Home Again

The girls and I just returned from an amazing visit with my grandparents in Florida. My father's dad and step-mom. They were married when my dad was in high school, so she is my grandma. She is amazing. My grandpa was a B-17 pilot in WWII and spent about a year in a POW camp in Germany. He had a stroke when he was 49 years old, just six years after he married my grandma. His stroke left him paralyzed and his communication has been difficult. She has cared for him for the 40+ years they have been married. She is an incredible woman. She loves him so much and takes such sweet care of him. A couple of years ago, he had another stroke, this one leaving him too weak to be at home with her. So, he is living in a VA facility in Tampa, Florida. She visits him and takes him clean clothes everyday. He is able to come home and spend the day with her, in their home, on Saturdays. We had such an amazing visit with them. What wonderful peoplee. I have seen them only 3 times since high school. Our communication has decreased since my dad died. My sister and brother's and their families, along with my mom, all flew to Tampa to spend some time with them. The girls and I stayed the whole time in Tampa and spent everyday with him. He is in a wonderful facility. I was worried and scared about him being in a "nursing home", but this particular facility is gorgeous. It is a VA campus located on the bay in Seminole. He looks out his window and can see the bay. The facility is very well cared for and maintained and so clean. It was touching to see how the nurses care for him so kindly. This particular facility

is for "short term" rehab patients, but because he is permanent-disability and a former POW, he gets to stay there.
While we were in Tampa, the group decided to para sail. And yes, I went too. Even Camille and Megan tried it. It was a lot of fun. The girls had a great time playing at the beach with their cousins. So much fun! We had a wonderful trip, (except the flights home). I am so blessed to have grandparents this wonderful. I can't wait until William and I will see them again in April. The weather was perfect! What a pretty place to be.