we've had lately. I guess they did their magic.

I'm going to focus on happy memories of our dog, Nelson and I have been doing bichon artwork (just for me); this helps too.