Grandpa

Today my grandpa went to be with Jesus. I am listening to Selah's Greatest Hymns CD right now because my grandpa loved hymns. He used to be the song leader at their church when my mom was little-before the time of worship leaders who got paid. Grandpa loved Jesus.
When we were little my grandparents lived in Alaska so before I was two we got to ride in a plane and go visit them. I, of course, don't remember that visit. But, I do remember the next two times. I also remember that my grandparents traveled all over the world learning about new cultures and places. Maybe that is where I got my desire to travel and explore the world.
Grandpa worked hard. I don't know what it was like growing up in his house but it seems he worked hard to provide his family a good life. We always lived far away so just got to visit them occasionally. I remember when I was in third grade my mom's whole family came for Christmas-thanks to my uncle's wedding in Minnesota days after Christmas. We had just moved into a new house and my mom got to be the proud hostess-although knowing her now I am sure she was a nervous wreck, right mom?:) I got a watch with a white band and one of those lifesaver books that were so popular back then. I must have gotten other stuff too because I remember that my stocking was overflowing. But what I remember most is that Grandma and Grandpa walked to my school in the snow to walk home with my sister and me. My grandma called my grandpa "Pa" except I thought she was saying "Paul." It was the first time I heard his name, I thought. I am not sure how long it took me to figure it out, but for quite some time I thought his name was Paul-it is WIlliam!
It seems every time Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us in SD there was a storm. When I was in maybe kindergarten or first grade they came for Easter and we had a blizzard. There was so much snow we couldn't go out the backdoor. And, I think church was cancelled. My aunts hid the colored eggs for my sister and me to find for hours. We thought this was great fun! Apparently, they were quite bored with this game! Then there was the time they came at Christmas. We had a lot of snow that year, too, but we plodded up to the Cities for the wedding and then got snowed in up there! Sometime around junior high years they came for Thanksgiving. My grandma had a horrible nose bleed and had to go to the hospital. I think she probably thought the doctor was going to ride up on his horse. I think it was that Thanksgiving they got snowed in, too. I guess they should have come in the summer more!
If you have read this far you must be a relative! Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. Grandpa will be missed just as Grandma is. However, we know they are rejoicing with Jesus in a place where their hearts and bodies are not sick.