72.

today is my father-in-law's 72nd birthday.

i asked what he wanted for his birthday.

his response was this....

"nothing can top what i've already been given.  a chance to see my 72nd birthday.  let's see if i'm this spoiled come my 73rd."

as he said it, he laughed.  

i felt the opposite.

pancreatic cancer is bad juju.  incurable.  fast growing.  just bad stuff.

i have to agree that this was the best birthday gift.  

today he went golfing.  it was freakishly warm today and it was the end of his non-chemo week.  perfect timing.  he shot a 41 on his 9 hole-round.  can you believe that jank?!  tomorrow we will get up super early to head up there to be with him.  he has a 9am tee time with my man.  and we will have cake.  and we will celebrate.

and then comes monday when he starts another round of chemo.  and he will be a day closer to that 73rd birthday.  

but you know what?  we celebrate every day.  every single day.  we feel blessed.  we feel lucky.  we feel so grateful for every single day. 

ethan's championship game.

those are my in-laws.

we lost the game.

but ethan won.

do you know what he said to his sisters when they cried about the season ending? 

{b/c they won't get to see their football friends now}

"emma, losing isn't the end of the world.  you know what is?  the fact that my grandpa is sick with cancer."

i won that day, too.

and humanity kind of did, too.

i love that kid.