Notre Dame...

I know it's been a couple of days and I am sorry, but we didn't get back until late yesterday afternoon and all I can say was that it was an amazing trip and I am so grateful that I was able to go. We got up there about 5:00 Saturday evening and it was drizzling just a little bit, but dad wanted to go to the campus right away - we walked and were in awe the next three hours. The Cathedral is breath takingly beautiful, the grotto - you will not leave there with a dry eye, the campus itself is one of the most beautiful romantic campuses I have ever seen. We were all saying I am sure there are a lot of babies made there :)

We just walked and walked and dad did so well. So well. He used the wheelchair (THANK YOU!! Aunt Rite), for a bit, but he did most of the walking himself. He was so excited to be up there and to have Case be able to go. He truly is a wondeful kid - he missed his graduation parties to go up there with Grandpa - it was just a special trip for everyone.

Anyway, on Saturday after walking around we didn't get back to our hotel room until about 9:00ish, ate dinner downstairs in the Pub, and I know we didn't hit the sack until about midnight, even mom and dad. We rose up early Sunday morning because we were going to mass at the Cathedral - they have organ music playing from 9:30 until 10:00- with mass at 10:00 and it is a grand mass, tons of people participate and the music was beautiful. It was just a great way to end our trip.

One of the most amazing and ironic things were when we first walked out of the bookstore and started our journey around campus the first thing we came upon was a cancer tree (there are pictures of it in the slideshow), it is a tree dedicated to those fighting cancer or you have lost their battle and you are to tie a ribbon on that tree with the designated color of the cancer you have. Around the tree is a brick walkway that is of the ribbon symbol for cancer, it was very remarkable to see.

We made it home around 6:00ish and we were all beat - I was over at mom and dad's today and just hearing dad on the phone talking to people - he is super excited about the trip and can't wait to show people pictures - he really had a great time, and he did very well. He said he was beat last night too - fell asleep around 10:00ish and didn't wake up until about noon today - he said he wasn't in too much pain and he was craving watermelon. So we got him watermelon.

I just thank God this evening and the whole trip, for allowing dad to go and allowing him to feel well enough to make it through those two days. I know he is extremely proud of Case (as we all are) and I know this is a trip that we will all remember.

There is a slideshow at the bottom, I mostly took landscaping shots, so we I get copies of the other pictures I'll post them on here too.

Much love to all,