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A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING and look at all the new trees.....Leave a comment so I will know I still have READERS....Another giveaway will be coming in a few days.
GUESS WHO IS COMING HOME TOMORROW?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
OUR WEEK
I have planned to post for the last three days. You have been so faithful to pray for Jack and I so wanted to give you an update. Every time I have tried to type, I could not put my heart in words. More of an emotional block than writer’s block. These are not easy days.
Wednesday morning we were able to check Jack out of rehab. Micah picked him up and had him home and getting dressed before 9AM. We then drove two hours to say goodbye to his Dad. We took two cars, so we could take a wheelchair if we needed it. (We didn't) Our doctor friend flew in and rode with us. Not because we needed a doctor but because he had played for and loved Jack’s Dad. It did make me feel better to have a doctor on board. Roger, you keep walking this road with us. Thank you.
We arrived at a full to overflowing church full of coaches, players and friends of a man that was loved by so many. There were enough Rip Powell stories to fill a book. As we arrived and moved into a little room, one man after another, many of Jack’s oldest friends in coaching and in life, made their way in to hug him. So before we ever walked into the church, we were all a mess. Right before we walked down that church aisle, Jack told me he was not sure if he could speak, he would just decide when it was his time. My stomach was in the biggest knot ever. I knew how much he wanted to. I knew how hard it was going to be. He had told me over and over this was a speech he had been writing for 50 years. That’s a long time to prepare. Greg was ready to speak for him, but I knew how much he wanted to do it himself. When the pastor called on him, he stood up, walked up the steps, no wheelchair, no walker, no cane, just pre-stroke mode and as Greg walked behind him, I knew he was going to be able to say THANKS to the man that gave a young boy a home, a name and a life. As he began to speak his voice got stronger and stronger, Greg stepped back, and he shared his heart as well as I have ever seen it done. I am almost positive there was not one dry eye in the church. These were the kids FB posts that night…
Greg…To My Father...as a son, I had the great privilege of watching my dad pay tribute to his idol and role model, his Dad. I have never been more proud to be Jack Powell's son. He told me a few days ago that he has known since he was a teenager the he would speak at his Dad's funeral. He was wonderful!!!
Amanda Happy birthday to my sweet daddy! I am so blessed to have him here today! I can't even put into words how proud I am am to be his daughter. Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days of his life and he handled it like a champ. I know Rip was looking down from heaven smiling.
Something happened when he finished. People clapped. Strange for a funeral but so right for this occasion. He had honored a man than had made many boys into men. But this boy he had given a new life, a place to call home, a name to be proud of.
Jack had a supernatural strength the entire day, He was able to walk with no help, go to the burial, visit with friends, even go out to eat on the way home. This was his first time to be out of the hospital in almost five weeks.
Terri and I had reworked our schedule early last week and it left me with three days off the first of this week. That had to be God. This is a year that I have known I could not get behind. In years past if I did, we just worked longer days. I know that I don’t have the physical energy to do that this year.
Yesterday was Jack’s birthday. A birthday a month ago we were not sure he would see. I sent out an email a week or so ago and ask former players, coaches, family and friends to send an email to him that would encourage him. Then Rip died and I was really not even thinking about the emails. In three days I think over 60 cards came in the mail and almost 100 emails. WOW….if you sent one, you will never know how much it meant. A friend put them all in a binder for me and I wrapped it, knowing it was going to be a very emotional but wonderful gift. It was. We had a small family surprise birthday party for Jack at the rehab. It was almost too much for one week.
The first card he read was and I can hardly type this, a beautifully hand written, heart felt card…filling up both sides of the card, from the lady doctor we had at Baylor. The one that became family to our family in a day where that does not happen often. Dr. Elizabeth Rice-De, you make your profession look good, but more than that you say to your patients that they matter. I know that Jack could hardly wait for us to leave last night so he could read each letter and card slowly and then read them again.
Much more has happened this week, but I will save it. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the week
A GIRL AND HER DAD
Jack’s biggest cheerleaders
4 LITTLE’S THAT NEED THEIR POP 
A BOY, A DAD, and HIS GIRL
PARKER, JACK and WOODY
Austin and Grayson
Be sure and stop by A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING tomorrow. I am posting tree pictures and there will be a GIVEAWAY. Blogging has had to take a back seat for right now, but I hope to be back soon sharing lots of Christmas pictures. We start our “don’t look up” schedule on Sunday, where there is no day off for a long time. There is a good chance that when I post again, Jack will be home where he belongs.
Wednesday morning we were able to check Jack out of rehab. Micah picked him up and had him home and getting dressed before 9AM. We then drove two hours to say goodbye to his Dad. We took two cars, so we could take a wheelchair if we needed it. (We didn't) Our doctor friend flew in and rode with us. Not because we needed a doctor but because he had played for and loved Jack’s Dad. It did make me feel better to have a doctor on board. Roger, you keep walking this road with us. Thank you.
