GRANDPA CRAVEN's PASSING PART I

 I got a phone call from my parents on Monday, July 9, 2012 saying if you want to say goodbye to your grandpa you need to come home now.

I can say it was one of my top worst phone calls.

Although, my grandparents are getting older and they certainly had lived a full life. I honestly thought this day would never come. I thought they would live forever.

This was my second experience with death but my first experience with some related to me that I knew dying. (I had a cousin die of SID's when I was young but I never got to meet him.)

(Grandpa was such a special part of my life. We grew up one street up from him. Every guy I was serious about, had to pass the grandpa test. If he didn't get grandpa's thumbs up then I would break up with him.

He had a quick wit and a humor that everyone loved and could giggle at.

He was an amazing example and the only person I have known that I could say was truly perfectly Christlike.

I have so many great memories of him but the thing that sticks out the most was knowing how much he loved me. He would never let me enter his home or leave without a big hug.

I will miss getting my hug, but because I know families are eternal, I know I will have more hugs from him!)

My girls were so excited for another trip to grandma's house.

(I was sad to make the trip alone again but because of all the changes in our life Nate couldn't pull away although he loved grandpa dearly too.)

The girls love there cousins and had a blast.

Madison played with these dice for hours.

When too many cousins joined their fun they collected the dice and snuck upstairs and hide in one of the rooms to play alone with their dice.

They created all sorts of mischief with their cousin Kate.

They emptied out the entire linen closet one day.

On the day of the funneral, wearing their beautiful dresses, they snuck into grandma's bathroom and emptied all her essential oils into cup, added her lotions, and soap and then stirred with with her nail file. They also powdered the flower with her eye shadow.

Although it was naughty, it was funny.