the world is a little sadder today...someone's missing

sometimes i think the world revolves around me and my family. really- i forget to think outside of the box almost all of the time. this morning i was walking down the sidewalk and looked up to see a perfect little rainbow in the sky. it was weird because it was sunny and hasn't rained in a few days. it was also strange because it was only about 4 feet long and 1 foot wide. kinda looked like an opening in the clouds.
it reminded me of my grandpa, and i cried.

i miss him already.

the world is a little sadder without him in it. as much as i want to say it isn't fair that he is gone now, i know its part of the way things go. all are born and all die. it just seems like the born part is a little more exciting.

i'm so glad i got to grow up close to my gramps (sorry no early days pictures). he truly is a one of a kind man. always happy, always helpful, always kind.
i'm sure my very limited group of readers know about grandpa's last few weeks, so i won't go into it, but...i wanted to share with you all how much this guy meant to me. i was able to be with him a little bit this past month and he kept telling me how lucky he was and how he didn't understand why he was so blessed. these are some of the blessing he was talking about. not all of them, but this is some of the family he loved so much
from these kids.....

come these kids....(plus more)

then these kids....(plus more still)

anyone can see why we love this guy!!! anyone who knew him probably feels the same as us, since he was a friend to all. wow-we really have a lot more learning to do..

this summer we got the chance to visit with my grandparents up in strawberry. the boys loved it, and i do mean all of the boys. grandpa was just like a little kid.



of course now i wish i had more pictures, but i am so glad i have so many memories. my grandpa could grow things like you wouldn't believe. he told me last week that his favorites were squash and apples. he's no dummy!!! easiest and most rewarding. i wish my kids got to see that part of him. but for now they will always remember a grandpa who wouldn't stay out of our moving truck when we were unloading, always offered a hand to those who needed it and of course, caleb will always remember the grandpa great who wrestles him whenever he wants.
how grandpa loved our grandma. what a example he was in showing love. my grandma loves to read and he was always a willing listener.

i will miss his songs too. he'd always break out into a song of little or no meaning. he had some great sayings. i try to tell them to the kids even though they don't really make sense. i'll try to get my dad to post all of those. they bring back some great smiles. NO one else quite like him.
i'm sure things will get harder as we try to live on without him. i will dearly miss his 'stop-bys' to drop of melons or some other find at the market. i will miss the endless tinkering around the house and the projects he always asked for. its so neat to see the way the Lord works in our lives. i am so thankful that He remembered how much i loved my grandpa and how through His grace and work he put my family here for the last few months of gramps' life. the memories for my kids are much smaller, but he will always live on through them and through those that love him. i know i love this man, and i hope i can live up to what he expects me to be.
i love you gramps, i miss you...until we meet again!

thanks for the memories