Grandpa

My sister Kay and  I went to visit my Grandpa in the hospital last night.  Seeing him in the hospital bed, hooked up to machines, with tubes all over was pretty overwhelming.  He told us how much he loved us and then, as he choked by the tears, told us that my mother sending us away to live here in Utah, was one of his greatest blessings.  I've never seen him cry before. 

After a while, we started talking about the BYU game that day. (BYU won)  I mentioned how funny it was to watch BYU games with Grandma.  She would start out sitting with the rest of us but as soon as BYU started to lose, she'd say "I cant watch!  They are going to lose!  I'm not going to watch this."  and with that, she would go upstairs into the kitchen.  As soon as BYU scored, we would see grandma's head slowly poke around the corner.  Another good play, and she'd be standing at the top of the stairs, watching the game.  As soon as BYU started to fall behind again she would tell us all "I cant watch!  They are going to lose!  I'm not going to watch this." and go back in the kitchen.  This is basically how the rest of the game would go.  It was just to funny, to watch her head poke around the corner over and over again. Grandpa laughed as we talked about Grandma, so I told him one of my favorite memories of grandma.

One day, right after Brian and I got engaged, a visitor came by Grandma's house to talk to me.  I had been staying there a few weeks and Brian was over for lunch.  I opened the door and a guy I had dated walked in.  Let's call him Floyd.  Floyd ask Brian and I to have a seat and then he sat across from us and pulled out a paper.  "I don't think June has given anyone else a fair chance so I have made up a dating schedule.  Brian, I have given you Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  We can alternate weekends."

Seriously?  wow.  My grandma had heard all this so, while Brian tried to kindly turn down his offer, she stood behind Floyd with her fists up like a boxer preparing to enter the ring!  She was scowling at him and motioning to me to kick him out of there.  About this time, Floyd said to Brian, "If you love her, set her free."  And with that, Grandma took her game of Charades to a whole new level.  I started laughing and Floyd thought I was laughing at him so he angrily left. 

I told Grandpa this story last night and he laughed harder than I have ever seen him laugh before!  Kay thought he may actually lose his breath a few times!  We had been there for an hour so we told him how much we loved him and then we left.  I will never forget how great it was to see him laughing and I will always remember his eyes glistening with tears as he told us how much he loved us. 

I don't know if my Grandparents will ever realize how much they did for us when the took us in and became our parents.  We left a home with pain and neglect and began a new life in Utah where love was unconditional.  They saved us in many ways. 

My sister Kay and  I went to visit my Grandpa in the hospital last night.  Seeing him in the hospital bed, hooked up to machines, with tubes all over was pretty overwhelming.  He told us how much he loved us and then, as he choked by the tears, told us that my mother sending us away to live here in Utah, was one of his greatest blessings.  I've never seen him cry before. 

After a while, we started talking about the BYU game that day. (BYU won)  I mentioned how funny it was to watch BYU games with Grandma.  She would start out sitting with the rest of us but as soon as BYU started to lose, she'd say "I cant watch!  They are going to lose!  I'm not going to watch this."  and with that, she would go upstairs into the kitchen.  As soon as BYU scored, we would see grandma's head slowly poke around the corner.  Another good play, and she'd be standing at the top of the stairs, watching the game.  As soon as BYU started to fall behind again she would tell us all "I cant watch!  They are going to lose!  I'm not going to watch this." and go back in the kitchen.  This is basically how the rest of the game would go.  It was just to funny, to watch her head poke around the corner over and over again. Grandpa laughed as we talked about Grandma, so I told him one of my favorite memories of grandma.

One day, right after Brian and I got engaged, a visitor came by Grandma's house to talk to me.  I had been staying there a few weeks and Brian was over for lunch.  I opened the door and a guy I had dated walked in.  Let's call him Floyd.  Floyd ask Brian and I to have a seat and then he sat across from us and pulled out a paper.  "I don't think June has given anyone else a fair chance so I have made up a dating schedule.  Brian, I have given you Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  We can alternate weekends."

Seriously?  wow.  My grandma had heard all this so, while Brian tried to kindly turn down his offer, she stood behind Floyd with her fists up like a boxer preparing to enter the ring!  She was scowling at him and motioning to me to kick him out of there.  About this time, Floyd said to Brian, "If you love her, set her free."  And with that, Grandma took her game of Charades to a whole new level.  I started laughing and Floyd thought I was laughing at him so he angrily left. 

I told Grandpa this story last night and he laughed harder than I have ever seen him laugh before!  Kay thought he may actually lose his breath a few times!  We had been there for an hour so we told him how much we loved him and then we left.  I will never forget how great it was to see him laughing and I will always remember his eyes glistening with tears as he told us how much he loved us. 

I don't know if my Grandparents will ever realize how much they did for us when the took us in and became our parents.  We left a home with pain and neglect and began a new life in Utah where love was unconditional.  They saved us in many ways.