Kayla offered to host our Mother’s Day Sunday family day again this year, and of course I loved that idea!

She and David have hosted Mother’s Day before.

I would have to look back to see how many years they have done this, but I am sure it has been quite a few now!

It has been tradition for many years now to take Mother’s Day and Father’s Day photos with the children at home in front of our garage as we are leaving for church.

Chad had already left much earlier that morning to serve on the worship team, so that left me with my trio!

I had planned to take more photos later that day with the other children, but it did not happen.

All us girls decided on the menu and we each contributed to a very delicious lunch!

I am not sure why, but food always tastes way yummier at someone else’s home, doesn’t it??

We enjoyed lunch very much!

It was while we were eating that Blake and my phone started getting messages from my mother-in-law, their caretakers, and her son who lives in Missouri.

My father-in-law was not doing well.

Blake left first to head that way, which is about 35 minutes from David and Kay’s farm.

I left not too long after that, but first I went around and took a few photos.

The children all stayed there together, which I was very glad for.

Kayla sent me this photo later that day.

So so sweet!!

Once I arrived at my in-laws, it took just a few minutes to understand that my father-in-law was transitioning into the arms of Jesus.

My mother-in-law spent the next five days at his bedside as the caretakers and the hospice team supported him.

Blake and I were in and out constantly, and there were visitors from Illinois and Wyoming, as we all said our earthly goodbyes.

I will add here part of the Mother’s Day post I made on Instagram a few days after Mother’s Day:

“Life is full of joy and sorrows, celebrations and tears, mundane tasks and hard seasons, heartbreak and gratitude – but the Lord is using it all to refine us into a version of ourselves most like Him. This Mother’s Day as I reflected on my absolute greatest joy of being a Mom and NaiNai, I was also filled with grief as my father-in-law makes his transition from this life into the arms of Jesus. I am so grateful we have had these precious last nineteen months with my in-laws here in Wisconsin with us. The trust my mother-in-law has put in us is a privilege I will never forget.  So, a late Mother’s Day post that feels like a ramble of words because my heart and mind are in so many places. It still will be a day to be remembered.”

It has been a lot since that day back in May – emotions are hard to put into words.

But I am still SO thankful.

Thankful that my father-in-law knew the Lord.

Thankful that he is no longer suffering after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Thankful for the nineteen months we had with him here with us.

Thankful that we achieved our hopes for him when we moved them to Wisconsin – to keep them together, in their home, until the Lord took him home.

He is HOME.

Praise the Lord that grief for a believer comes with hope.

Can you imagine the glory that waited for him there??

He is so very missed, but he is home.