3:45 PM

I haven't seen my dad since my last post. After posting, we circled my dad (some family and friends) and one of dad's friends prayed. Hello tears. I decided to embrace the tears. All too often I try to hold myself back from crying. Maybe it's me trying to be strong. Maybe I don't want my dad to see me so upset. But today I concluded it's good to cry. I let the tears fall as I gripped my dad's hand with both of my hands and his friend cried out to our loving and powerful God.

Before they wheeled him away on the lovely gurney, I leaned down and hugged and kissed my daddy. We held each other and cried. It's a helpless feeling to watch my mom follow my dad's gurney down the hallway to open heart sugery. But, there is peace. Explanation? Our God, and all your prayers! There are people praying all over the world, and we couldn't survive without them. THANK YOU to all of you who are praying!

After the first time we said "good-bye", they called my mom back up for another hour with my dad. After my mom said "good-bye" for the second time, we all went to lunch, and then to Starbucks, of COURSE. We just returned to the family waiting room.

They have a huge screen TV that is updated every half an hour with details of dad's operation. His surgery didn't begin until 3:30 PM! That means dad will be under at least until 8:30 PM tonight, maybe later!

When I came back on and saw 12 comments, it just made my heart soar. It brought so much peace. It really means the world to my family and to me to know people are continually praying!

It's a hard day. It will be a hard night. Visiting him in the ICU is almost unbearable. No sense worrying. I know that, I just want to express.

And so we wait...