We arrived at a full to overflowing church full of coaches, players and friends of a man that was loved by so many. There were enough Rip Powell stories to fill a book. As we arrived and moved into a little room, one man after another, many of Jack’s oldest friends in coaching and in life, made their way in to hug him. So before we ever walked into the church, we were all a mess. Right before we walked down that church aisle, Jack told me he was not sure if he could speak, he would just decide when it was his time. My stomach was in the biggest knot ever. I knew how much he wanted to. I knew how hard it was going to be. He had told me over and over this was a speech he had been writing for 50 years. That’s a long time to prepare. Greg was ready to speak for him, but I knew how much he wanted to do it himself. When the pastor called on him, he stood up, walked up the steps, no wheelchair, no walker, no cane, just pre-stroke mode and as Greg walked behind him, I knew he was going to be able to say THANKS to the man that gave a young boy a home, a name and a life. As he began to speak his voice got stronger and stronger, Greg stepped back, and he shared his heart as well as I have ever seen it done. I am almost positive there was not one dry eye in the church. These were the kids FB posts that night…
Greg…To My Father...as a son, I had the great privilege of watching my dad pay tribute to his idol and role model, his Dad. I have never been more proud to be Jack Powell's son. He told me a few days ago that he has known since he was a teenager the he would speak at his Dad's funeral. He was wonderful!!!
Amanda Happy birthday to my sweet daddy! I am so blessed to have him here today! I can't even put into words how proud I am am to be his daughter. Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days of his life and he handled it like a champ. I know Rip was looking down from heaven smiling.
Something happened when he finished. People clapped. Strange for a funeral but so right for this occasion. He had honored a man than had made many boys into men. But this boy he had given a new life, a place to call home, a name to be proud of.
Jack had a supernatural strength the entire day, He was able to walk with no help, go to the burial, visit with friends, even go out to eat on the way home. This was his first time to be out of the hospital in almost five weeks.
Terri and I had reworked our schedule early last week and it left me with three days off the first of this week. That had to be God. This is a year that I have known I could not get behind. In years past if I did, we just worked longer days. I know that I don’t have the physical energy to do that this year.
Yesterday was Jack’s birthday. A birthday a month ago we were not sure he would see. I sent out an email a week or so ago and ask former players, coaches, family and friends to send an email to him that would encourage him. Then Rip died and I was really not even thinking about the emails. In three days I think over 60 cards came in the mail and almost 100 emails. WOW….if you sent one, you will never know how much it meant. A friend put them all in a binder for me and I wrapped it, knowing it was going to be a very emotional but wonderful gift. It was. We had a small family surprise birthday party for Jack at the rehab. It was almost too much for one week.
The first card he read was and I can hardly type this, a beautifully hand written, heart felt card…filling up both sides of the card, from the lady doctor we had at Baylor. The one that became family to our family in a day where that does not happen often. Dr. Elizabeth Rice-De, you make your profession look good, but more than that you say to your patients that they matter. I know that Jack could hardly wait for us to leave last night so he could read each letter and card slowly and then read them again.
Much more has happened this week, but I will save it. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the week
A GIRL AND HER DAD
Jack’s biggest cheerleaders
4 LITTLE’S THAT NEED THEIR POP 
A BOY, A DAD, and HIS GIRL
PARKER, JACK and WOODY
Austin and Grayson Be sure and stop by A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING tomorrow. I am posting tree pictures and there will be a GIVEAWAY. Blogging has had to take a back seat for right now, but I hope to be back soon sharing lots of Christmas pictures. We start our “don’t look up” schedule on Sunday, where there is no day off for a long time. There is a good chance that when I post again, Jack will be home where he belongs.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
SURPRISED and SO SAD
This day began as any tree day does, running behind, two houses finished and one more to knock out today.. this was also the day Jack was moving to the new JUST REHAB center. Micah had been so great to take off and get Pop settled. I had no idea what time the move would be but was getting ready to change clothes and walk out the door when the doorbell rang. I ask who it was and no one said anything, ran and got a robe and opened the door. There was Jack and Micah. One of those moments in life that I will never forget. A special moment to say the least. Jack was home for the first time in four weeks. He had just told Micah he wanted to go home for a few minutes before going to the new rehab center. What a sweet sight that was. He is walking great and walked in with no limp and very steady, sat down in his recliner and said “wow it is so good to be home”! Tomorrow will be a month since our life changed. I had to leave and meet the elves and Jack and Micah had some coffee, he took Jack to get a massage and then to eat..and finally to his home away from home for the next three weeks. There were days in the last month that I thought he might never walk through those doors. If you prayed, thank you.
I went to work and worked all day, decking some halls, walked in around 5, planning to take a shower and go check out Jacks new place. The phone rang and the caller ID was a relative in Magnolia Ark. where Jack's Dad lives. He had just been here on Tuesday to see Jack and it was Jack’s favorite part of the week.
