Our time with Papa and Mimi (4/13-4/17)

We spent the next part of our vacation over at Papa and Mimi's house. What a blast!! We had such a wonderful time together and made so many memories! We arrived at their house early Tuesday morning. We settled in with breakfast and enjoyed watching William play. He loved all the toys they had for Clay (their other grandson). He just played and played and played some more. After a while we walked down the street to their neighborhood playground/park. It was just so cute and perfect for William...meaning several slides, the bridge, and swings. He was all over the place! Papa and Philip took turns climbing with William (I was wearing a skirt, so I got a break from the climbing) He loved riding in their red wagon to and from the park. Lots of fun!!

Around lunch time Mimi and I took William to Publix to get some stuff for lunch. Of course he HAD to have a cookie :) Oh, the days of chocolate chip cookies. I will say the lady at the bakery was very cold and rude, but William still smiled, said "tank you" and "bye-bye"...oblivious to her rudeness! Once we got home, Philip and his dad grilled some hamburgers and fresh corn on the cob and Mimi sauteed some onions for us, along with some baked beans. Lunch was served out on their patio next to the pool...so relaxing! I enjoy eating out on their patio b/c it's so relaxing and beautiful. William ate a few bites of my burger and enjoyed his macaroni and cheese, pickles and strawberries. CAN I SAY HE IS A BOTTOMLESS PIT!! I mean..I know boys will eat the pantry, but at 18 months, it amazes me! We heard some thunder off in the distance, so we decided to go swimming in their pool after lunch and let William wear himself out a bit before his nap. At first, he was not happy. The water was a bit cold and I wasn't getting in yet. I quickly changed into my suit and got in with him. He seemed a bit happier then. Papa and I played in the water with him, tossing him back and forth and letting him kick his legs. Thanks to Mimi for taking such great pictures with my camera for me. Soon the sprinkle shower of the rain came, so we got out and I settled William in for his nap. He eased on off (I left his DVD player on with "Lady and the Tramp" for him :) We just sat around and chatted and got all caught up while William napped.

After his nap, we decided where to go for dinner. We enjoyed some spinach and artichoke dip while we got ready. So yummy! I love the dip from Publix. It's so hard to resist! Philip requested an authentic Cuban place. It was delicious!! William enjoyed himself thoroughly...he kept talking and blowing kisses to the ladies at the table next to us. Philip had a flank steak with some fried plantains and I had basically a chicken fajita without the shell. Delicious!! Philip's favorite part was the dessert coffee! He bought a bag of Cuban coffee beans and has enjoyed it every day since we've been home! So perfect for him! He loves coffee!! It took me a little while to get William to sleep that night, so once I finally did, everyone else was ready for bed. I enjoyed some quiet time by myself, piled up on the couch watching one of my favorite shows that I seldom get to watch... Without a Trace...such a wonderful way to end a great day!

Wednesday was zoo day! We all got ready for our trip to the zoo and off we went. I had William dressed in on of his little monogrammed rompers (very cute, very cool). On the way to the zoo, we were riding along, talking and singing songs to William when all of a sudden....BARF, BARF BARF. My poor baby threw up everywhere! It was everywhere! All over him, the carseat, etc. He started crying and saying "moma, moma, moma". Mimi grabbed a towel and helped me clean it up as best we could. I had brought an extra outfit so as soon as we got to the zoo, I had to change him and finish cleaning up the throw-up. So yuck!! Thanks to Mimi for helping b/c the smell was enough to make me gag!! We met Lauren (Mimi's daughter) and her little boy, Clay at the zoo. Clay and William are 6 weeks apart and are absolutely adorable together! Lauren brought her wagon for the boys to ride in...well attempt to ride. They did ride together for a little while, but soon they were out, off and running! William was better acting, but still didn't seem like himself. He would not let go of his juice cup and stayed close to my side. The animals were beautiful and amazing! This was William's first trip to the zoo and it was so special! He loved all the animals! We saw the monkeys, tigers, lots of birds, huge turtles, snakes and ant-eaters just to name a few. There were a ton of peacocks everywhere, just walking around. Those were beautiful! Papa helped take turns carrying William for us. He's such a great Papa! After all the animals we could take, we decided to go back up front by the water fountain area and try to feed the boys lunch. Clay was too busy playing to eat and William WOULD NOT eat anything. He just crawled in my lap and stayed there like a limp rag doll. I finally got him up and over to the fountains. Once he discovered the water, he fell in love! He was so happy and just giggled and giggled! He managed to step on one of the spots and get me all wet :) He thought that was too funny!

