Oh What a Night....

...And not in a good way.

Last night we just sat down to dinner when hubby's phone rang. It was a family member who was at the hospital with his dad.
They said that his body was beginning to shut down, and he needed to get there to say his final good byes.

So, we left our hot meal sitting on the table, grabbed the keys and ran...

It took hours for everyone to get there (one had to come all the way from California,)
...But we assembled the entire family - except for that brother who is in the Cancer treatment center. Him they connected to through Skype.

Finally, around midnight, we had a family prayer, then he was given a blessing releasing him from the cares and responsibilities of this life.
Afterwards, my son left to pick up his three little girls. My youngest had ridden home with a cousin, and was home alone, so I ran to catch a ride with him to be with her.

Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to catch him - and the hospital doors locked behind me (they lock up at ten,) so there I was, stranded alone in the parking lot.
We had left the house so quickly that I hadn't been able to grab my phone. Hubby had given me his, but it was because the battery was dead and he wanted me to charge it for him.

Thanks to merciful heaven - he had left the car unlocked, or I don't know what I would have done! I sat in the car for hours, wondering how long I would be there - freezing. (I hadn't planned on it being COLD!) Something in me kept saying he's not going to die tonight - I could just feel it in my gut. I prepared myself to be there, waiting it out until the sun came up.

Finally, at 3:00, hubby and my daughter came out of the hospital - smiling and laughing.
After I had left, his dad woke up and spoke to everyone in the room, calling them by name and thanking them for coming!

That man has more than 9 lives - he has done this to us so many times!

At 3:30, we came home and finished our meal...

Poor hubby is so emotionally drained - and it's his turn to go up and sit with the brother today.

Bizarre is the only word to describe it - what a night indeed.
.