Great Grandpa J

As many of you know, Will's grandpa passed away unexpectedly this past week of a massive heart attack.  We are still trying to wrap our minds around the fact that he is gone.  How can someone who has been there for every single baseball game, birthday, baptism, anniversary, barbecue, holiday and regular, every day visits be gone just like that?  How can someone who has made one of the biggest influences on Will's life just be gone?  The fact that Will had his grandfather in his life for thirty two years is a huge blessing in itself.  But how do you come to terms with the fact that his smiling face will no longer be a part of what makes a family get together familiar, fun and special?

Life can and does change in an instant.  One moment everything is as you have always known, and the next moment comes and life will never be the same again.  Grandpa's passing came at an already challenging time for us.  Will has been dealing with a 'stuck' kidney stone for almost a month now and has been in and out of the hospital for procedures and surgeries with no end in sight still.  He has had to figure out how to go to work, be a father and a husband with a tube in his kidney, pain and anxiety about when the ugly stone will try to move again.  I have been trying to figure out how to keep him comfortable and manage the girls and the household as a single parent.  I was struggling with the injustice of it all, how hard life is and how seemingly unfair our lot seems to be as of late.  And then one phone call put it all into perspective.  Grandpa is gone.  Life as we know it will never be the same.  Kidney stones?  What kidney stones.

I think it is safe to say that someone who has made such an impact on our lives can never just be gone.  Every time Will listens to a Tiger's game on the radio, he will remember summer nights on his grandpa's porch, listening to the ballgame together.  Each time he turns on his table saw or runs the sander on his latest and greatest project, he will remember the man who taught him how to work with his hands.  Even something as simple as paying cash and knowing the exact amount of change due back to him before the cashier counts it out in his hand - he will remember his Grandpa.  I will never forget that from the moment I met Grandpa twelve years ago, he always made me feel like one of his own grandchildren.  His proud and happy smile when he saw me, his interest in my life and his great love for my children.  I will forever be grateful to him for adopting me as his own, and for influencing my husband so greatly.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Grandpa...

At Lucy's baptism...

 Emma's baptism...

Here he is below with his family this past Father's Day. Four of his five children, seven of his eight grandchildren (counting me of course with the eighth, and oldest grandchild living in Arkansas), two of his three great grandchildren and his wife of over sixty years.  His family was his life.  Now he is up in heaven with one of his five children,  Paul who passed away when he was two, his great grandson Luke and his parents, siblings, aunts and uncles that have gone before him.  I can only imagine how happy he was to be reunited with his son and to meet his first great grandchild.  Speaking for my own son, Luke is so lucky to have him there as he is the kind of grandfather most kids dream about but few are blessed enough to have.

Here he is below with Grandma on their 60th wedding anniversary.  They took great care of each other, and my heart breaks every time I think about Grandma without Grandpa.  As Lucy pointed out to me, "Grandpa is in heaven and grandma is on earth.  It just doesn't make any sense mom.  That just doesn't make sense."

And here Grandpa is with his great granddaughters.  His entire face would light up when he spent time with them.

Finally, here is a Christmas tradition that will be greatly missed.  When Will was younger, his grandpa would dress up as Santa for Will's mom's preschool class.  Will would stop by and sit on Santa's lap.

When Grandpa got older, Will took over the job of Santa, and Grandpa got to sit on his lap!

Thank you for being the best grandpa and great grandpa we could ever ask for.  Words cannot do justice for how irreplaceable you are.  We love you and miss you and look forward to the day when we will all be together again in heaven.