We left the zoo shortly after the fountain area and decided to head to lunch for the adults. William was fine in the car. I got him out, handed him to Philip so I could look for something in my purse, and BARF, BARF, BARF again! All over his daddy and himself! I heard it and then heard "LAUREN, GET OVER HERE PLEASE". Oh, so sad. We were right outside the side door of the restaurant when this happened. Immediately the door opened and one of the waiters was offering to help us. He brought us a cold cloth, paper towels and a cup of water. He also offered for me to take him into the bathroom. They were so kind to help us out. We loaded back up and headed home. I held William this time. There's a certain time when a Mommy needs to hold her child. I put him down for a nap and he was sacked out for almost 4 hours.

Mimi sent us out to the yard to rest and enjoy the peaceful outdoors while William slept. I sacked out in the hammock and Philip read and slept in the chair next to me. That was some of the best sleep I'd had in a while...cool breeze, birds chirping, sunshine, the swaying of the hammock...ahhhhhh so wonderful!! Once we woke up and came back inside, Mimi and Papa were preparing dinner. William woke up and did eat a little (very bland: pasta and applesauce) and played with Papa for a while before dinner. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of rack of lamb, peppers and onions and wild rice. We also enjoyed some great Chianti too! We wrapped up the night by playing cards. It was a great time! Lots of laughs and jokes too!

Thursday was BEAUTIFUL!! We had planned on going on a walk early that morning, but Mimi insisted that they let me sleep in a bit. Oh, how I love my sleep!! When I got up and got ready, we headed out for our walk. Let me tell you...so beautiful! We walked one of their regular routes down through their neighbor and into horse country. The homes were absolutely amazing and all the yards were in full bloom and breathtaking! It did get hot, but we all had water and I was loving the sunshine! We saw a few horses and William kept saying "neigh-neigh". He got upset when we had to leave the horses keep walking. I loved this walk! I found myself daydreaming about my own yard and flowerbeds and making notes of how I want to update! As soon as we got home, we all changed into our swimsuits and hit the pool! So refreshing! William didn't want much to do with it, but I knew his tummy was still bothering him, so I didn't push too much. Mimi mainly stayed out and played with him while Philip, Papa and I cooled off in the water. After William's nap, we hid eggs for him and enjoyed watching him play in the yard. He loved the tree swing and bouncing in the hammock.

We all dressed and headed downtown to meet Lauren and Clay for the weekly live music celebration. William and Clay seemed to enjoy the music. They danced and clapped and babbled away. While we were walking around, we found out that Ann Taylor was having a sale and offering champagne and appetizers while you shop. Mimi, Lauren and I put in to stop by. Papa and Philip watched the boys while we walked around and checked out the sale. I left with 2 new dresses...one from my hubby and one from Papa and Mimi! Thank you both!! I love my new dresses! Cityplace was our destination for dinner. We ended up at the same place that Philip and I had been to earlier in the week for drinks. The restaurant was an Italian place and was absolutely incredible and delicious! Lauren and Clay ended up leaving before dinner, so it was just the 4 of us and William. We sat outside for a lovely dinner together. William was content throughout the evening. We all left full and happy! We wrapped up the night sitting outside on the patio enjoying a nigthcap together. The night air was crisp and cool. Perfectly peaceful! Oh, let me say that William had a little better appetite and kept his food down, just not "in" if you get my drift.

Friday was our last morning with Papa and Mimi. We enjoyed breakfast together and then Papa and Mimi played with William while I packed up everything. Philip helped me when needed, but I told him to just relax b/c of the long drive ahead. It was so hard to leave, but such a great visit!

