I either have to hide this suit or buy a bunch more because this is what Timmy wants to wear every day, his “Daddy clothes.” Does not matter what he’s doing these clothes are great for any occasion, even catching bugs. He switches it up sometimes but his dress shoes are always a must and pants are optional.

I taught Grace how to do Ring Around the Rosie and she is obsessed. I am so surprised that she can hold hands and walk in a circle and she wanted to do it over and over again. And it’s even more fun doing it in their baby pool.

So I was in total heaven when a Timmy joined in the circle and was singing the words. Simple but so very special to me. The laughs when they would splash down in the water for the “we all fall down” part was priceless.

I wrote about my grandfather a couple of weeks ago with the mindset that he was getting better. Sadly that just was not Gods plan. He went to be with The Lord on July 25th and we laid him to rest July 30th.

So much has happened and not happened. We had to cancel Gracie’s 1st birthday party obviously. But I had already made enough food to feed 30 people so I packed up all the food and drove it down south to feed my very sad family. We rescheduled her party for August 16th but we scaled it back also.

The funeral was beautiful if a funeral can be described that way. My grandfather had a full military service. There were flowers galore and delicious food in between the wakes and after the funeral my grandmother invited anyone who wanted to join us at an italian restaurant. Over 50 people showed to the restaurant. People came from all over the US to pay respects. Tim made an awesome video of his life in pictures. Me and my sisters made peanut butter cookies for anyone who came to take home. They were grandpas favorite cookie.

Timmy kept telling everyone that P-pa was sleeping and kept shhhing everyone. It was the sweetest when out of no where he went and sat on my grandmothers lap and touched her face and told her P-pa was sleeping.

Timmy even put a hot wheels car in the casket.

I wrote and read my entire eulogy. I practiced at least 100 times trying to get through it without crying. I really didn’t think I could do it. Afterward I drove home in such a daze wondering if I did a good enough job. There were just so many great things to say about him and I wasn’t sure if I got my point across.

It’s very weird when someone dies. I don’t feel like he’s gone. I can still hear him talking. My faith in God is so strong that I truly feel happy for him that he can now rest and be where there is only happiness. A dear friend said to me on the day he died that Heaven is so wonderful and beautiful that it is said if they had the choice they would not come back here. I believe that with all my heart.

My poor grandmother. She looks great, better than ever really. But her eyes are empty. I’m going to be bringing the kids to visit her often to try to lift her spirits. What a gift for them to spend time with there great grandmother.

Grandpas Eulogy

For those who don’t know me, my name is Laura or Beanie was what my Grandpa called me. My mother June asked me to say a few words.

My grandfather was a very special man and I don’t just say that because he was my own. He was an old school gentleman with a heart of gold and the patience of a saint. He was the kind of man you could always depend on. 

My earliest memories of him are at the bright blue house in West Babylon with the whole family getting together for dinners eating in the garage, with all of us cousins running circles around the house. Grandpa was an expert gardener and took a lot of pride in his landscaping. I can still hear him grumbling, “these damn kids” as he tried to salvage the flower beds that me and my cousins had just jumped into. He never lost the love for flowers and was always bringing Jessica his newest favorite plant.

No one will forget that hideous orange brownish van he drove around in, with us kids rolling around in the back, no seatbelts or even SEATS for that matter and Charlie by our side. That dog went everywhere with him. Grandpa was a closet dog lover. If you asked him if he liked dogs he would cringe and say NO! But then there he was, snuggled up on the couch with Uncle Steven’s dog and we have the pictures to prove it.

Everyone knows Grandpa was famous for his popcorn balls. Every Christmas with the tables covered in wax paper and loads and loads of popcorn and syrup. We did them all the way up until 3 years ago. Turns out even though we were all grown up, Grandpa was still the only one strong enough to make popcorn balls that didn’t just fall apart. So we made a huge mess and ended up just watching Grandpa do all the work.

He was so talented with wood. I remember watching him in his basement workshop in awe of his masterpieces. He would work and I would build sandcastles with all the saw dust. And now my daughter reads her little books in the rocking chair he built for my brother.

Last time he was at my house he brought Timmy his first set of hot wheels cars and now Timmy is obsessed and even sleeps with them.

Of all the memories we have, I think we can all agree that the summers spent at the Lake House were our favorite and we have Grandpa to thank for that. To think that he built that house with his own two hands is amazing and something that is totally unheard of these days. I think most of us in this room learned to fish on that dock with Grandpa hooking our worms and unhooking all the sunfish we caught. He oncetold me that when he bought that piece of land,he was terrified to come home and tell Grandma about it.

