Grandpa Duane Passed Away

March 24, 2021

On this morning at 4:00 AM, Duane called the nurse at the rehab facility he was staying in and told her that he was in a lot of pain. He asked for a pain pill. She brought him one and then left the room. Shift changed happened at 6:00 AM. The new nurse came in to check on Duane at 6:15 AM and found no pulse. She called for the response team along with 911. 

They came in the room and worked on Duane for 30 minutes trying to revive him, but he was already gone. He was pronounced dead at 6:50 AM. 

We all met as adults at Duane and Julie's house around 8:00am to learn the details before checking our kiddos out of school to fill them in.  Sidney and Jackson quickly caught a flight in that evening from Texas.  We all spent the week at the house together.  It has been a very sad thing for the family. Lots of tears, a lot of laughter too. We couldn’t help but smile and laugh at all the funny things that he has said and done over the years that have brought us joy.

He lived every day to watch his sons and grandkids participate in whatever they were doing. Football, baseball, basketball, dance, cheer, softball. You name it, he lived for it.

Hawaii with Friends

March 10-18, 2021

We flew out to Maui to surprise Shasta for her 46th birthday.  She and Travis flew out the day before and she was under the impression that they were going alone for her birthday.  She was totally surprised when we showed up with Bret and Heather Harris to spend the week!  We had such a fun time!  We stayed at my favorite hotel in all the world, The Grand Wailea.  But instead of staying in the regular hotel, we stayed across the street in the Wailea's private condo's.  We had a big 3 bedroom home with a big family room, a big kitchen, an outdoor kitchen and a big, nice balcony.  Each day was spent at the pools under our cabana and at the beach with something light for lunch.  One of the days we spent in the spa getting massages. Each night was spent at a nice restaurant.  One night it was at Humble Market Kitchin located inside the Marriott next door, one night at Longhi's, one night at Bistro Casanova but by far the best dinner was at DUO Steak house.  It's located inside of The Four Seasons.  It was D E L I C I O U S!  And we spent one night at a luau.

We had the most delicious food on this trip.  We found the best little diners and restaurants.  We saw rainbows nearly everyday.  I've never had it rain in Wailea in all the years that we've been going because the Wailea is on the dry side of the island.  but the rain was beautiful and refreshing.  One day we drove out to Paia on the north shore and saw all these sea turtles sun bathing on the beach.