Thanks for so many memories and for a great visit! We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation in South Florida with Philip's family! Thank you all for an amazing time together!

Spending time with Gram and Grumps

Oh, what fun! We loved our visit with Gram and Grumps and Mema! We arrived at their house around 1 a.m. (Saturday). As I mentioned last post, I was up with William for a few hours trying to get him settled. After we finally fell asleep, we woke up somewhat early that morning (around 8ish) and were greeted with beautiful sunshine! We visited and enjoyed a light breakfast before heading out to play in their beautiful front yard. I just love their grass! It's so beautiful and green and sooooo soft! I was so looking forward to watching William play in their open yard! He's a huge fan of being "side" anywhere we go, I knew he would have a blast in their yard! After playing awhile, we headed out for a walk down the road together. William was adorable leaning out of his stroller calling for Grumps (uump) to catch up and stay close. Gram brought her dog along for our walk and William loved that too! He kept saying "woof, woof" and pointing to Jackson. Gram brought us up to speed on the neighbors and the new development down the road. It was so nice hearing the stories of how they used to walk up and down the road together when Philip was younger :) (although she gave me a hard time b/c I didn't walk and touch the tree...I said since I had the stroller I didn't have to)

After our walk, Philip did my work-out with me. He's been such a great coach. I've been doing a work-out with a weighted medicine ball and several different strength training moves. He really is wonderful! Mema loved watching us work out. She came out and sat in the shade to join us. We played more with William before heading in for lunch. Gram made some hamburgers for lunch! (I had hamburger steak) I finally managed to get William down for his nap (still not sure about where he was sleeping) and had a chance to visit with Mema a bit. She is just the sweetest lady and absolutely precious! We love her so much! She kept making me laugh b/c she wanted William up and couldn't believe he was sleeping as long as he did. Once he got up and had his snack...it was time to go out and see/play/feed the chickens!

Oh, the chickens! This was so much fun! Gram has 3 chickens and I believe she truly sees them as pets :) They were the cutest chickens I'd ever seen! She and Philip would pick them up and carry them around and the chickens would just hang out! Can you believe that??? I thought for sure the chickens would freak out, but they acted like being picked up and petted was totally normal! William was not to sure at first, but once Daddy made it okay, he loved them! He wanted to pet them and chase them all around!! He did get tired of them (note video) but later wanted to go back and play with them some more. He even helped Gram feed them the next day! (note video again).

Saturday night, Gram and Grumps took us all out to dinner for some good BBQ (per Philip's request) and then sent us out for a date while they took William home for the night. Philip and I love it when we get to have some together time! We went down to CityPlace to walk around a bit and enjoy few drinks together. CityPlace is a larger version of Destin Commons to me. There was a music show, but we sat inside at one of the places up at the bar. I enjoyed a glass of Chianti while he had a glass of his favorite Scotch. We left there and went to meet one of his high school friends, Tara at a place called Roxy's. Such a cool place! Philip was impressed by how it had expanded and improved since his "younger years" I don't consider us old, but who cares! It was great getting to hear some high school stories of him from Tara. We finally called it a night and headed on home to get some rest and be ready for Easter.

Easter Sunday was so nice. We enjoyed going to Philip's home church and I must say...the ladies that kept William fell in love with him and kept telling me how smart and cute he was! This made me feel so wonderful b/c I had to drop my baby off at a church nursery that I knew nothing about nor knew anyone in there...VERY VERY HARD TO DO! He was so happy when I picked him up and so my heart was happy! William "found" his Easter basket after church. Oh, what memories! He was so excited about every little surprise! He would sit and look at each toy/book and then smile up and say "moma, love" or "dada, dada"! He found the peeps (my favorite) and wanted me to open them for him. I did, knowing his reaction...he DID.NOT.LIKE.IT. at all! He spit it out and gagged! He's not a sweets baby at all, but hey, what's an Easter basket without those adorable peeps!!

