10 Years

Today marks 10 years since John died and John Michael quit walking with his legs. It was the day that life changed for the kids and I. It was the day when we learned to appreciate life in a new way. Ten years ago we knew that life would never be the same again… ever.

John helped coach JM's baseball team.
It was a fun season. JM made the All-Star
team right before the accident.

Today I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around the fact that’s it’s been TEN years. He has now been gone longer than we were married. JM has been in a wheelchair longer than he walked. He’s been playing wheelchair basketball longer than little league baseball. It’s all so crazy. All three kids are teenagers now … driving and having a curfew, learning to drive, learning how to wear makeup, playing piano-drums-guitar-ukelele, playing sports, trying to figure out the opposite sex or still thinking the opposite sex is weird. This is so different from ten years ago or even five years ago. Time. It goes so fast.

Our last 4th of July with John. Bekah didn't like the loud
fireworks so we stayed home and did sparklers. She
wasn't so sure about those either. :) 

John Michael, Ben, Bekah and I have learned to celebrate the life of Daddy John. We don’t like to sulk and be depressed when we think of him, although we allow ourselves to have our moment of sadness then move on. How much fun would it be to be depressed all day? Yuck! That isn’t what John would want us to do. And it’s not what God intends for us to do. We have reason to celebrate his life here on earth and in heaven. We don’t want to wish differently for him, even though we miss him. We have grieved deeply and loved deeply over the past ten years. Today was another reminder of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come.

We brought JM's best friend, Mikey with us. :) 

Daddy John really liked slurpees! The summer of 2004 he decided that he wanted his kids to know what slurpees were and literally took them to a 7-11 for slurpees almost every weekend that summer. The kids always looked forward to their venture to 7-11 after a baseball game, after church, just because they wanted to.

Is it coincidence that Daddy John died on 7-11-2004? I think not! Everytime we get slurpees we think of him. Today and every July 11 we get free slurpees on Daddy John! J It’s a way that we celebrate him and remember him.

Later this weekend the kids and I will go to Cheddars, Daddy John’s favorite restaurant. It’ll be another moment to remember him.