After they arrived & had unpacked Becky's (that's Geoff's mom) stuff, Geoff took Leah, Steve & their kids over to my parents house, where they would be staying for the weekend. (Our house just doesn't have room for 5 extra people) While Geoff was over there, I got to spend some good time talking with Becky. (This is rare-we don't always have much to talk about) Geoff got back & we stayed up talking for a little bit, but we were all tired, so Geoff gave his mom a hug, told her he loved her, then we all went to bed.
On Friday morning, the 16th, the boys came running into my room to tell me they could hear Nana "growling". She is a heavy sleeper, and was actually just snoring! :) We could actually even hear her when we were eating breakfast too!
Leah & Steve came over around 9 or so to borrow some of our beach stuff to take Cannon & Cassie to the beach for the day. I mentioned that I thought it might be fun for Becky to ride with me to pick up Kirkland from school. She was a preschool teacher for like 30 years so I knew she would like to see where he went.
Leah offered to wake her up so she would have time to get ready. Leah came back down after a few minutes & said her mom didn't want to wake up. So, Steve went up & said he would wake her. I hear Steve shouting "BECKY! WAKE UP!". That's when I knew we had a problem. Seconds later, Leah runs down the hall telling me to call 911. I call 911 but I can't answer any of the questions about medications, etc. so I give the phone to Leah & I call Geoff to tell him he probably wants to come home. I called Aunt Betty to go stand at the end of the driveway so she can wave down the ambulance, and I take the 4 kids down to the playroom. My Aunt Dawn was walking her granddaughter right about then, so she offered to keep the kids downstairs for me. (A huge blessing)
Geoff actually got here right behind the ambulance, but he beat them up the stairs. Relief washed over me when I saw him. I knew I was out of my league with all this & he seemed so calm & he instantly had it all under control. We took down the baby gates so they could get the stretcher out & I could faintly hear them working on her down the hall. Geoff asked them if she was breathing or if she still had a pulse when one of the men came out in the hall. When I am nervous, I need to be actively doing something, but Geoff told me it would be best if I stayed downstairs.
Geoff & Leah followed the ambulance to the hospital. Steve went back to my parents house to get clothes (they all thought they were going to the beach, so everyone was in swimsuits). I stayed behind with the kids. I finally got in touch with my mom (who had been playing tennis & so didn't have any idea what was going on) & she picked up Kirkland from school, and my friend, Erin Loomis (& her boys), came over to help with the kids. They are all outside playing on the playground, and I am inside vacuuming (I needed to be busy), when Geoff let me know that his mom did not make it.
I left my mom & Erin with all 7 kids, and I headed to the hospital to be with Geoff. Pastor Neal was already there, and Pastor Jim pulled up the same time I did. I was now a basket case! This kind of stuff doesn't happen! She was a perfectly normal 60 year old woman yesterday, and now she is dead? -no way!!
Later, when the dust settled a little bit, and we could process what had happened, we could see that God did, in fact, have his hand all over the situation:
-She died here, with her children & grandchildren together so that we could comfort one another
-We had a nice time with her the night before, and the last words she heard were, "I love you"
-She died in her sleep. No pain, no suffering.
-Leah went in to wake her up. (Had she not, I would have let her sleep, then forever wondered if it was my fault)
-Leah & Steve got to see what it was like for the body of Christ to comfort one another in times of grief. (They are unbelievers)
-There was a card for Geoff on her nightstand for his birthday in 2 weeks.
-So many people prayed & comforted us. We felt God's peace in an unmistakable way. There is no explanation for the peace we felt other than the hand of God.
I wish like crazy that it didn't happen, and that Becky was still with us. She was a good Nana & she loved our boys dearly. But, we are still able to praise God for his many blessings.
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