A year has passed---(From my Blog)

I can't believe a year has passed since Grandpa has passed.It was actually yesterday (Saturday). So many emotions came back. I remember that dreaded call I got from dad, I didn't believe what he said, I had him repeat it a few times and I finally broke down and just bawled at my desk. I left work early because I just wanted my mom. I had called Mitch, we decided that we would travel together. We would meet at the 7-11 by my house and follow each other down to Orangeville. The whole way down I just thought about my mom. I wanted to make sure she was ok. I knew she was with my dad, and he would make sure that she was ok. I just wanted to put my arms around her. I wanted to hug her, I just wanted to be with my parents.

When I got down to Orangeville, my mom was still at my grandparents house. They were starting to look through papers and the Watson/Wilsons were there. And Ruanne was there. They were talking about the obituary and how that would go about. They were meeting with Faucett Mortuary the next morning, Linda was coming down that morning to be there with the family. Kent and Landon ran over to BK's and picked up pizza for everyone.

That next morning, I went with my parents to the mortuary. A lot of the funeral plans were already made, Grandpa did that before. He wants RED ROSES for his flowers so that made it easy for us to pick out flowers. Kristi soon came. We all walked downstairs and looked at caskets. It didn't take long, we looked at the casket and we knew THAT ONE was "IT". We then all met over at Gordon's for the flowers. The grandkids decided on making a wreath to set at Grandma and Grandpa's headstone every year for christmas. It had christmas bulbs on it with all of our names on it. Just thinking of it makes me cry. It is something that we will always have of up there. We also put pinecones and holly berries in the red roses arrangements. It looked beautiful.










The funeral and burial were beautiful. Grandpa would have loved it! They Orangeville City had the Bell ringing while driving up to the cemetery, gives me chills. That was Grandpa's doing, HE brought the bell back! It snowed so much! The cemetery was so peaceful with all the snow (very cold too). Hearing the horn play since by grandpa was a Veteran. It was the most beautiful graveside.

It was so nice to have the family there. Yes were were missing some people, but they were in our hearts. Now that a year has passed, I know that it doesn't always get easier. But at least the first year is gone. I have missed my grandpa so much this past year. He was an amazing man. There are times I will sit and think that my grandparents are watching over me. I have angels, I have 4 up there!

I miss you Grandpa! Your legacy lives on. We all miss you (grandchildren picture we are missing Todd and Nancy, great-grandchildren picture we are missing Tyler)

We love you Grandpa

I am sure we've all been thinking of you today. I've been thinking of the sound of your voice and how comforting it is to me. Thank you for preserving it so I never have to try to remember. I've got you to tell me stories for the rest of my life.

Love you!

Christmas Eves past

Christmas Lights

Yesterday Garth and I put up a few Christmas lights around our house. We all know how beautiful Dad's yard was for so many years at Christmas time, but yesterday reminded me of something in particular. We forgot to check the first string of lights before we put it up. When that particular string was half-way up, we hurried and plugged it in to see if it was working. We found that only half of them worked, so we took it down and checked the next string of lights. They worked, but with the first sting not working, we didn't have enough of that particular kind of light to put across the front of the house. So we checked out the other strings to see if there was enough. Some were all working, but a few had half of the string not working. Those were immediately gathered up and thrown away. We decided we would not spend the hours necessary to find that one particular bulb that wasn't working. My memory: how many hours did Dad slave over his lights? I remember finding him out in the wood shop checking each individual light to find that "special one" that didn't work. He would cuss them, he dreaded them, but he kept on checking them. I think it was more the challenge of finding it that kept him going. He wasn't going to let that string of lights beat him. He also wasn't going to waste a penny by throwing them away. Some of his lights because the "replacement string". He saved them to us the bulbs in other strings. No wonder the lights were such a chore for him. Even though he complained about the lights and the time to put them up, he enjoyed his yard at Christmas time.
Sometimes I feel I am becoming my father when I think about the energy to put up that tree, just to have to take it down again in a few weeks. But we do it because I want the Christmas spirit in our home. So here I go, get showered, dressed for the morning (church isn't until 1:00) and start getting that Christmas tree up. I think that is a fitting activity for a Sunday morning.
Oh, we did get a few lights up on the house. Finally found enough lights that worked. But many ended up in the garbage can.