Pharr to Waco

When I answered the phone last night, Leslie was crying.  Things with her mother-in-law, Billie, did not look good at all, mainly her inability to breathe off the ventilator.  There were things she had been told that she just wasn’t ready to share with her husband, Billie’s son; things that Leslie is still believing will never be a reality.  We have prayed.

I asked her if she wanted us to come and she said, “That would be wonderful and would mean so much to Khalil.”

Don and I determined that we would leave this morning for Waco and return on Saturday, Good Lord willing.

We were both awake at 3:30 AM, so we got up and were packed, ready and on the road by 5:30.  We drove for an hour in the dark and finally it was light enough to take a picture.  It was cloudy all day long.

Of course, I had to take a few “going down the road” pictures.

Ranch house, early morning.

Even in the middle of the morning, San Antonia is busy.

Just in case we forget there’s an Air Force base here.

Austin.

And more traffic.  I must be getting old.  I do not like expressways.

Just past Georgetown, the rain started to really come down.

And then it became a power wash!  The windshield wipers couldn’t keep up and we could barely see for several miles.  Don’t you just love driving in this?

We arrived in Waco about 1:30 p.m., eight hours after we left the Tip.  We got checked in and headed to meet Leslie at the hospital.  There are only three 1 1/2 hour visiting periods for patients in ICU.  It was hard to see Billie just laying their with tubes running everywhere and a machine doing her breathing for her.  There was no change in her lung today.  Tomorrow, they plan to start weaning her from the sedatives and the ventilator.

We all went to Mazzio’s for dinner.  Here’s our little red head in his “man stance.”

Look out!  The Pookster is behind the wheel!!

A candid of Khalil and Leslie enjoying a lighter moment.

Emma and Nonna love time.

Camden loves Poppa Doppey.  Camden invited Poppa Doppey to Doughnuts with Dad at his school in the morning.  Dad has to work.

We watched American Idol.  Not completely thrilled with all the choices of the judges.  There seems to be a lot of talent this year.  We’ll see.  TV is mostly just a distraction for us all right now, but our minds are still at the hospital.