Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Thank You

Hi Everyone!
Just a short note (there is laundry and a van to be unloaded!) to say thank you so much for all your calls, emails, thoughts and prayers for our father, Clark McEntire.
Daddy is holding his own right now….he is resting and doesn't seem to hurt…we are giving him lots of updates about what is going on with each of us and loading him up with lots of hugs and kisses. Things I haven't said to daddy in my 50+ years keep spilling from my heart…I want him to know how much I love and appreciate him and saying THANKS for all the times he took me up in the hills with him to work on fence, feed, or maybe to gather a wild steer. Daddy and I could go LITERALLY hundreds of miles without speaking a word…..I learned so much about ranching and just plain life from watching him. Thanks Daddy.
Mark and I took a break from hospital life to do our part to help make the 2011 Timed Event Championship a success. Record crowds this year - Congrats to Kyle Lockett who is a spectacular rodeo competitor and to all who competed on 25 head of cattle. Church was fantastic with some of the cowboys sharing their stories…what a great influence these men have on the younger ones coming up the ladder of competition. Thanks to Candice Myers who sang spectacularly! and also let me sing with her.
I have to give Mark kudos here….he had 14 minutes to share something meaningful, Spiritual, emotional, and deeply inspirational with the crowd Sunday morning…he did that and more!! I admire the way Mark enters a story, draws people in with him, holds their attention…(great to see cowboys sit on the edge of their seat in anticipation)…and lets the intrigue peak….THEN I see the folks relate to what he is saying…they have entered the story with him, and went away with a renewed sense of hope from the service. Thank God for that.
We came back to the hospital on Sunday evening and spent the night with Mama and Daddy, and Alice. We made the decision for Mama and Alice to go home for the night, but during that time, I had to make the decision to call Mama and tell her that Daddy was giving us signs (breathing) that it may be close to his "going home". That was a tough decision for me…Mark was right there with me being so supportive….but I wanted Mama to be with Daddy IF that was going to be his time. They got back to the hospital and Daddy calmed….a wonderful thing to experience the love, closeness and camaraderie that my parents have with each other. Daddy made it thru Monday as well…family is a wonderful concept God has put together in times like this…Reba flew in with her family…we all went to supper while Mark stayed with Daddy…we laughed and talked about old times and reminisced about experiences we've had in our life with our daddy/grandpa….now we are watching and waiting and looking forward to experience a wonderful homecoming with him.

In Christ's wonderful and merciful love,
Susie & Mark
P.S. Daddy rallied today and is opening his eyes. What a great thing to see those baby blues!!