Dad's 92nd B'Day Celebration....

Today is Dad's 92nd birthday.  Yesterday, due to every one's work schedules, my brother K______, his daughter A_______, her fiance J_____, my sister Holly, her son B_______, his wife K________, Mom and I went to visit Dad and celebrate with a white cake/chocolate frosting and cards.  We found Dad sitting in his wheelchair in the hallway by the nurses station.  My brother lead us all in and when Dad saw him he let out a happy, loud, yelp and reached for him as my brother leaned down to hug Dad.

Then he saw my sister and called her Holl Doll.  He recognized Mom and me and then was so happy when Mom and my sister were helping him with the names of everyone else... Dad was elated.  He could not contain the joy he felt...

When Holly told Dad her son, Dad's grand son and his wife were having their first child and they had just found out it would be a son....Dad cheered loudly, beat his chest and punched at the air with pride and delightful approval.  We all laughed.

We were blocking the hallway with the herd of us, so we wheeled Dad outside on the patio.  It was an absolutely beautiful day.  Dad was dressed in forest green sweats and a striped forest green shirt with small blue and white stripes.  His eye looked absolutely terrible, as if his eye is getting smaller...it was all goopy and gross, so my brother tactfully offered his sunglasses for Dad to wear...

We sat mostly in the shade at a round metal patio table, and the guys grabbed extra chairs so we could all sit around the table.

Dad was in rare form.  He was pontificating about "institutions" and "masterful men"....he went on and on over my brother telling us all he was Dad's best friend.  My brother is the executor of our parent's estate and has power of attorney for Dad.  He owns a trucking company, but comes to see Dad quite often, but does not share his visits with us, like the rest of us do... He keeps his visits private between he and Dad...but we could easily see how happy Dad was to see him.  Made us all so happy...

Dad's hair is growing out and it looks good!

Dad went around the table making comments to all of us....The last family outing Dad attended prior to going into the nursing home, was to my nephew's wedding.  Dad acted like he remembered their wedding and told us all what a perfect day it had been.... He was so excited to hear about their pregnancy.

I told Dad my daughter Holly and her husband Matt are also expecting the first of April, the same as my nephew B_______ and his wife K______'s baby.  They are both going to have boys.

Dad commented how beautiful my niece was and how happy he was to hear they will be getting married next May, the same month my nephew had gotten married three and a half years ago.

We called my brother Brian in Ohio so he could wish Dad a Happy Birthday...my brother could barely get a word in edgewise because Dad was again talking a blue-streak about him, remembering memories of him as a little boy....some of it making sense and some of it not....

After we rescued my brother from the phone, he sent his love to the rest of us through the phone's speaker and we all told him we loved him in unison.

Dad started in again on my brother K______ praising him for the jewelry store he owned....which always makes us laugh....because my brother owns a trucking company.  Dad told me I owned the nursing home...but I knew he meant I found it for him...

Dad reminded Mom she is "one of his wives....but she was his favorite"....which made us all burst into rolls of laughter....and Dad joined in the laughter with us.

Dad loved his cake....

I fed it to him and I could not get it in his mouth fast enough to suit him!  It also had a custard filling inside and Dad was loving it.  We told him Mom baked it fresh this morning for him....but really we had ordered it fresh from Stater Brothers that morning.

 Mom and I took turns reading Dad his cards...

None of us got much talking in...Dad regaled us with his stories and tales....often using his favorite words of the day, 'institution' and 'masterful'.

My sister asked Dad if he remembered Mom's phone number from over 66 years ago when they first met at a ferry stop in Seattle.  Dad remembered the phone number without a moments hesitation.  Amazing.  He told us he could not forget her number or he would have never seen her again....

It was a great visit.  The cake was delicious and we all shared lots of laughter.  We wheeled Dad back into the dining room and got him all set up for a delicious looking dinner.  We all kissed and hugged him good bye.

After we left the nursing home, we all met at our family favorite restaurant, Taco Ready.  I had a carne asada burrito with slices of avocado....see below:

It was a great day.   Saturday, Mom and I had met my sister at the Corner Bakery for lunch and a long visit, then Mom and I went to see FLIGHT with Denzel Washington.  The movie was intense, sad, with a powerful message.

Mom and I sat and talked our faces off after our birthday celebration for Dad...then Mom made a delicious dinner of lamb chops, asparagus, sweet potatoes and salad.  DELICIOUS!

This morning Mom and I ate breakfast together.  I hated to leave...Mom and I really have been enjoying one an other's company and I really wanted to stay longer...  My oldest daughter had a PTA meeting and I promised to watch the 10 year old and the 8 year old...

We all just returned from El Charro for dinner.  My grandsons are playing near me as I write.  The 8 year old is sailing his imagination on the Lego pirate ship his brother made and the 10 year old has my ear buds in listening to my iPod.

The boys get up early for school, so they will be hitting the sheets at 8:15pm.  I look forward to some one on one with my oldest daughter.  This is our first chance to talk and see the ultrasound pictures of their little son to be born next April.