And that brings me to the greatest thing about Grandpa. The love he had for Grandma was something out of a fairytale. They are married 61 years and are the perfect example of what marriage is supposed to look like. When I was visiting Grandma in rehab a few weeks ago I got to see it first-hand. In walked grandpa with hisvery happy boyish smile, his trucker hat half way pushed down like he always had it and of course his huge cup of ice. He sat down next to grandma, got real close to her, gently grabbed her hand, kissed it and said, “How are you feeling today dear?” She smiled and said, “I missed you.” It was like they were in their own little bubble of love. And with them it was always that way.

For at the end of the wake:

Every Christmas we make peanut butter blossom cookies. Well Grandpa hated chocolate but loved peanut butter cookies so we always made a few plain ones just for him. We made some of those for all of you here so please take some on your way out.

Grace is big enough now to really play with Timmy. Sometimes they play kitchen or puzzles or peek-a-boo. It’s so awesome to watch.

Happy Birthday Emma!

Gracie & her bestie Brynn in their Minnie ears. Disney countdown started!

Some much needed Aunt Sam snuggles.

G-da & his grandbabies.

Gracie playing Mommy.
Timmy playing Gracie.

& when it’s not raining..

So Timmy committed his first crime yesterday. I found 2 spools of ribbon stuffed in the stroller.

Going to the store and having him walk is a whole new world for me. I’m pretty sure I was the entertainment of Hobby Lobby with Grace in the stroller and pulling a cart and Timmy helping push.

People were feeling bad for me so much that one employee there said let me see your list and I’ll get you the things that are on the other side of the store and the lady behind me at check-out walked me out to the car and helped me unload in the rain and everything. I guess good people do still exist, they’ve just been hiding at Hobby Lobby. I could have spent the entire day there.

I put on a pink dress and with eyes wide Timmy says, “Wow mommy you’re a princess!”

Timmy is the ultimate backseat driver lately.

As soon as he’s buckled in he’s telling me he wants to go to Aunt Jessica’s house and when I don’t make that left to get on the highway he’s telling me to, “Turn around Mommy, other way OTHER WAY!”

Other Timmy expert driving advice:

“Whoa Mommy that was too fast.”

“Stop the car Mommy it red!”

When I beep my horn – “Be careful mommy!”

“Wait for it to be green Mommy!” When I’m letting the car roll at the light. “Ok it’s green, go faster!”

If I hit a bump – “Uhohhhh what did you do?”

“Timmy drive Mommy.”

If I could find a fake steering wheel that straps to the front passenger seat I think he would go nuts. I’m gonna go google that now.

Timmy was crying that he was scared tonight when we put him to bed. I went in there to check for monsters and he looks up at me and says, “Mommy sing a Jesus song.”

I love that boy!

We had quite a scare today. I got a call from my cousin early this morning that my grandfather was in the hospital and that the doctors didn’t think he was going to make it. Tim had already left for work so I threw the kids in the car and drove down.

Turns out bringing your babies to the ICU is frowned upon. A very unhappy nurse told us that children were not exactly welcomed there and that we needed to find a babysitter. So we went to Aunt Jessica’s and waited for the good news that he made it out of surgery and was feeling better.

My grandfather is a very special man. And I don’t just say that because he’s my own grandfather, it’s a fact. He is an old school gentleman, the kind of man you can depend on. When my great grandmother couldn’t live on her own he took her in. Not many men gladly take in their mother-in-laws. On top of that my grandmother (his wife) has been paralyzed for some time now. He took care of them both for many years. My great grandmother as since gone to be with The Lord. Day in and day out he lives to take care of his wife.

My grandparents are the perfect example of what marriage is suppose to look like. Last Tuesday I got to see it right in front of me. My grandma is in rehab right now recovering from a stroke so we were visiting her and in walks my grandfather with a very happy boyish smile and trucker hat. He always wears his hats only half way pushed down {classic grandpa look}. He sits down next to my grandmother, gets real close, gently grabs her hand kisses it and says how are you feeling today dear. He always calls her dear. She smiles and says she missed him. It was like they were in their own little bubble of love. I wonder what their secret is.

Things I know about my grandfather:
– He loves peanut butter cookies but hates chocolate.
– He still calls me beanie {my childhood nickname}.
– He is an expert gardener.
– I will always remember him giving me minty gum {Trident to be exact} as a kid. Turns out gum was what helped him quit smoking.
– He worked at Entimens when we were kids so no get together was without pound cake or crumb cake or those awesome small chocolate chip cookies.
– He is crafty with wood. I have so much of his masterpieces around the house.
– He gave us some of the best childhood memories at his lake house that he built with his own two hands! Crazy right?
– He introduced Timmy to hot wheels cars and now he’s crazy for them {like sleep with them at night crazy}.
– He is a closet animal LOVER
– He adds an insane amount of black pepper on all his food
– You will never catch him without a huge cup of ice. The man is addicted!

They just don’t make them like Grandpa anymore.

Praise Jesus that he is feeling better!