Dad, Sons & Memories

Your Dad, Tom, Bob (I LOVE this picture!)

Ray's senior class picture

Good morning son! It's Father's Day, make sure you wish your Heavenly Father a happy one! I know, without a doubt, that your grandpa Coffman and you will be up to some type of shenanigans today. Have a great day. You are missed here, as always. How could we possibly not miss you on Father's Day. You and dad had such great times. You would have already called, well actually, you would have already called several days in a row wishing dad a "Happy Father's Day eve, eve, eve, eve, and then "happy Father's Day eve, eve, eve and "happy Father's Day eve, eve" and "happy Father's Day eve" and then this morning with "happy Father's Day". I have no idea when that all began but I know it began with Christmas and ended up with you or dad wishing the other a Merry Christmas eve on Christmas day so you'd be the first to say it for the next Christmas. The skill just seemed to roll from one celebration to the next!

We're celebrating here just like we always have, dad is going to barbecue, hopefully before the showers hit this afternoon, and

he asked for 7-Up Cake (which I baked yesterday and he's already sampled right out of the oven), hot mashed potato salad and watermelon. It's so difficult these days to get him to tell me what he'd like to have but not long ago he mentioned he'd like to have an instruction DVD for thumb picking the guitar. I found one, hope it's what he wanted. He hasn't played his piano or guitar in a very long time and I'm hoping this will encourage him to begin again. He's always afraid it will be too loud for the couple upstairs. My concern is that he won't be able to hear himself play! 

Since I last touch bases with you we've taken Jamison in for his booster shots and annual

Jamison & Belle

check up. I must admit though, we missed last year. I have no idea where are heads were. But that's neither here no there. Taking Jamison to the vet for his shots and annual check up, blood work and shots can be several hundred dollars. I began looking around on line and found a clinic, Banfield Pet Hospital 

What I found in research is that for most pet insurances you have to put the money out and get reimbursed later if at all.  Most clinics I called didn't even want to deal with the insurance and we didn't have the bucks to lay out in front. With Banfield, you pay a small monthly premium. The premium covers all his annual shots and blood work and  all office visits during the year are free. The clinics are located inside of Pet Smart so it's very handy for us. 

His checkup went fine. His weight is right on at 20.1 lbs. (I'll have to tell you, I thought he'd be over by 2-3 lbs and with his little legs that isn't good.) Dad loves to give him chicken jerky. The first year we had him he loved cucumbers, strawberries and carrots. NOW when I try to give him one he looks at me like I've lost my mind. I can just hear him saying, "Where's the meat mom?". Sound familiar? Not you! Dad! I will say this though, now don't fall out of your heavenly chair, yesterday I put raw carrots, sugar peas and sliced cucumber on your dad's plate with his hamburger and he ate them. Said he didn't think he'd like the sugar peas but really enjoyed them. See, miracles do still happen! He's also eating Greek Yogurt and granola for breakfast. Yeah I know, go figure. Does the saying "old dogs, new tricks" come to mind?

Lyme Disease

Well, I started all this to tell you that as we were leaving the clinic the doctor came out and said Jamison's blood work indicated that he has Lyme Disease. We've only ever found one tick on him. I later found out, thanks Corey, that it's not the large ticks that carry the disease, but the very tiny ones that you can't see. Evidently most dogs here have it. The disease is currently in the clinical cycle which means the symptoms are active. The vet  prescribed an antibiotic and said after about 30 days he should be good as new. However, Lyme Disease never goes away. The clinical symptoms cease after the antibiotic, until the next out break and more antibiotics. He's more active after a week of the medication. The first antibiotic prescription was going to cost $105! Dad called them back and said, "Fixed income doesn't really deal well with $105 for pet medication." She wrote a prescription for Amoxicillin, I checked around for an outside pharmacy that filled pet medications and found Target. The prescription was $8. When asked, the pharmacist told me that the Amoxicillin works just as well as the expensive drug and Jamison would be receiving just as good of care as if taking the expensive medication. It does take some extra care and time to do some research but it's very worth the effort.

As you can see by the pictures, Father's Day has always been memorialized in our family. It was always a very special day with my dad and grandpas so it was very important to me that you

Grandpa & Dad

 and your dad made those memories as well. As dad and I have discussed many, many times during the years, all this time we thought we were making memories for you. Little did we know what the Heavenly Father had planned. We never know. It's so very important to make every effort to build memories.  

As I move through picture upon picture this morning memories pour through my brain. What great times we had. You were an amazing son. Your dad is an amazing dad. I'm sorry that you're missing what he has to give you here but we know that your Heavenly Father supplies you with all that your heart could desire. Do you have desires in heaven? Never mind! That question could take us down a "bunny trail". The love your dad has for you will never diminish. That is as it should be. You and your dad had that special relationship few father and sons will ever know. I'm so glad that you did.

Until next week, be Aaron, love mom

PS  Oops! Dad reminded me that the picture of the boys is actually your Uncle Bill, Uncle Tom and Uncle Bob! I still love the picture as much as ever!