Why is it called Love and Laugh Everyday?

I have been asked a few times why is Love and Laugh Everyday the title of your blog? So I thought I might as well blog about it.

Yes, I do love my kids and they do make me laugh everyday but this summer it was really hard for me to love and laugh everyday and it was something I had to force myself to do. You see April 27th I lost my job as a full time youth minister in Edina. This was a job I gave my heart and soul to over and over. All though this was extremely painful it was nothing compared to what God has put on my plate since.

On May 29 my grandpa Krieger was admitted into the hospital for side effects of his radiation. I was so thankful to be able to visit him in the hospital and then at transitional care whenever I wanted and I never had to worry about work. On June 17 he left Good Sam's transitional care and moved into Rosewood Estates assisted living because we were told he had 6 months to live and this is where he wanted to be. This day I laughed! I never laughed so hard. More jokes were cracked in a one hour registration session then I think the staff had ever experienced. His first night in his new place he stayed alone and I came and gave him his meds at midnight. The next five days I spent every day and night with him. Sadly he didn't get his 6 months, he got 6 days that even thou they hurt I love those days. As he was dying he was reliving his whole life as a painter. Two of my most memorable laughs came when he asked me to paint. So I stood at the wall and fake painted but then he told me "you got your hair in the paint and the job won't be done in time now because you have to wash your hair" and When I was painting the wall maroon and again I was not doing a good job. The paint wasn't covering and I had got it on the trim so he told me it was time for me to "give up painting" On June 22, at 10:55pm he finally gave into his fight and past away.

I wish I could say that was the end of my hurting but it goes on. From here on my dates all get very fuzzed. About two weeks after my grandpa died I recived a phone call from my mom that went something like this: "Hey were going to stop at grandma's and bring her some ice cream because she doesn't feel well and hasn't eaten all day." I say, "Okay, call me when you done and let me know how she is." fifteen minutes pass and my dad calls "ya, grandma is really weak but we are going to tuck her into bed and she says she will be fine." I say, " just take her in to make sure." he says, "well we called the clinic and they said to take her to ER but she doesn't want to go" at the same time in the background I hear "Gene, I need your help" two minutes later dad calls back and says "she just blacked out so I called 911, you can come over if you want" I live very close to my grandma's apartment building and in fact I followed the medics and led them to where they were going. After many tests at United it was determined that I non-drinker had liver diease and was bleeding internally. She had never been to a hospital before or taken any medicine at age 91, in fact two days prior she drove to the store and picked up her groceries for the week. She was very scared at United so I stayed with her everyday and my mom stayed every night. After seven days they told us to take her home to die. So that's what we did. The day she came home she was walking and needed a small amount of help in the shower. Slowly she went downhill and nine days later, On July 24 at 5:47pm, she past away in her apartment right where she wanted to be. I have many days now where I wish I could hear her "give it to me straight" and make me laugh it off.

We joked that I needed a job because I was going out of the business of death. This was a very hard time on my entire family so I did what I do best. I planned a trip to Disney World for us four and my parents from November 4-14.

I few days before we left I got another dreaded phone call telling me grandma Krieger wasn't feeling well and it would be helpful if I could come out and convince her to go into the hospital. When I arrived I hear the words I was dreading for the first of many times that night "I am fine. I am not going anywhere." After much arguing we finally convinced her to go to St. John's. She had some test run we learned she had A-fib. (an irregular heart beat) Although she was very upset with us she had to stay the night for more tests and eventually a pace maker. A few days later she blacked out in the bathroom and when she was found by the nurse they did X-rays and learned she had cracked her neck. We left on our vacation and shortly after we left she moved into Good Sam's transitional care and was doing great. She had lost her back pain she had for so so many years, she was able to walk stairs, and she was really ready to live pain free. On our last night in Disney we had dinner in Japan and before our 75min dinner started I had texted with my aunt and learned grandma was released and they had to go threw the cub drive thru for meds. stop at the bank and Aldi's and then they would be home. As we finished our meal I checked my phone for the time and saw I had missed a call from my aunt by 10mins. By the time connection was made all we knew was that she had a massive heart attack at her front door and was not doing well. We flew home the next day and went straight to the hospital. She was on life support and still in her neck brace from her earlier fall. We learned the medics had paddled her back to life three times between when they got to her house and when they got her to St. John's. The family would have a very tough decision the next day. The decision was made to take her off life support and she died very peacefully on the morning of November 16. Watching a sports game is no loner as finny without her brilliant commentary and my body isn't as warm without her knitting.

I am so thankful for my grandparents. I am thankful I spent time with them, and I always told them I loved them. I am also thankful for my family who relive the stories with me so I can laugh, even on the tough days.

Who knows whats next on my plate but no matter what I know two things will always be on my plate love and laughter.