This last year and a half has been a roller coater ride of emotional highs and lows for me and my family. On December 3, 2009 I found out that my dad had cancer. He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, it is a blood cancer that affects the bone marrow. I thought that was the worst day of my life. How are you supposed to react when you find out that someone you love so much is really sick and may not live. My dad assured us that he was bound and determined to beat this cancer, so we all took that to heart and did everything we could to help him out. Our ward and families prayed and fasted for him every chance that we could.
After countless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation treatments, a bone marrow transplant and everything else the doctors could think of, my family and I found out on February 3, 2011 that my dads cancer had come back in full force and was spreading throughout his body. THIS was the worst day of my life. I get a phone call saying that we need to leave Logan as fast as we can and to meet at the hospital. I knew then that the news wasn't going to be good, but I didn't expect to find out that my dad was dying and it would only be a matter of days. Me and my siblings took the next 3 weeks off from school to be home with my dad so that we could make as many lasting memories as we could.
Those ten days were some of the most special and hardest days that i have ever had. I loved the time that I had to reminisce about all the wonderful things we have done with my dad. But watching him suffer is something that I never will be able to forget. It is so hard to see someone who has been so strong and healthy for your entire life be in so much pain and so uncomfortable and knowing there is nothing that you can do to ease their pain. I wouldn't trade that time for the world though. Each of us kids had time to talk to our dad one on one and that is something we will always have. My dad apologized that he wouldn't be there for my wedding. That totally broke my heart. It is every little girls dream to have her daddy there for her wedding. My dad will be there, but it will just be a little different. That is one of the things that I think will be the hardest for me. He was there for Andrew and Taisa's wedding, which was so cool. I just really want him there in the flesh for mine. I want him there to help raise my kids, to teach them all about hard work like he has taught me. Its totally going to suck having to graduate, get married, raise kids, live life without my dad here.
I am truly grateful for the gospel and the knowledge that my family will be together again. It is only a matter of time before we will be united with those that have gone on before us.
I love you dad and I miss you so much!
