Walk with my Granddaddy...

As you may or may not know, things have been a little stressful for my family lately. My Papa (dad's dad) had a stoke a couple weeks ago.

If there was one thing that we all saw while Papa was in the ICU, it was that he is one of the most loved men you've ever met. Nana had to keep a list of all of visitors who just stopped by to check in on him or called to get the latest update! We joked, but I don't think it was too far from the truth that every member of Dalraida Baptist Church, where he is a deacon, came by or called. Papa may not be a man of many words, but when he speaks, people listen. We spent hours in the waiting room with family, retelling stories we've all heard for year, yet still bring a smile to our face. Our camping trips with Nana and Papa were the highlights of mine and Brooke's (and Nana and Papa's) summers.

We're staying positive that he will get better - he has already shown good signs of improvement! There will be a long road ahead, but we are definitely counting our blessings that he is still with us!

This is one of my favorite pictures from our wedding... Papa sitting and just taking it all in, as always, beforehand.

This past Thursday, Sept 25th was the 24th anniversary of my Granddaddy's death (Mama's daddy). I have always had this marked on my calendar... not because we have any big ceremony, but just so I can make sure I take time to remember this great man. People may think that I shouldn't really remember him, since he passed away just before I turned 4, but I do. I may not have tons of specific memories.... well, other than making tents out of the bedspread and him running underneath me as he pushed me on the swing (I always thought I was going to fall off and land in the pool, even though now I know it was yards away). Maybe it's that I was named after him (David Hope "D.H") that I have this connection, I don't know, but I do know that I had a huge love for this man, even at such a young age.

When Matt and I got married, it broke my heart to think that this man I had loved so much was not there to stand by Grandmama's side, so I wanted in some way to honor his memory and make it feel as though he was right there with us. I asked Uncle Eddy (Mama's brother) to write an arrangement of "It is Well with My Soul" - one of his favorite hymns that was played at his funeral as well - for the cello and violin to play during our ceremony. It was absolutely beautiful! I also had an old hat of Granddaddy's - Auburn of course - that was about to fall apart it was so old. So, I asked Grandmama to do me a favor and cut it up, and sew Aubie into the inside of my dress for my something blue! I think Granddaddy would have gotten a kick out of that.

There's a great song that always makes me think of him and led me to write this blog when I heard it yesterday:

When I get where I'm going,
there'll be only happy tears.
I will shed the sins and struggles,
I have carried all these years.....

I'm gonna walk with my grandaddy
and he'll match me step for step
and I'll tell him how I missed him
every minute since he left.
Then I'll hug his neck.

So, that's my grandfathers... two of the greatest men to ever walk this planet.







Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.