I don’t think I have ever told you Jack’s story, but he was a ward of the county for most of his childhood. When he was in Junior High, his football coach stopped him one day and ask if he would like to come home with him and be a part of their family. Rip Powell was a Junior High Coach with a young family that adopted a boy that had no home. So at age 13, Jack had a family. The hard to explain part became that Jack’s new Dad was only 11 years older than him. He was legally adopted and now had a name to be proud of. He was Rip Powell's son. Anyone that lives in Arkansas knows Rip. He was the head football coach at what I always knew as Southern State but is now Southern Arkansas University, for many years.
Jack became a coach because he wanted to be just like his Dad. And so many times in our lives I have seen him pour into kids lives and I knew he was thinking of all his Dad had done for him. Tonight the call came that his Dad had fallen and had a large bleed on the brain. We are really not sure what happened, but his sweet granddaughter said they were life flighting him to the trauma hospital in our town and had told them he might not survive the flight. Memories of a month ago were happening again. Amanda, Greg and I went straight to the hospital as it would take the family a couple of hours to get here. As we walked in the doctor walked out and said he had coded on the flight, they had gotten a pulse back but he was brain dead. They would try to keep him alive until the family arrived to say their goodbyes. We said ours and knew we needed to go and tell Jack..How would we? How could we? Again, our doctor friend, who was now in Hawaii and had also played for Rip, talked us through what to say to Jack. He thought we should tell him tonight. Again he was right...
Jack was a month out from a stroke and now we had to tell him the man that had changed his life, the man he so loved and was so grateful to, was dead.
We have just returned from telling Jack, all having a good cry but all so thankful that our lives were touched by Raymond Rip Powell. He was/is a legend in the football community. As I am typing this the respiratory people are removing all the life support machines. There is absolutely no sign of any brain activity and Rip would never have wanted to be left on machines. The next few days will be very hard and very sad. Jack is adamant that he must attend the funeral. He even wants to speak. As we left tonight he said "I have always known that someday I would speak at Dad's funeral and tell what he did for me."
If he can't I think Greg can speak for him.
As this holiday season begins we have never been more aware that life can change in a moment, never more aware that life is a gift, never more thankful for each day and never more aware of what REALLY MATTERS.
Our new theme song is LEAN ON Me
Thank you Amanda, Greg, Micah, Dana, Roger, Terri, Marcy, Sheila, Pam, and so many more for being that shoulder to me this past month.
I went to work and worked all day, decking some halls, walked in around 5, planning to take a shower and go check out Jacks new place. The phone rang and the caller ID was a relative in Magnolia Ark. where Jack's Dad lives. He had just been here on Tuesday to see Jack and it was Jack’s favorite part of the week.
I don’t think I have ever told you Jack’s story, but he was a ward of the county for most of his childhood. When he was in Junior High, his football coach stopped him one day and ask if he would like to come home with him and be a part of their family. Rip Powell was a Junior High Coach with a young family that adopted a boy that had no home. So at age 13, Jack had a family. The hard to explain part became that Jack’s new Dad was only 11 years older than him. He was legally adopted and now had a name to be proud of. He was Rip Powell's son. Anyone that lives in Arkansas knows Rip. He was the head football coach at what I always knew as Southern State but is now Southern Arkansas University, for many years.
Jack became a coach because he wanted to be just like his Dad. And so many times in our lives I have seen him pour into kids lives and I knew he was thinking of all his Dad had done for him. Tonight the call came that his Dad had fallen and had a large bleed on the brain. We are really not sure what happened, but his sweet granddaughter said they were life flighting him to the trauma hospital in our town and had told them he might not survive the flight. Memories of a month ago were happening again. Amanda, Greg and I went straight to the hospital as it would take the family a couple of hours to get here. As we walked in the doctor walked out and said he had coded on the flight, they had gotten a pulse back but he was brain dead. They would try to keep him alive until the family arrived to say their goodbyes. We said ours and knew we needed to go and tell Jack..How would we? How could we? Again, our doctor friend, who was now in Hawaii and had also played for Rip, talked us through what to say to Jack. He thought we should tell him tonight. Again he was right...
Jack was a month out from a stroke and now we had to tell him the man that had changed his life, the man he so loved and was so grateful to, was dead.
We have just returned from telling Jack, all having a good cry but all so thankful that our lives were touched by Raymond Rip Powell. He was/is a legend in the football community. As I am typing this the respiratory people are removing all the life support machines. There is absolutely no sign of any brain activity and Rip would never have wanted to be left on machines. The next few days will be very hard and very sad. Jack is adamant that he must attend the funeral. He even wants to speak. As we left tonight he said "I have always known that someday I would speak at Dad's funeral and tell what he did for me."
If he can't I think Greg can speak for him.
As this holiday season begins we have never been more aware that life can change in a moment, never more aware that life is a gift, never more thankful for each day and never more aware of what REALLY MATTERS.
Our new theme song is LEAN ON Me
Thank you Amanda, Greg, Micah, Dana, Roger, Terri, Marcy, Sheila, Pam, and so many more for being that shoulder to me this past month.
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