I got William down for a nap and we had a lovely family Easter lunch. (Gram, Grumps, Mema, Philip, Lauren, Bana and Mr. Wilford) Everything was delicious! We had ham, sweet potato casserole, potato salad, green bean casserole, cream corn, and brown rice. Absolutely delicious!!! Gram let me make the green bean casserole, cream corn and brown rice! Thanks Gram!! We watched a bit of the Masters together until William woke up. Once he was up and Philip finished his nap we went out to hide/find Easter eggs! William was totally amazing! He caught on so fast and was the cutest little boy ever running around finding the eggs! He would see one and gasp and run right to it, pick it up and drop it in his basket! Sweet Mema was the expert egg scouter! She was having such a great time! A HUGE THANKS to Gram and Grumps!! They took pictures and videos of us with my camera so that both Mommy and Daddy could be in pictures! That meant so much to me! We did take the cameras from them to let them help William and enjoy the fun too! What wonderful memories! This was William's 2nd Easter, but first one to enjoy...last year he was a tiny 6 month old baby~

We just lounged the rest of the afternoon and played with the chickens some more until dinner time. I had prepared Philip's birthday cake (dessert) the night before b/c it has to chill overnight. Philip turn 31 on Sunday (Easter Sunday). We celebrated his birthday that evening together with the tiramisu (his special request every year) I only make it on his birthday b/c I make it from scratch and give him a hard time about it, but...secretly I LOVE making it! It's really special to me b/c I know it's his absolute favorite! It's part of his gift each year from me! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHILIP! I LOVE YOU! HERE'S TO ANOTHER WONDERFUL YEAR!

Gram took Monday off to hang out with us for the day. We just relaxed around the house and had wonderful left-overs for lunch. More outside playing and hiding eggs too! That afternoon, their dear friends, Harold and Nancy Bruce, stopped by to meet William. We had a great visit with them for the afternoon. They got to enjoy William hunting eggs too! It was a great way to spend the early afternoon. Thanks for coming by to meet our little boy..and letting him put plastic eggs on your head! After they left, we all loaded up and drove down to the beach. I had never been to the Atlantic coast before and wanted to experience it together with William. As we approached, we noticed a News Helicopter, a few firetrucks, police cars, police boat, etc. We were skeptical, but decided to go out anyways. We noticed a "body" lying on the sand, covered up by a sheet...so sad. From the stories, all we could gather was someone had drowned and could not be identified. BUT...we just had to overlook all the drama b/c William was all smiles and loved the beach! He went right down to the water and laughed at the waves. He did take a head first face plant into the waves while playing with Daddy, but he got up laughing. Such a big boy! We again got great pictures thanks to Gram and Grumps taking over our cameras for me! It's a great feeling knowing they will take pictures for me! We had to strip William down to hose off all the gritty sand...and of course he loved that! I wrapped him up in a blanket from the car and let him ride home in just a diaper :) Oh, he ate a whole snack portion of cheerios on the way to the beach and laughed at us when we realized what he had done. What happened was we handed him the cheerios bottle to play with b/c he likes to shake it, but we didn't realize he knew how to open it...so by the time we made it to the beach, we had quit hearing the rattle of cheerios, turned around to see him with the bottle up to his mouth, chomping away...too funny!

Gram gave him a bath and let us relax for a while. She made Mema's traditional meatloaf meal for Philip. We had meatloaf, bake beans and baked potatoes for dinner that night. That's one of Mema's special meals she made for years and now Gram makes it for everyone. We wrapped up our visit by watching the interviews of Deke from the previous summer. For those who might not know, Deke (Philip's grandfather, Mema's husband and Mrs. Sharon's father) passed away in mid Jan. It's been hard without him, but we just cling to the memories. The interviews were so special. He talked on the videos for 1.5 hours...non stop telling old stories of his life and what all family meant to him. What a wonderful way to end our fantastic visit!

Thanks Gram, Grumps and Mema for all the wonderful memories made together!

Enjoy the pictures and the videos!

