Three Sleepovers!

Even though we were having lots of fun on our getaway the kids were also having the time of their lives with Ga-Ga & Pa. 

They went down to spend the night on Thursday night and the boys got to skip school on Friday. On Friday they made a trip to the mall so the kids could play. 

On Saturday they all went out to see Peepaw's grave. With family in town over Memorial Day weekend it was a bit busy so we didn't make it out there. 

I always love going to the cemetery to honor my grandpa! I remember going to the cemetery with my Mom when we were on vacations. We'd go and leave flowers at her grandparents graves. I remember being weirded out a little by it, but now that I'm older I understand. I hope my kiddos have lots of fond memories of visiting Peepaw's grave. 

It's crazy to think it's been almost 6 years! It doesn't seem like it's been that long since I last hugged him. 

For some reason they had the grass all dug up around his grave, but they had new sod that was ready to be laid. 

Back and Ga-Ga & Pa's there was lots of fun to be had. Ga-Ga had bought this cool swing for the kids. It's called a hugglepod. 

The older boys had a lot of fun hanging around inside and having Pa be the scary tickle monster. Of course Ella and Zeke wanted nothing to do with it. When I got there I got inside and then they wanted to try it out. They didn't stay inside very long though. 

I had packed the kids swimming suits hoping the weather would be nice enough for the kids to get to play on the slip and slide. Yay for sun! Unfortunately the old slip and slide had too many tears in it so it wasn't really working out. 

Zeke doesn't want anything to do with water! 

He's much more content to drive his Cars around. 

Of course I'm sure there were lots of treats that got eaten. 

And the computer got played on and movies got watched! 

But I'm pretty sure that once Pa came home with a new slip and slide they were outside for hours. In fact I know they were they have the sunburns to prove it! But what Washingtonian doesn't get a sunburn when the sun finally shows its face! 

When we got there we asked the kids if they missed us and their answer was..."not really!" My kids are so lucky that they have grandparents that love them and have fun with them so much so they don't want to leave! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking care of the kids so we could have our getaway! 

Remembering Our Heroes!

On Sunday we took the kids to see Peepaw's grave at Tahoma National Cemetery. We know that Peepaw is not there...his body is, but it's good to go and remember him. I do remember him at other times, but it's good to have a focused time to honor him and the man he was. It's also a wonderful way to have conversations with your kids that might not otherwise come up. The kids know that when you die God gives you a new body and your old sick body is left behind and you are healed. What a wonderful thing for our children to understand at a young age.

Hey Ga-Ga & Pa...here we come!!!

C.K. Grant 02/16/1920 - 10/05/2008


All the graves looked great with the flags and flowers. So many people were there to honor the heroes that have fought for our country.

Most of the time I don't get choked up when I think about Peepaw. I know that he is in heaven and he is healed and we will see him again, but today I got a bit choked up. I miss him and I'm sad that he's not here to love on my kids. He LOVED my boys...Jack was still so little (exactly 4 months old) when he died, but he loved those boys. I'm sad that he wasn't here to meet Ella and he'll never be able to hold her in his arms and say, "Sakes and Days!" I know he would have LOVED her so much!

Ella is such a gem...she had so much fun just wandering through all the graves. We had to stop her from messing up all the flowers. She was like a kid in a candy store.

Peepaw's grave is right on the edge of a greenbelt so the boys got to have their own adventure of turning over rocks and finding bugs.

It was nice a visit!

Then it was time to go!

We told Ella to say bye-bye and she turned around and waved....talk about choking you up! When I got to the van to put Ella in the car Owen was already buckled in and he looked out and said, "Bye Peepaw...see ya next time!"

Happy 90th Birthday Peepaw!

Today would have been Peepaw's 90 Birthday....I know there are a few people in the family that are secretly hoping I have Ella today. It would be fun for her to share a birthday with her Great-Grandpa, but I'm still hoping she stays put until the 25th.

I always joked that I needed to have a baby in 2010 to keep up the tradition up of having a baby every 30 years.

This year Peepaw would have been 90 - My Dad will be 60 in June - I'll be 30 in September -Ella will be born soon!

It will be up to Ella to keep the tradition going...we'll have to wait and see if she has a child in 2040. Oh boy thinking about that makes me feel really old!

Someone's Missing

I can't believe it's been exactly a year since my Grandpa (Peepaw) suffered a stroke and ultimately died from it on October 5th. Life just goes on and goes fast!

I miss him so much! I miss his laugh and his stories. I miss his hugs and him telling me he loves me. It's really weird knowing that Grandpa will never know Ella....at least here on earth. He was only here for 4 months of Jack's life so Jack will never remember him. Owen hasn't talked about Peepaw in a while either so it's sad to think that he probably won't remember him either. All of our kids are going to miss out on knowing a wonderfully amazing man.

Cereal Is So Good!

Owen eats cereal all the time, but just dry. The other day I gave him some Golden Grahams and a glass of milk. I was eating a bowl right along with him and he asked me if he could dip his cereal in his milk. I told him yes or I could just put the milk on his cereal like mine was. He was so excited! He's really gotten the hang of the spoon now and doesn't spill every often at all.

First bite!

Yummy!

Owen LOVES to drink milk from a bowl!


Look at the enjoyment in that sweet face.

Happy boy!

Oh you might wonder why we have a cane in our kitchen. That was my grandpa's. I ask my grandma if I could have it after he passed away. Owen loved to play with Peepaw's cane and bang it on the floor so I thought it would be fun to have as a trigger for Owen's memory. He still knows it's Peepaw's and I love that.

