January 2017 Another beginning: Pinkston's move to Texas and a sad ending

Derek and I have dreamt about living near the Pinkston family since we were first married. And as fate would have it they are moving by US! 

A new chapter has begun and we are able to live an hour away from family! It was such a happy day for our family. We have not been sure we would have the ability to live by family again and it was a hard concept to get used to. When we were first married we lived by both of our parents and that was our dream. We wanted to live by our families and have our children raised knowing all of their extended family. And as life goes, it was not in the cards for us to stay that way. So, this new chapter is a happy day for us! Family makes us happy!

The kids are loved and spoiled rotten, and we have loved having something so amazing to look forward to on Derek's time off "family visits and gatherings"! Having family near by has given us so much joy and really rejuvenated our spirits after almost 3 years of residency.

After 11 years of marriage I can safely say I love each and every member and married in member of this family! I'm not sure many people can say that about their in laws, but I do love all my in laws and I'm grateful to all of them. Now if we can convince the rest of Derek's family and now mine to move to Texas life would be complete.

The kids went to a fun birthday party and made out with some fun party stuff.

I was able to coach the Young Women volleyball team for our ward. It was such a fun and rewarding experience. I'm so grateful I got to know the girls better and we had so much fun taking 2nd place!!!

My Mom turned 62 on January 30th. 

I couldn't get in touch with my Mom to say happy birthday and called my Dad's phone to reach her. I'm grateful my Mom had a birthday that day. It gave me a chance to talk one last time. Dad sounded pretty weak on the phone, and I can't even remember what we talked about other than he went to get my Mom, and I said good bye.

Shellianne and my Mom were going to have a pajama sleep over party and keep an eye on my Dad that night. Dad was slowly getting worse and had been in the hospital again and came home knowing that it was close. They sent me pictures of them in their pajamas and so I had to get in on the pajama party and took a picture as well. Shortly after Dad started not doing so well, and the next morning we had a text message saying Dad didn't have long.

By lunch time I got the call from Shellianne, and he was gone.

It was faster than I expected, but in the end I knew it would be that day.

A few days earlier I had decided someone had better start working on the hard stuff, and sitting around in Texas waiting to hear bad news is never fun, so I got to work. I wrote a rough draft obituary for Dad. I was going to leave the date blank for the day he would pass, but I didn't... I wrote January 31st, and sure enough that was the day.

Other family members have similar experiences. I think we were all prepared in our own way, knowing that we had little time left... 

That night we all boarded an airplane and left for Utah.

Janurary 2017 "An exhausting month"

I'm pretty sure I slept about 2 days straight when I got home. The flight got canceled and I spent the night in the airport and got to Austin around 7 am and home around 9 in the morning. 

Eden's Christmas present this year was horse back riding lessons. Kael was so excited he paid his own money to try it out as well and Eden paid for extra lessons as well. It really made January really fun seeing them love animals.

Derek snapped this cute photo of Connor while I was gone. He officially is the most mischievous boy I have ever met.

January 14, 2017

Beach Day

January 15, 2017

Park Day/Chuck E Cheese

January 16 (Aquarium Day)

Finished my Christmas present!

January 18, 2017

Joy School

Elara's joy school class learned about snow and winter on this day and they got snow balls and Elara enlightened me about snow balls.

January 2017 A First and a Last

January 1, 2017 began with Dad getting really sick and going to the hospital. By January 3rd Dad was really sick and I flew out to Utah to be with my family. All 7 of us kids were able to be together for a day at least and I'm certain the hospital was overwhelmed by us all. Dad was determined to get better and so he did.

It was a very humbling experience for me. It was one of the hardest things I've done yet in my life, but also one of the experiences I am most grateful for. Janice picked me up in Las Vegas the night of the 3rd and I made it to the hospital that night. I stayed up with Dad most of the night taking care of his needs and making sure he wasn't in too much pain.

In the middle of the night Mom was finally able to sleep and Dad was crying out in his sleep a little and so I asked if he was ok. He said he was just hurting and I asked if he wanted some pain medicine and he said no. About 30 minutes later he started muttering again in his sleep so I asked him again if he was alright and if he wanted some pain medicine and he said he was ok he was just talking to them and pointed up above his bed.

I have often heard that sometimes when people are close to death that "the veil is thin" and angels or family members that have passed can be near them and I just had a feeling that this was one of those moments. There was even an empty chair next to Dad's bed that I'm certain had someone sitting in it through the night keeping watch over him.

A little while later I was able to go get him some pain medicine and he felt better. A few days before Dad passed I told him this story and he couldn't remember any of it. But, it made him happy that I thought he had family at his side helping him through a hard time.

On Thursday January 5th I needed to get home to the kids and Derek needed to start working nights, and so off to the airport. I took this photo knowing it would be my first photo of the new year, but the last photo of me and my Dad together. I knew I wouldn't get another chance to say good bye. But, I did get a chance. I walked out of his hospital room and my brother Joshua held me while I cried knowing that I would never get to see my Dad on this earth again.

I think that is how a lot of things in life work though. It may be the "last" of something, but there will always be so many "firsts" yet to come. I'm grateful for my last, first picture.