Quality Time

I am going home tonight! And Jess Sohre is coming with me!

SO EXCITED!

In other sad, yet happy, news:

My Great-grandpa Graves, my mom's grandpa, passed away this morning. He was 91 years old. His funeral is going to be in the church he was baptized in. Think about living that long of a life! It's weird to think about staying in the same place for that long. I honestly can't imagine doing that.

I didn't really know him at all. My most vivid memory of him is his wife's funeral. I was in 4th grade and I missed 3 days of school. The whole way driving out it snowed like mad. When we got to the church, there were a lot of old people and all of the Graves/Bakker offspring. Basically, we filled up the whole church. Anyways, throughout the course of the funeral, the snow kept up. We got stuck in the church overnight because the snow refused to let up, and there was zero visibility. So, here I am, 9 years old, stuck in a church with a large amount of old people and many a ham bun. What to do?! All of us cousins pulled the entire nursery stock of toys and built a little village out of the toys and stayed up fabulously late. Yes, at the time 10:30 seemed quite late to me. Anyways, I remember Grandpa Graves sitting there, watching us kids play, tears in his eyes, but smiling at us. It's weird. That is always how I remember him.

It's okay that he died though. He's with God now. He wasn't really "all there" anymore. He didn't recognize my grandma, his daughter, much anymore. It's a blessing that he doesn't have to suffer like he was anymore.

I think, though, knowing he is dead now, puts my life into a different perspective. I just am reminded that I want and need to do as much with my life as possible before I get to that point. I want to make a difference, to leave an imprint, to change someone or something. I work harder at that. Perhaps that should be my goal...

For now, though, I am content with going home to see my family and hang out with Jess.

love hugs kisses