A tribute to my Grandpa!

My heart aches. I lost my sweet Grandpa this week. What a shock. I grew up living less than a mile away from him. I have cried more this week than I think I have in the last five years combined. He went quickly and unexpectedly.

My grandpa loved to hunt and fish and loved Fish Lake where he spent lots of time at his cabin with his dear wife. He loved his grand kids and always gave the best hugs. I worked on his farm growing up and he taught me so many lessons.  I loved how he treated me, and he always made me feel like I was his "best" worker. (I'm sure that is how all of us felt). He taught me how to change sprinklers...oh those mornings were soooo early! I worked on the farm until I graduated from High School. I remember him driving up to me in his white Ford truck with a huge smile on his face to tell me good job for having straight rows while I was cutting alfalfa with a swather. He even trusted me with his newest swather, and I was so proud that he would let me drive such an expensive piece of machinery.

When I was little, my fellow cousins and I used to search for flint out in the fields surrounding his house, but unbeknown to us, after we had gone home, he would throw all the flint back into the field for us to find the next time we came flint hunting. He didn't want us to stop coming to hunt for it, I guess. :)

He was an avid BYU fan and loved all sports. He especially loved basketball where he coached for 17 years.


Here I am when I was a little girl riding on the back of a horse with Grandpa! The other day I saw some pink peppermint candies at the store, and it reminded of my Grandpa. He used to keep them in his pockets and would always share them with his Grand kids!

We had some great times at the cabin with Grandpa, and he loved to come down and watch the kids play Bocce Ball. This particular game he decided to play with us, and I'm so glad that I took a bunch of pictures that day. I'll treasure those pictures FOREVER!

This picture was taken at on Saturday. Can you believe that all 32 direct grand kids were there!?!? I cannot believe it. I don't remember the last time that all of us were in the same place at the same time. Several of them live back east. People traveled from all over the nation to be there, and that in itself is a huge feat and tribute to what kind of Grandpa he was. Of course this includes just the grand kids and not their spouses, which most of us are married...and of course doesn't include all the GREAT grand kids...we took up most of the chapel with just the family, as you can imagine!

The funeral went really well, and it was great to see everyone. I got to hear some really great stories about my Grandpa that I had never heard. I love him so much, and more importantly, I'm so grateful to know that I will get to see him again someday. What a huge blessing. I miss him, and I still get teary at random places. Like when I see a white Ford truck that looks like his...etc. I know he loved me, and I know he still loves each and every one of his family members.