Grandpa Clarence

We'll miss this dear man. The boys & I enjoyed writing him letters & sending pictures. He didn't write much, but that was okay....we just wanted him to know we loved him even though we lived so far away.

Our time with him this summer was so special. He gave us a tour of where he lived and then we went to his room for a wonderful visit. Though he was frail, his mind was sharp...he told us about his cowboy spurs (that were sitting on display in his room), memories of old pictures, & his times in TX. He told me he remembered when he first met me; I remember the exact time too...I wasn't with Russell & it wasn't in Montana...so that fact that he remembered, really surprised me.

I'm so thankful we had the privilege of naming our first son after his special family. He was a little piece of Russell's mother who we miss so much. He loved the children (good thing! he had over 40 great grandchildren). He spoke softly & had such a tender smile. We'll miss him, but so glad he finished the race.

Great Grandpa with chunky monkey Benjamin - Thanksgiving '05

St. Louis: Day 3

More family time...

Just seeing this dear great auntie & littie visits with her made the trip worth it!

Thanks to all my family for the wonderful memories we made together.

Now we are packing our bags again to head to MT! More fun times coming up.

2 Grandpas

One is our grandpa, the other isn't. However - we really claim them both. They look the same(nearly!), talk alike, have similar smirks/grins, and they share the same birthday! Now as they grow old & gray, they aren't as tall as they used to be. However some things have not changed - their love for their family, for God's Way & growing tomatoes! As young boys about 80 years ago, serious thoughts about God caused them to stop & consider life. Their choices have affected even the lives of our children. It meant so much to hear their testimonies again today. We've had good family times with Joann, Denny, Delbert & Goldie.