My Grandpa is very special to me. He always and forever snuggles with me and have time with me when I go to Sioux City, Iowa to visit or when he comes to Omaha to see the family. He loves to give hugs to people. He is a really nice and good looking Grandpa and to have him as my Grandpa gives me a lot of love. He also means everything to me.
My favorite special memories is when My Mom and My Dad and our Grandpa and Grandma Bea sit down and figure out when I can go up and spend a Special weekend with them in Sioux City, Iowa where I was born. And I do a lot of fun things with them when I go to stay and we have lunch and dinner together. One time me and Grandpa go shopping together to look for music cds and movies and things. We also love to play basketball together outside and I also love to play basketball by myself too sometimes. I specially love to play on their computer to play Wheel of Fortune. It makes me very really happy and it also make my day. We also love to watch tv all together down in the place we call The Pit area of the house. It makes me very happy in my heart when I get to go spend time with My Grandpa and My Grandma Bea in Sioux City, Iowa.
I love to give him a hug and pose for a picture.
Every year we go up and we all of us celebrate Christmas around the holidays and to be with all of the family members and their families too. And cousins, uncles, and aunts too. It is a huge Christmas gathering and we also have a big meal and we clean up after we eat. Then we go in their living room to start to gather all the family members to start open presents and gifts. We draw numbers out of the basket and go around and do a gift exchange and keep the numbers to go in the back room to look at and browse at the presents back there. Every person pick their own things what they want to have and we gather things and put them in the car to get ready to leave. Then we hang out just a little bit more before we leave and we go back on the road to go back home.
I am a very happy and lucky girl to have the best Grandpa in the whole wide world.
Grandpa and Grandma Bea came to our house for Easter dinner!
As mentioned in the last post, Leah approached me last week with a list of future blog post ideas and it was fantastic. At the very top of the list was, “1. Why My Grandparents Mean So Much To Me.”
A few days later, our Grandpa was admitted into the hospital with some complications with his gallbladder. He has remained in the hospital for the week and is planned to have surgery tomorrow. When talking with Leah today, we decided to choose the topic that had topped her list and write this post about our grandparents, and given the situation, a special focus on our Grandpa Darrell. Our strong-willed, well-travelled, hilarious, and loving Grandma Bea has also had some complications over the past few years. She is doing okay for the moment but we keep her in our prayers always. We love you.
To begin, I have to open with a story my mom shared with me today that begins to illustrate our Grandpa Darrell. When the nurses were discussing how strong he has been this week, they told him that he was a horse. His response? “I’m not a horse. I’m a stud.”
Grandpa Darrell has always exuded this coolness about him that can’t be taught. He’s one of those guys who just is cool. And after looking through his high school yearbook with him, seeing pictures from his days in the Navy, being there alongside a group of friends who he grew up with at his 80th birthday, the way the workers love him at Winnavegas Casino, and how active and popular he is on Facebook… I am definitely not the only person who agrees.
So much coolness in one picture. Grandpa and Grandma Donna
Still cool in 1977.
A moment I will never forget was when I was going through one of the most difficult decisions of my life. My Grandpa Darrell hugged me close and whispered in my ear, “Lindsay, just so you know, I’m with you.” He didn’t have to say anything else. No matter what the outcome of my decision was, with three small words, he said it all. That kind of support is what has made him an outstanding father and the best Grandpa I could have ever dreamt up.
I’m with you too, Grandpa 🙂
He continues to be such a kind presence in our family. He never misses a birthday or important event, despite when our family doubled – and has since grown to include great-grandchildren-a-plenty – many years ago when he got re-married to our Grandma Bea after the passing of our Grandma Donna.
We love you Grandpa Darrell. Stay strong as always, ya Stud.
Leah nailed it when she created her list for future blog post suggestions…our grandparents have been so important to our family from the beginning. But no matter how a family is made up, from extended family to new marriages to lifelong friends, what really is better than family?
Here’s to turning our minds Upside Down.
Lindsay and Leah – YOU NAILED IT!!!
So Much Love.
❤️ Mom
This fits Uncle Darrell to a T. He is an Awesome man. Tina