Grandpa on the Farm

We made a tough trip this weekend...

We got a call on Thursday that my 98 year old Grandpa was being put into hospice care.  He has been in a nursing home for about 3 months, but was hospitalized 2 weeks ago.  They are now going to keep him comfortable until he passes. I needed to go say goodbye.  There are few people, my age, that are still lucky enough to have two grandparents around.   I still have "MeMo" and "Grandpa on the Farm."   

I started thinking about all the reasons that I am thankful for him and some of my favorite memories of him.  I couldn't begin to tell all of them.  But, since the purpose of our blog is to print it into books for our kids to keep, I wanted to share some of my favorites for my kids.  Even though they won't remember him, I want to pass down lots of stories to them.

I won't forget:

• Campfires on the farm
• Long weekends in Lincoln
• Tractor rides
• Playing Memory
• The wagon he built to carry us behind the riding lawn mower
• My sister braiding his hair
• His callused hands
• His determination and hard work
• Ice cream cones
• Picking apples
• Shooting targets
• Making homemade horseradish
• The story of how he met my grandma ice skating while in the army
• Learning to drive
• The smell of his truck
• Shopping for my first car

 But above all, there are two really important things he did for me. 

#1- I'm so thankful he taught me to love.  He was married to my grandma for over 50 years.  They loved each other so much.  You could tell it in everything that they did.  He has told me numerous times how lucky I am to have Scott.  I know that and am so glad he loves who I chose to spend the rest of my life with.   

#2- He raised an amazing man that I call my dad.  My dad is an only child.  He has passed on everything that is good to my dad and I will be forever grateful for that.  My dad has learned from the best. 

This weekend while visiting him, he told me how much he loved me.  He shared how proud he was of me.  I broke down, and in turn, so did he.  I apologized for upsetting him and he told me to be tough.  He told me to remember that you can never love anyone enough.  My grandpa told me my only job was to take care of my beautiful babies. 

My mother in law told me something that has really helped me.  She told me that maybe he is ready to go so that he could be with my grandma for Christmas.  Letting go isn't easy, but I am comforted with the memories.