Sunday, July 05, 2009

... it pours!

So much has happened in the last few weeks, most of which I do not want to relive in a detailed blog post but I will give a super abbreviated overview of what we have been through recently.

About 5 weeks ago I got a call from Eric’s step Mom Natalie. She said she didn’t want to worry us but the doctors had found a mass on Ken’s (Eric’s father) gallbladder and they thought it might be cancer. I told Natalie I was not worried at all because even if it was cancer it was in his gallbladder and they could just take it out. I remember telling her “Gallbladder cancer would be like winning the cancer lottery”. Natalie thanked me for making her feel better about the situation. 

It was just a few days after my conversation with Natalie that Eric read the scan and told me it was “inoperable and going to take his life”.  I was completely devastated. 

Ken has always been wonderful to me and my girls. I really loved him and couldn’t imagine not having Grandpa Ken around. I spent several days crying when I was at home, so I could keep it together in public. I would try not to think about Ken and think about our move... then I would start crying about all my friends I was loosing at the same time. I would wake up and my eyelids were huge from crying so much.

Jump forward a few weeks and Ken was home from the hospital with hospice care. A few days after he got home Natalie spent several days in the hospital (2 different trips) with what turned out to be a stroke. She is still recovering today.

On June 24th I was just finishing packing up our house so we could move the next day when I received a text message “Dad just passed”.

On the 25th we had to fork out $4,000 for an unexpected expense on our condo. We also had “issues” with the lady that is renting our condo that I don’t want to discuss since Eric was right and I was wrong. I really should have listened to him.

We stayed in our packed up condo waiting for the funeral while our girls were killing each other with no toys, TV ect. Eric wrote his father’s obituary and his talk for the funeral on his Iphone because the computer was packed.

With Natalie in the hospital all the kids were trying to get everything organized for the funeral. You would not have believed the amount of phone calls, text messages and emails we got that week. One night Ruby said “Would you guys please turn off your phones they are making me crazy!”. Even with the pre-funeral crazy, everything went well with at the funeral. 

Check out this picture of Ken from the funeral... can you believe how much Eric looks like his dad? 


The day after the funeral we moved to Oregon.

We are here and about 75% unpacked. We got cable TV yesterday and Eric hooked up our computer tonight so I feel connected with life outside of moving. The house is wonderful, the yard is beautiful and everyone has been so nice to us (Although ... I did have someone come up to me at the 4th of July church breakfast and say “I am trying not to hate you”.) 

I will post about happier things after I finish unpacking.

Fyi- Eric starts his new job tomorrow morning!

12 comments:

Jacki Rich said...

I am so sorry for the storm. We miss you and your girls sooooo much!. Carly talked about Ruby not being at church all morning and there is definitely a empty space behind the decons. :( I am glad you are there, safe, and getting settled.
Wait for the Rainbow, it always comes!
Love ya
-Jacki

Shonda said...

"I am trying not to hate you"??? Hopefully that was ment as a compliment! Thinking about you guys. (((Hug)))

Liz said...

You really weren't kidding about the pouring rain were you?? I am so sorry about Eric's Dad! What a difficult few months you all have had. I hope things start getting better, and really, somebody actually said "I'm trying not to hate you."??? Yikes! I hope you find some great friends!! Take care!

Chanel Palmer said...

Shonda-
I wish she meant it as a compliment but she was serious. She wanted to rent the house we are in and apparently the people that own it promised it to her, but then rented it to us. So she was serious.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stephanie said...

we're missing you guys so much, too. We drove by your place today and Little S yelled from the back, "There's Chanel's!" I couldn't bring myself to remind her that you don't live there anymore for fear I would cry and scare her...
btw, call me when you have a sec cause we have questions about your cruises

Anonymous said...

Chanel, We love you. I deleted my earlier comment because it may not have been funny in your current state. Is anything funny in OR?

- Wayne

Chanel Palmer said...

Mr. Sig
You did not need to delete your comment, It made me laugh!

I may have lost my mind, but I have not lost my sense of humor and yes many things are funny in Oregon... like the naked man walking around Ashland (don't worry, it's not Eric).

Shonda said...

O.k., I admit, I told him it didn't sound funny. I guess I don't really need to walk behind him and clean up any messes because you, like a true sister, get his sense of humor! (Maybe because you have one just like him??) I've heard about the naked people in Ashland....my advice is not to go to a farmer's market there.

Tasha said...

I am so sorry. Ken was a wonderful man, the man Eric is is such an honor to him. I am so sorry Chanel. Love you guys.

Jill said...

Oh wow, you've definitely made it through a huge downpour haven't you? I'm so sorry about Eric's dad. I'm also sorry about $4000 in condo expenses, losing friends to a move, and having someone say "I'm trying not to hate you." No doubt that was a backhanded compliment from a jealous female, but still.

Jill said...

Oh dear, I just saw your explanation about the statement from that woman. I'm sorry about that.

 
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