Memories at Steak & Shake

My kids LOVE Steak and Shake.

Is it the oh-so-unhealthy fried chicken fingers and fries?No, although they are fan... of course.
Is it the tasty milk shakes?!
No... but again... they do enjoy them.

It's because of Mimi and Grandpa.... and the CLAW MACHINE! This is a game that I, mommy, do not play but Mimi and Grandpa play a few dollars EVERY single time they go. And they're pretty good...the following is the score from DECEMBER ALONE:

And this is from the few months before.

The pictures of their "score" just goes to show how often we/they went to Steak and Shake and how big a part of our lives Mimi and Grandpa are. Weekly lunches, "playdates", stopping by the office to say 'hi'. The girls are very lucky to have their grandparents so close.

Mimi, Grandpa, Jillie, & Charlotte

But lunches at Steak and Shake aren't going to be the same anymore. 

A week can make a HUGE difference if your life.

Friday, shortly after lunch with hubby, Grandpa started feeling sick with the flu. All weekend he was laid up, but he told hubby on Sunday that he was feeling better and would be back to work (they work together) on Monday.

Hubby was at drill this weekend, so Sunday after church I went to lunch at... you guessed it, Steak and Shake with Mimi and the girls. Grandpa didn't join us because he was still sick with the flu. The girls missed Grandpa, but they understood he was sick.

The "claw" with Mimi on Sunday

Monday's meal plan post... but we had some pretty bad news, Hubby called and said Grandpa had a stroke. Well, after a day in the hospital it wasn't a stroke, it was infection which turned out to be from the gall bladder. Oh, and he also had pneumonia.

I went and tapped into the power of social media for prayers and thoughts... and it seemed to work because Tuesday things were looking up. Hubby went from talking about his father as if he had already died to talking about what we were going to do with him in a few weeks and how our trip to Disney would be fun. Wednesday was much of the same, the vitals were getting better but he was still on life support. Thursday was kind of annoying because they were messing with his dialysis and tubes and he went without dialysis for about 8 hours, which made hubby nervous but he was "still going to get out of this". Friday, hubby rushed out of the house because Grandpa was not doing well. To keep normal, I get everyone dressed and ready for Ladies Bible study at church. I text hubby right when I get there to keep me posted and that I was at Bible Study. I get back "Will do. It looks like he will pass away".

WHAT?! So my wonderful friends at Bible study come to the car with me and get the car seats so they can pick up the girls after Bible study and watch them while I'm at the hospital and I rush over there. It turns out Grandpa might have MRSA due to bacteria imbalance so I can't go in there. But hubby wants to stay in there (understandably) so he tells me to head back to Bible study. So I do.

I sit back down in Bible study and my mother in law calls to tell me they are going to DNR (do not resuscitate) him and I need to come back for hubby. So, again, I rush out... luckily my friends are amazing and are going to take the girls. Back at the hospital it is not looking good.

A few hours later, my hubby's father, Grandpa, passed away surrounded by his loving family, way too soon, after one crazy week.

January 2011

It is going to kill me the next time we go to Steak and Shake for lunch and Charlotte asks for Grandpa...



Christmas 2011

Thank you for being the best father-in-law a girl could ask for and the best and most fun Grandpa for my daughters.

PS - I am REALLY glad we got Professional pictures of Grandpa and girls for Christmas last year