This one's for Papa.

I don't really even know how to put this into words, but I am going to try. On the drive home today I thought about the weekend and everything that happened in the past week and I thought I needed to share. We went home this weekend - it was not a planned trip to say the least... Papa went in for a liver transplant on Wednesday and then through a series of events over the next few days his body gave out and he didn't make it. Papa is Daniel's grandfather. Daniel would have different things to say of course, but here is what I want to share.

From the moment I walked into Nana & Papa's door as a little Sr High school girl dating their sweet little grandson (probably thinking I wouldn't be around long!) :) they embraced me and welcomed me in an almost unexpected manner. Papa loved me and treated me just as he did the others. See that's the thing. Daniel's father was taken in by Nana & Papa as a teenager and is not actually their biological son, but the funny thing is Daniel & I had been dating well over a year before I asked why his dad's name wasn't the same as his grandparents. But that's the kinda love Papa showed for everyone. People looking in would never know who married in or was born into that family. I told Daniel on the way to the service Monday, my grandfathers didn't get to meet Ryder or even know that we were having a baby, but I know they would have loved him, been proud and thought I was a good mommy... but Papa knew him, loved him and thought that, and I felt the love of MY grandfathers through him. Last night as I was sitting with my mom she said, "Today at the service I wondered if Papa had met your Grandaddy (her daddy) in heaven yet? I know they would have been good friends had they met on earth." And I think so too.


Even in moments of sadness I had the thought of how grateful I am that we are close and could just jump in the car (as much as you can 'jump in the car' with a baby) and go. You see one year ago this past weekend we moved into our house here in Austin. And so many things have happened in this short time that make even the days that I miss Nashville and our life there so worth while. I wouldn't have wanted to miss these moments for anything.



We love you, papa.