Valentine Rose

I received a beautiful bouquet of roses on Valentine's Day from my wonderful hubby ♥ I love taking pictures of flowers, especially when they're mine :)

Grandpa and Preston

When my dad was moved out of ICU, we were able to take Preston into the hospital so he could see his Grandpa. I dressed him in a Harley outfit which was a big hit. Preston was a little shy at first - I love the picture of them both screaming! But once he saw Grandpa's soda, they were friends.

Dad's classroom

While we were visiting my dad, we got a chance to go see his classroom at the college. He teaches Criminal Justice and just recently had a mural painted on his 30 foot wall. The artist even painted him in the picture (in the beret just to the right of the dress). I've seen pictures of it, but it was pretty cool to see in person - it's huge!

*The close-up includes my Uncle Scott.

Dad's home

My dad went home Monday night after we flew back home. Things are running smoothly and he's hoping to go back to work tomorrow.



We got a chance to meet the medics at the college who saved my dad's life. Neal (left) was first on scene and started CPR. Scott (right) used the AED. This was the first time either of them had used these procedures on a real person. They were quick and did everything right. I made them a cheesy card and taped 2 rolls of Lifesavers candy on the front - one for each of them. They loved it and said they were going to frame it - lol!! They were super nice guys and I'm so glad we got a chance to meet them and thank them in person.

Angiogram today

Dad is having an angiogram today to check his heart. Another Uncle flew in last night. Dad doesn't know he's here. We'll all go to the hospital together and surprise him.

Hoping to get some answers as to what caused his heart attack last week.

Superbowl party at the hospital!!

It's Superbowl Sunday!! I don't watch the game (or any football), but my Uncle is going to the hospital to watch the game with my dad - they are both excited.

My dad was moved out of ICU last night and into the cardiac unit. He's doing extremely well!! They're running a bunch of heart tests tomorrow to try to get some answers as to why this all happened and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. He's improving every day. The hospital won't let Preston upstairs so the nurse is going to bring my dad downstairs in a wheelchair so he can finally see his grandson. That's going to be wonderful! I brought a Harley outfit to put him in which I know will be a big hit :)

Teeth, Jello and a chair

Things with my dad are improving! All the tubes came out of his mouth so we can understand him a lot better when he talks. He wears full dentures and was able to put his teeth in last night. I fed him a gourmet dinner of Cherry Jello and Chocolate Pudding - he loved both. The nurses got him out of bed and he walked to a chair and sat upright for awhile. He still has no short term memory, but his long term memory is fine. He knows that he had a heart attack, but doesn't remember anything. I told him he was brought to the hospital on a Harley - that made him laugh :)

He may be moved out of ICU today which would be a huge step forward!

Dad update

We made it to Phoenix Tuesday night. Dad was still unresponsive and in an induced coma. We went to see him yesterday and he was conscious!! He opened his eyes and smiled at me. He was even able to squeeze my hand. It's confirmed that he had a heart attack, but thanks to the quick response of the people who were around him, things are looking pretty good! They're hoping to take out the breathing tube today and then he'll be able to talk. I'm sure we're in for an earful!

Support needed

My dad collapsed at work today and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. He's been unresponsive ever since. The dr. called tonight and said we should get there as soon as possible so we're planning on flying out in a few hours.

This was all very sudden and we are all shaken up.

Rides at the Penny Arcade

Our town has a fun penny arcade on the west side. It has a mix of super old games and brand new ones. Some of the games are still only a nickel. My dad used to take me there when I would come up and visit him for the weekend. We'd race each other in the horse derby and challenge each other on our favorite pinball machine. Some of the games are in buildings and some are outside by the river. We decided to take Preston there to ride some of the kiddie rides - he wasn't too sure of most of them, but he didn't seem scared. His favorites were the space shuttle and the firetruck. We had a blast and plan to go back when the weather is warmer. They had a TON of rides - here's pictures of a few of the ones he rode: