LONG week!

This past week has been a particularly long week for us. Our original plan for the weekend was to have mom and dad Boyd over to our house and have a painting party in preparation of putting our house on the market. However, that was just not in the cards for us this weekend.

My dad, George Joseph Spicka, Jr., had been in the hosptial very sick for the past several weeks. He had not been feeling well for quite some time. On the 8th of May, he went in for a pacemaker to regulate his heart. He was really doing well for the week following his surgery and was moved to a regular room from ICU. The following Monday, he was scheduled to be moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center to start therapy. However, when the physician went to check on him in the morning, he had taken a turn for the worse and had moved him back to ICU. By the afternoon, he had really gotten bad and had called to find out if we wanted him put on any type of life support if he coded. Needless to say, Brock and I packed up the car and headed north. His condition kept getting worse and on Tuesday evening he passed. Brock and I were so fortunate the I was able to make it up to see him before he passed and say my goodbyes and that my sister, Jennie, and I were able to be with him when he took his last breaths. It gave us peace to know that he had family with him. While he and I didn't have the greatest of relationships, he was my father and did the best that he knew how.

Brock and I decided after the long emtional week that we had had, that we would take one of the days that we had to spend as a family (Brock, Sophie and I), to do something together. So we make a trip to the Brookfield Zoo. We had such a good time and it was great to get out and get some fresh air. We didn't bring our camera with us, so we stopped and got a disposable. While they aren't the greatest pictures, they allowed us to capture the time. Here are some pictures from our trip:

Trying on the hard hat in the Dinosaurs Alive Exhibit Gift shop

"After lunch, I want to go here"

Daddy and Sophie in the Hammill Family Play area

Playing hard

Family in front of the zoo sign

Saturday afternoon, we made our trip back to Bloomington. It was so great to be home and get back to reality. We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and getting ready for the week ahead.