Mesa, AZ

We spent Thanksgiving at Colleen and Darrius’, we had a great time and the food was fabulous. Angela & Tyler, Tyler’s folks, and Delaney, Kendall and Kylie, I don’t remember the dog’s name but she was there also. Debbie, Darrius’ sister, was there from Tuscan. We had a great visit even though we received some bad news.

Sarah’s brother, Bob Cain, passed away Thanksgiving day. I was thinking about driving when everyone made me see the error of my thinking. Darrius got online and did some research, he is very good at that, and found Southwest had a good rate on plane tickets to Des Moines. I had never flown on Southwest before but we had great flights both ways.

We arrived in Des Moines at 4:30 on Saturday the 30th, Cynthia picked us up at the airport and we stayed with her that night. The next day, Sunday, we had rented a car at the airport so Cynthia and Sarah dropped me off there to get the car and we headed for Galesburg, IL. Cynthia and Sarah rode together; Cynthia needed her car because we were not going back to Des Moines right away. The viewing was from 3-5 in that afternoon, we arrived before two. We spent the rest of the day at the funeral home.

After the viewing, we went to John’s Taco Hideout for dinner. Carl went to school with John and they did a great job of keeping everyone fed. All of the Cain family and Judy, Bob’s wife, and two of her daughters were all there. One thing I found very nice, Bob retired as a Galesburg firefighter, there were two firefighters, one at each end of the casket, they stood at attention for twenty-minute intervals for the entire two hours of the viewing. I liked that.

The next day, Monday, was the funeral service at the funeral home, it was very nice. When they took the casket, out to the hearse there were firefighters in two rows and the casket passed between them. Two fire trucks led the hearse to the edge of town with their sirens and horns blaring, very nice. Burial was in the Historical Myers Cemetery in Pontoosuc, Illinois.

After the internment, I went to my brother’s in Burlington, Sarah and I stayed there Monday night, Sarah went to see her aunt Helen, she rode with her brother Bill.

Went out to eat Monday night with Larry & Kathy Hoenig, Cynthia Cain, Bill & Mable Cain and Chuck Cain, Bill & Mable’s son. We ate at Gator’s in Burlington, as always the food was good.

Tuesday, everyone left and Sarah and I headed to Wisconsin to see Robert, Sarah, Mason and Madyson. It was foggy the entire trip to Wisconsin but we made it without too much trouble. We spent a great four hours with the kids. Robert made a delicious chili for supper and we enjoyed being with them even if it was only for just a few hours.

Wednesday morning Sarah and I headed back to Iowa, we did stop in Coralville, IA and had lunch with Carl & Merilee and then on to Ankeny, IA to meet Tiffany, Matt and Alexa for dinner. They met us at Outback Steakhouse; Bryon was working so he wasn’t able to be there. We had a good time visiting with them and the food was good.

After dinner we headed for Cynthia’s, we stayed there until Saturday, thank you Cynthia.

Thursday Sarah and I headed west to Omaha to see Daniel, Marie, Emily, Isabel and Eli. We had a great visit with them also; it is always fun to see the grandkids.

I did accomplish one thing; we gave the kids their Christmas gifts so I saved on postage.

Friday I went out to Mike Cord’s house, a friend of ours, to print off our boarding passes for our flight to Phoenix on Saturday; it was good to see Mike. Then Sarah and I went to Norma and Orren Cairo’s for lunch. Norma had a chicken pie and a homemade coconut cream pie, delicious.

Cynthia made chili for supper Friday night with apple crisp for desert another great and delicious meal.

Saturday morning with a temperature of a minus one degree, we headed for the airport and our trip home. We got home around four thirty Saturday afternoon.

It was great to see the kids and everyone else but we wish it had been under different circumstances.

Sarah’s brother was a unique individual and will be sorely missed by Judy, his wife, his children, Carl, Cheryl, Fred and Allen, and by his brother and sisters, Bill, Cynthia and Sarah. The nephews, nieces and grandchildren are too numerous to mention but I am sure they will miss being around Bob.

Monday it is back to our normal routing, until later

Dreams Do Come True