Idaho

I don't remember much about coming home from Idaho when I was eleven but I sure remember the trip in July 2010.  We kept talking to daddy about postponing the trip or cancelling but he was insistent and momma was better and actually excited about it (although she doesn't remember that now).  I think momma was just excited about getting out but still felt like the rest of us, that it wasn't a good idea for daddy to travel.  The past few weeks he wasn't able to drive or do as much as he use to.  One day he had decided he was going to get the mustang ready for a car show so he pushed the car out of the garage and decided he was going to change the spark plugs.  He placed a chair next to the mustang and tried to remove the spark plugs in the car but his hands weren't able to get into those tight spots and he didn't have the mobility like he did before.  I drove up and you could tell he was getting fustrated and angrier by the minute.  Momma was at the door when I walked in and told me that it was hard watching daddy because she knew he was getting upset about it.  It was just the whole thing.  His right arm had no more mobility.  His hands were swollen and he had no strength or energy to do what he wanted and that made him sad and quieter by the day.  The only thing that gave him any excitement was the trip to Idaho.  I think we knew it wasn't too much longer so we just went along with it.  We also figured that if this was it, we were going to do whatever it was he wanted most right now, and that was taking us to Idaho and giving the grandkids the memory.  I know this because on the last day before we left Idaho the kids were playing by the river and I was standing next to daddy while he was in the wheelchair and he asked me, "do you think they'll remember this trip?"  I remember what I told him verbatim, "yea daddy, they'll never forget this time, except for Issac because he's only five, but all the rest of the kids will remember it always daddy."  He just gave a big grin and kept watching the kids.  That's when I figured out why he wanted this so bad.  He knew, I don't think he knew he wouldn't make it back, but he knew he wouldn't be too much longer.