A day of packing, cleaning, dying eggs and lunch dates

I'll try to keep this short...We were to leave on our full 10 day vacation on Good Friday, so I was in extreme busy mode the days before...packing, cleaning house, scheduling friends to feed Drake/water plants, etc... and I wanted to have a lunch date with my dear friend, Jenny. Remember, I keep baby Scott during the week. He's a doll and so sweet, but here's to all my friends with multiple little ones...it gets so busy so fast taking care of two little ones 13 months apart, but I'm enjoying it and William just LOVES LOVES LOVES baby Scott. He is so attached to him and so happy around him that I just smile and push through my days.

Okay, so I had to pack for several different things, Easter Sunday (clothes, Easter eggs, Easter Basket goodies, Easter cards), Philip's B'day, clothes for 10 days..separated into different bags for different parts of our trip, toys, food/snacks, movies (9 hours in car with a little one), camera and batteries, high chair, pack-n-play, stroller, pool float, Wedding clothes for the wedding in New Orleans, pillows, bath stuff, medicines, etc...you get my drift. I like to have everything totally organized in the right bag and I like to pack the car just so to make everything fit. I make lists and check things off as I go. I also like to leave a CLEAN house with NO LAUNDRY so I can come home to a refreshed house ready to greet me!

On Thursday William played and played around the house while I packed and cleaned. I wanted to dye our eggs here at home with Mommy, Daddy and William, so after daddy got home, we enjoyed a fun evening of dying eggs and coloring paper eggs! What fun! William seemed to enjoy it so much! He did think the eggs were balls and that you could throw them so that was interesting!

I love the expression on William's face! Priceless!

Helping Mommy dye the egg

Showing off his egg....

I love dying eggs!

Friday, Jenny and I met for lunch in Destin with all the babies (her two precious ones, Jillian and Jackson, and I had William and baby Scott) We enjoyed lunch and William ate most of my tomato soup and his whole grilled cheese! Yummy! We left there and walked around Destin Commons to shop for Philip's b'day present. I wanted to give it to him that afternoon before leaving b/c I decided not to take it along on our trip. After lunch, I had to rush home, take the double stroller out of the car, put in my single stroller for our trip, take out Scott's carseat and pack the backseat so that when Scott got picked up and Philip got home, we could HIT THE ROAD (we had 9 hours ahead of us)

Out to lunch...notice how chilled both boys are!

We made it off around 4 that afternoon....driving late into the night! I'm not such a fan of this b/c I know it means when we get where we are going, I'm going to be up with my precious child for a while getting him relaxed and calm so that he can sleep. We did break up the trip with a short stop at Waffle House about half way....such a treat considering my strict diet lately (my own version of several common diets mushed together) William loved Waffle House! He did sleep about 3.5 hours at the end of the trip and I managed to sleep the last 2 hours...this was a Godsend b/c like I predicted, I was up with William for about 2 hours (1 a.m.-3 a.m.) trying to get him calm and to go to sleep. I ended up sleeping with him in the guest bed, but he wouldn't go to sleep until around 3. I know we watched "Lady and the Tramp" and listened to his lullaby c.d. half a dozen times. I don't mean to complain. I really and not complaining...I had missed him during the ride down, so I loved the extra snuggle time with him. He was just scared b/c it was the middle of the night, a new place and he was confused. He woke up on Saturday ready to play, so all was well!! I'm so thankful that Philip drove the entire way down and let me snooze a bit. He didn't complain or even try to stop for coffee for fear of waking us up!

I LOVE YOU PHILIP!!

Here's to a great start to a wonderful vacation!

Saying Hey!!!

Hello All! I've missed you and couldn't wait to get back home to blog :) Sounds silly...I know, but I really do enjoy my blog (my journal) and have missed it! A lot has happened since my last entry. As you know, the week my granddaddy passed we were to be down in South Florida visiting Philip's family for vacation. Our trip was rescheduled for Easter weekend and the following week. It actually worked out wonderfully b/c that was the week that baby Scott's mom had her spring break and she wouldn't be out of childcare for a week! So...our vacation is 3 parts but our Easter started here at home. Lots of stories and pictures. I'm going to break it up into 4 different posts...

