I asked the kids to name 10 things that describe their Great Papa. Here's what they said....
1. He loves us.
2. He is kind.
3. He has time for others.
4. He can do things that not too many other Great Papa's can do.
5. He is thoughtful.
6. He's smart.
7. He tells the best stories.
8. He has the coolest basement in the world!
9. His laugh makes me happy.
10. He loves God.
The boys have always loved to listen to all of Papa's hunting stories. They sit wide-eyed with excitement and ask him all sorts of questions.
This weekend, Papa taught them about gun safety, how to clean a gun, how to load it and how to shoot.
Matt and Mikey will never forget the day they learned how to shoot. They were in "little boy heaven"...including Papa. :o)
The boys did quite well. Mikey shot the target once. Matt got it almost every time, BUT I AM THE MASTER!!!!!!! If the price of groceries keep rising, this family ain't starving. I'll rustle up some grub for us.
Yes-siree, just call me Wyatt Erp...no, I don't wanna be him....Wild Bill?...nah. John Wayne...nope I don't want to be him either. ANNIE OAKLEY! There we go. (Ooo, I'm awfully glad I painted my nails this day. Don't you think red and brown look good together?)
In the evening, we sat in the living room and sang songs. We decided to pick everyone's age and sing whatever song came up. Mary played the violin, I played the flute...just call us the Partridge family. It got interesting when Papa told us that he was 38. I said, "38, huh? How can that be?...I'm only 32!" Then he sheepishly said, "Yeah, well you just gotta switch the numbers around."
Papa went home with lots of hugs and kisses and all sorts of artwork. He is loved, that's for sure!!
What a joy it is to have such a "loving, kind, sacrificial, unique, thoughtful, smart, entertaining, possesser of the coolest basement, happy, Godly, GREAT Grandpa!"
8 comments:
Papa has a heart of pure gold. He has ALWAYS been so loving and affirming. I loved seeing these pictures of him. Thank you for sharing and give him a great big hug from me the next time you see him.
As for you, Annie Oakley, ummmm I can't be sure, but I don't believe the original Annie had to rely on whatever it is you call that white chair with the pillow on it to prop your gun up because your wimpy arms aren't strong enough to hold the gun up long enough to aim. Gonna have to give Papa a shout out for showing us all how it's really supposed to be done.
Well, EXCUUUUUUUUUSE ME if I didn't want to get my Fashion Bug sweater dirty!
If your grocery store goes out of business, I am NOT shooting you a deer for dinner.
That's ok, I'm pretty much vegetarian anyway.
Oh, I love Papa so much. These pictures just make me smile. You are so right about everything you said about him. I'd also like to add a few of my favorite things about him:
1. He is very smart.
2. He is humble.
3. He is (and has always been) so handsome.
4. He smiles with his eyes.
5. He is spiritually strong.
6. He is in love with his family.
7. He loves life.
8. He loves the outdoors.
9. He is a hard worker.
10. He always has time for his family.
Absolutely precious. We have so much to be thankful for. For as long as I can remember, he always made me smile. I, seriously, have nothing but good, happy memories when I think of our sweet Papa.
He is so patient and loving. I can learn much from him. We love you, Papa!
P.S. You go--Annie Oakley! (You and Sarah Palin!!) I know where to get a good moose dinner! :)
Brian wants to know if he can come up next time your Papa is shooting and cleaning guns!!!
It looks like you all had a wonderful time. Miss you!
Oh PUHLEASE -- you can't fool any of us, you'd end up shooting an animal and then be dry heaving walking up to it. :) You're Papa is just so sweet, I so badly wish my girls could have known my grandparents, what a privilege for them to have these memories -- especially with having a Great Papa that loves the Lord!
On a much scarier note, I was watching the new last night and they were talking about this 19 year old who was killed in a hunting accident because the gun jammed and then went off went the guy layed it down. It scared me thinking of how you and your Papa were trying to work on that gun. I guess since I'm afraid of guns now, I'm going to have to go chase down the animals by hand. :)
Memories of my Dad when I was little:
Saturday mornings he would wake me up so early it was still dark outside. (I used to think I was such a pioneer!) We would get dressed in real warm clothes, he would put my red rubber boots on, and we would walk in the woods for hours. Sometimes we would pick wild blueberries or raspberries, he'd identify trees, mushrooms, plants, birds. we'd talk and talk, laugh, sometimes whisper if we came across some animal, but ALWAYS, ALWAYS sing in the car on the way to and from wherever we were going.
"a merry heart doeth good like a medicine." That was my Dad...even now, when I spend time with him, he's a wonderful encourager and listener. He has NEVER been too busy for me my entire life. What a gift.
I love Great Papa.
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