Vic passed away...

(29 weeks) I'm so glad that I made the choice to go and spend that last game weekend with Vic and Sandy. It was the last one I will have. After a battle with cancer for five years, Todd's dad, Vic passed away on Saturday morning.

I can't believe all Todd has to deal with (New job, losing his dad, knowing the impending fate of our baby...). He is amazing!

Thankfully, Sandy had Betty and Pam to help her deal with all the funeral arrangements and what an amazing job they did.

We stayed right downtown Bend and both the funeral home and church were within one block. By the way, the Oxford Hotel is amazing! The concierge walked us to our room and showed us all our amenities, there are full size bottles of shampoo, lotion and soap, a real french press coffee carafe, fire burning on the flat screen, five different types of pillows you could order and he even filled up our ice bucket. When we came back and there was a chocolate left on our pillow, I told Todd there was only one and it was mine. Hmmmm... The things that pregnant women will do.

Joni was willing to get Maylee from school and keep her overnight and bring her on Friday, so that was a blessing to have a relaxing evening with just Todd and I. We went to a family viewing on Thursday night and that was hard. Its just hard to see a loved one in a casket. He looked like he'd just sit up and engage in our conversations. When I touched Vic's hand it was cold and stiff. Strange to see the lifeless body where there was so much life previously.

After the viewing we went back to Sandy's house and had pizza and got to chat with her family. Although Sandy had told us so much about them and told them about us, we'd never really met or hung out, so it was so special to get to know them and chat and support one another. I wish they all didn't live so far away (Kentucky).

Todd, Maylee and I LOVED our weekends with Vic and Sandy. We got to spend quite a few with them. Every time Vic came to town, he'd go to Safeway and get take and bake cookies with chocolate chips and walnuts and he'd buy another coffee mate creamer until we had three of the super large ones. I finally had to warn Sandy, "No more creamer!"

At the service, Maylee sang, "Amazing Grace" with Brita as Todd carried Vic's casket down the aisle. It was a beautiful Catholic service. When the priest said, "We all know where Vic is now," Maylee elbowed me and said, "Where?" I said, "With God", she said, "but you told me he's in that box." I said, "his body is there and his soul is in heaven", she said, "Why are funeral's so long?" It had only been about 5 minutes at this point. I love the lightness Maylee brings. :-)

Sandy & Vic REALLY wanted the song Ava Maria sung and the man who sang it was BEAUTIFUL! Surprising to me, Todd got up and read a wonderful recollection of his time spent with Vic and shared a valuable life lesson with everyone; in short, Think Positively! After the funeral outside, Vic received a professional United States Government honor with taps and the American Flag and the releasing of doves and the church bells. It was really wonderful. The flag was presented to Sandy and she gave it to Todd. Maylee kept wanting to touch it and play with it. :-)

When I got pregnant with Gabriel, I was excited to tell Vic and Sandy. It seemed like, with his cancer, Gabriel was a hope and a reminder of the circle of life. When we found out about Gabriel's defect, it was really tough to tell them because they were isolated down in Houston and Vic wasn't doing well. We wanted to be with them and they wanted to be with us, but space made it impossible. I've just felt sad lately with Vic passing, that this baby couldn't continue to be that hope and that circle of life for friends and family

I will miss Vic greatly. He was always kind, and inquisitive. I'm sad for Todd that he won't have that buddy to look at houses and cars and discuss "deals." I'm sad Maylee has lost a grandfather who she loves. I'm scared that our connection with the Arcuri and Camic families will fade because Vic was the link. I hope 10 years from now, I can prove this fear wrong.