Memories of My Grandpa

 My grandpa turned 90 on May 16. My parents were watching my girls that morning and the girls made pancakes for their great grandpa and sang him happy birthday, many, many times. 

My grandpa was hospitalized on May 19, just hours before he was supposed to have his big birthday party. He passed away on June 15. I got to visit him in the hospital and I sang to him his favorite song -- Beauty and the Beast.

Later my kids and I visited him in a nursing home. The kids sang lots of primary songs for him. He seemed in good spirits. Miri especially didn't want to leave.

I have lots of memories of visiting him when we were kids. He loved photos of family and wanted to get pictures each time we came. And he would show us photos all the time. When he lived with my parents at the end of his life, he still spent lots of time looking at photos and cards that people wrote to him. 

I also remember us making lemonade from the lemons from the tree in his backyard. 

We played ping pong in his garage -- which he was always great at. The story goes when he was in his 70s (or maybe 60s) he invited the teens from his church over to play and he proceeded to beat every one of them at the game. 

As kids we played Uno and Go Fish and with some very old toys, like a toy plane with detachable bombs.

He loved little dogs and taught us how to be nice to his Pomeranians, Buddy and Lady. He fed them vanilla wafers. When I married Jay and I gained Little Foot through marriage, Grandpa was always thrilled for us to bring our little dog when we visited.

He was a very happy, easy going man. 

One thing he taught us was enjoying the little things. He had delight in his boot shaped mugs that he filled with strawberry flavored milk. He loved his cuckoo clock and also loved to watch wild birds. He had a nice swing on his back porch and bird feeders and bird baths and wind chimes. He really made his home a place for little things he loved. I hope that I can remember to enjoy every day things. 

I asked him how he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He told me that after he married my grandma, he said that they should go to the same church. He asked if she wanted to go to her church or his. She said hers, and so he joined. 

The babies are Rachel and Theo