1.Packing, playing and Easter Eggs

2. Gram and Grumps

3. Papa and Mimi

4. Dothan and New Orleans/Speni Wedding

Here's to my baby boy! He got sick on our trip and has been sick with a stomach bug (either throwing up or diarrhea) since last Tuesday. Last night, I got sick in the middle of the night...but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me begin by sharing a few pictures with you from the day before we left to go out of town...I wanted to take a picture of William playing with his blocks, but as soon as he saw my camera, he ran to my side, wrapped his arm around my neck and smiled out (like posing for a self portrait) and said "cheese, moma, cheese"....how could I resist? Yes, I have on NO MAKEUP and look rough, but I had spent the day packing and cleaning, so I was in no shape for pictures...but I couldn't miss a chance to make a memory with my baby boy!!!! He's all boy and such a moma's boy. Oh, I just love my William!

I did manage to get a picture of him playing with his blocks...he's pretending they are trains and he's saying "choo-choo"! He's really into trains right now.

Have a great day! Say a prayer that William gets better and over whatever stomach bug he's got and that I don't get it any worse than I already have!!!

A Touching Story

During the service for Granddaddy a man (Lucky Martin) shared a truly wonderful and moving story about how Granddaddy impacted his life. I would like to share it with you now.

Lucky is around my dad's age (I think). Let me start with stating he is a black man. This should not matter, expect for his comment on how Granddaddy treated him as a young school age boy. Lucky started his story with explaining how his dad was a sharecropper and could only buy coveralls for him growing up. Admitting he was embarrassed with his clothes and how much he admired the clothes in Granddaddy's store (Green's Clothing) he and his buddy would occasionally visit the store just to dream of owning some nice clothes. One afternoon in late middle school, he and this friend went into the store late in the afternoon. His friend suggested they steal something from Granddaddy because they wanted to have some of the nice items. Lucky said on that afternoon, Granddaddy walked over to them and said "Welcome, how are you boys doing today?" This is the comment I mentioned about him being a black child. Lucky said he was in complete disbelief as to why this white gentleman was being so friendly and welcoming to a black boy. He said Granddaddy's warm smile and friendly gesture stung him in his heart. His friend proceeded to shove a few cuff links and a few other small things into his jacket, Lucky said Granddaddy could tell what they were doing and he casually turned his back, walked to the back of the store and said "See you boys later, Have a good day." Lucky shared that this played over and over in his mind for the next few weeks. He couldn't shake the kindness away. Meanwhile, Lucky decided he was too embarrassed to stay in school b/c of the clothes he had to wear. He dropped out of school on a Monday. The next day, he went to visit Granddaddy's store (during school hours) to which Granddaddy greeted him with "Son, it's a school day, why aren't' you in school?" Lucky told him he had dropped out and that school wasn't for him anymore. Lucky said Granddaddy asked why and when he told him it was because he was too embarrassed...Granddaddy sat him down and said "School is important and you will finish. What do you need...a few shirts, some pants, how about shoes?" Lucky said he could not believe this man...was he really going to give me some of the nice clothes from his store? Lucky picked out 3 shirts and 3 pants and a pair of shoes. Granddaddy made him promise to finish school as his only payment. Lucky said he returned to school on Wednesday with a completely new attitude on life. He concluded his story by saying that if it had not been for Granddaddy (Mr. L.C. Green) he would would not have finished high school, gone on to college to get a B.S. and Master's in Education and would not in school now getting his Doctorate degree in Education!

Let me tell you, there was not a dry eye in the church! I heard my Grannymart say later that she never knew this story! How amazing to now know how Granddaddy impacted a young life that has gone on to teach many and achieve so much in life...all because of a kind gesture and belief in a stranger! Following Lucky's speech, Mr. Daryl Homberg (sp?) got up to sing. He is a man of few words (according to Grannymart). He shared that he had just attended another funeral of someone who had gone on to get an education from Oxford, been a pastor, authored several articles and books, and NOTHING shared at his funeral was so moving as the testimony just told. That shook me to the bone. My Granddaddy was not only a hero in my eyes, but a hero in a stranger's eyes as well. I am so thankful that God led Lucky (first to see the notice in the paper) to come to the service and to share his story with us. I will forever remember this small way Granddaddy shared his love and shared Christ with this man. I believe in random acts of kindness and know in heart that sometimes you are the only example of Christ people see. I believe in the saying "you never know who is watching and who you are impacting by your actions."