Visiting Peepaw

Today we went to visit Peepaw's grave for the first time. We haven't been here since his service back on October 14th. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day to go. Memorial Day hasn't every really been something I've thought about. I know that sounds bad, but it was always just one of those 3 day weekends and that's it. Now that my grandfather is laid to rest in a National Cemetery it means more. There are so many men and women that have died for our freedom it's a bit overwhelming when you think about it. I'm very proud of my grandpa and I miss him dearly.

The cemetery was so beautiful with all the flags. I love the flag. I'm very proud of my country!

This is the section where my grandpa is laid to rest.

My grandpa...Owen & Jack's Peepaw. Or as Owen has renamed him...Pawpee. Somehow I think that he wouldn't mind.


GG standing next to Peepaw's grave. This August would have been their 60th wedding anniversary. It was hard for GG to leave. She's not sure when she'll be able to visit again.

Mom and Dad

Uncle Cliff & Cousin Nicky

Me, Jack, Owen and Michael.

Jack was exactly 4 months old when Peepaw died.

This is my new favorite picture of Jack and Ga-Ga. It wasn't necessarily a sad visit. I know exactly where my grandpa is and I know I'll see him again. Not sure when, but someday.

Time to go...Grandpa's grave is the one in the middle of the back row.

Owen wanted to walk the whole time we were there so Daddy held his hand and they walked down the aisles of graves. It wasn't weird at all...it was actually kind of moving. Life does goes on!

There is this great flag at the center of the cemetery. If you look closely you can see Mount Rainier in the background.

GG's Visit

Last week my Grandma (GG to Owen and Jack) came up for a visit. She was in town because my Grandpa's (Peepaw to Owen and Jack...he died last October) first wife had just past away and my Grandma really wanted to attend the funeral. She flew into town and my mom and dad drove her down to Eugene to for the service. Everyone was so happy and surprised that they came.

On Wednesday night we had dinner and after dinner Uncle Ryan and Aunt Kim stopped by so they could visit with Grandma too. GG spent Wednesday night at our house and then we took her to the airport on Thursday. On Friday Owen and I were outside playing in the sunshine and he heard an airplane fly over the house and he looked up and waved and said, "Bye Bye GG"! He is so smart!!

Owen Speak

Owen's vocabulary is just amazing me. If I wasn't keep track of all his words I wouldn't actually think he knew this many, but he goes through phases of saying words and then he won't say them for a while so I'm happy I'm keeping a record.

"Hupbo" = hippo - We bought him the red and orange hippo from IKEA and he sleeps with it. He also sleeps with the Alligator as well and he thinks that's a hippo too.

"Ah go" = Where'd it go - He says this when he "hides" his toys behind a pillow and wants you to find it.

Happy & Not Happy - Owen doesn't really know the opposites of words like he knows 'on' but not 'off' he says "not on"' instead. So I taught him the word happy and a few days after that we were in the car and Jack was crying and in a serious voice Owen said "Not happy". It was so adorable! Oh and when we were singing Happy Birthday to Owen getting him ready for his birthday he started singing, "Happy, Happy, Happy".

Home - We were at Ga-Ga and Pa's and I told Owen we were going home and he immediately said "home". A few days after that Michael came home and and I asked Owen who was here and he said, "Dada home".

Amen = We pray at dinner every night and I try to remember to pray at breakfast and lunch too. Owen loves to hold hands and pray in fact he asks to "Pay" sometimes. One time when Michael was praying he was jibber jabbering and at the end he said "Amen" totally clear.

Pa - Now whenever we talk about Ga-Ga Owen also includes Pa in the conversation too.

"Papee" = Peepaw - Today Owen wanted me to pick him up so he could see the family pictures on the wall better. I was asking him where Dada was and he would point and say "Dada" and I asked about Ga-Ga, Pa and Mama too. Then I asked him where Peepaw was and he pointed right to Peepaw and said, "Papee". I loved it! Peepaw has been gone for almost 4 months now, but Owen still remembers him. He was also able to point out GG too so that was nice. GG is worried that Owen will forget her since she's moved to Denver now. I can't wait until she comes up for a visit in May.

"A, E" = ABC's - Today I was singing and signing the ABC's to the boys and Owen started singing "A, A, E, E" and moving his little fingers around trying to make the letters.

Christmas in Heaven

There is this new song I've been hearing on the Christian Radio Station called 'Christmas in Heaven'. I hadn't really ever thought of Christmas in Heaven before my Grandpa died. I guess I just thought it was like any other day there. But now that I think about it who's to say that they aren't having a celebration up there. I mean if anything I imagine that the celebration would be that much more grand...they are in the presence of the Lord himself. It's so awesome to think that my Grandpa is having his very first Christmas in Heaven this year. Click on the link above to hear the song. I just love it!

This is the last picture I ever took of my Grandpa. Owen was having so much fun playing with Peepaw's sunglasses.

Honoring my Grandpa

Today my Grandpa was laid to rest at the National Cemetery in Tahoma. The ceremony was beautiful. I had never been to a memorial service for a veteran before so it was very awe inspiring for me. I think it's wonderful how the men and women that have fought to keep our country safe are honored.

The bugle played, kind words were spoke, the guns were shot, the flag was folded, the widow saluted, my Grandpa honored!

I'm Free!

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free;

I'm following the path, God laid for me;

I took his hand, when I heard his call;

I turned my back, and left it all.

Perhaps my time, seems all too brief;

Don't lengthen it now, with undo grief;

Lift up your heart, and share with me;

God wanted me now, he set me free.