Saying Goodbye

My Grandpa passed away yesterday.

Needless to say, making delicious food has temporarily dropped off my list of priorities.

Thanks for being patient while I say goodbye to my Grandpa.

There are so many things I will miss about Grandpa.  The sound of his boots coming in the house, the feel of his sturdy hug, his mouth-wide-open laugh when something was really funny, his smell, his sweaters, the feel of his spiky/soft buzzed hair, and his words of wisdom.

When we were younger, I remember Grandpa taking me and Kristin out for bubblegum ice cream.  Eventually, we were lucky enough to ride in his red convertible (with scarves covering our hair) to go to DQ for a Dilly Bar.  When I was in high school, the best place to find Grandpa was at the bakery, where he almost always had a few spare quarters to treat me to a donut.

One my sweetest memories of all is the image of Grandpa’s huge frame, standing next to Grandma in the doorway and waving goodbye as we were driving away after a visit.  It was hard for him to get in and out of his chair, especially in the last few months, but I can remember watching him work so hard to stand up and walk himself to the door just so that he could say goodbye.

The most important thing I will remember about Grandpa is his steadfast devotion to the Lord.  Perusing through his worn, marked-up Bible is truly inspiring.

I love you Grandpa.