Take this story with you and know that somewhere, someone is watching you and learning from you. Know that a small kind word or a simple act of faith in someone does impact them in ways you might not ever know. I doubt if Granddaddy ever knew what became of Lucky Martin. It does not matter if he did. What matters is his gentle spirit and giving heart redirected a life of a stranger...all because he (Granddaddy) was a man after God's own heart and he treated others with respect and kindness. Thank you Granddaddy for this amazing life lesson.

Granddaddy was a WWII Veteran. His graveside service was concluded with the playing of Taps and the folding of the flag. I've heard my dad tell stories of services like this and I've seen them in movies, but never (to my knowledge) have experienced one. Let me tell you..there is something so moving watching this. The ease and steadiness as which the men move folding the flag and carrying in to the widow...When the man knelt down to hand her the flag, saluted her, and said "On behalf of a grateful nation..." MAN MAN MAN to hear the words "on behalf of a grateful nation" I was so full of pride in Granddaddy and sorrow in missing him. He loved his country dearly. He was so proud to have served his nation and then to have a son follow and serve. Granddaddy just loved life with his whole heart. He found good in people and was such an optimist. He lived a long, hard and blessed life. I can only pray to be so blessed.

"Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant"

Thank you all for your prayers for my grandfather. He was called home late Wednesday night on April 1, 2009. He drifted peacefully in his sleep and was not in pain or suffering. He was surrounded by his family and a few very sweet and sincere nurses (one actually cried as she held his hand). We have the peace of knowing he is safe and home with our Lord and Savior and is completely healed!!! He is in the presence of Jesus and I know that he was greeted with "Well done, my good and faithful servant." My grandfather lived a wonderful long life and was blessed beyond measure. He was an example to all as to how to walk in the light and live by faith in Jesus. My grandparents were married 63 years. They raised three children together (Bill, Becky and Joanna). There is no doubt in my mind we will all be reunited again one day. For now, yes, the pain hurts and my heart aches beyond words. Yes, we will struggle with life here without him...but I feel that is only natural and I know that is the selfish human side in us. It's okay to cry and to mourn. It's okay to hurt. Jesus wept. I'm going to weep. I'm also going to rejoice in knowing Granddaddy is in heaven and is looking down on me and smiling. It's going to be hard on my Grannymart adjusting to life without her best friend and husband, but she is an amazing woman of faith and is stronger than she knows. Please continue to pray for her for strength for each day. Please continue to pray for our family as we go through this difficult time. I'd like to share more about my grandfather and his life and my memories...but for now, please keep us lifted in prayer. God Bless.

"But they that wait upon the LORD, shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Granddaddy...please pray

Just wanted to send a quick update. We are all in Dothan now. The doctors have not given us a good prognosis...The 2nd chest xray came back showing the pneumonia is spreading and leading to more build up of fluid on his lungs and around his heart. He's showing congestive heart failure. His oxygen level is low and will sometimes go back up, but he's fighting the tubes...especially at night. They've changed him to an oxygen mask that provides the most oxygen he can and will recieve. He is no longer eating or drinking anything. They are giving him some fluid IVs, but are cautious with that b/c of the fluid already present in his lungs. He does not seem to be in pain at this time, but is so weary and fragile. He is somewhat aware of his surroundings, but mostly out of it, dozing in and out of sleep.

It hurts to see him like this. It hurts to know he is struggling. It is comforting to remember how wonderful his life has been and to know how strong a Christian man he is and to know he loves the Lord with all his heart. He's a mighty fine man and lived a happy blessed life.

Please continue to pray for peace and mercy. We (the family) need prayers of comfort, peace, strength and understanding. We are all just staying close by him so he knows we are there. The doctors are kind with their words. The nurses are amazing with their care.

God be with us during this difficult time. Thank you for your prayers and your thoughts.