Yesterday, I thought the most unexpected thing to happen to me that day would be the mouse I saw scamper into the copier room on my way down the hallway at work. How quickly things change.
Ryan got a call yesterday morning to let us know that his Grandpa was back in the hospital. Shortly after that, he got another call to tell us he had been admitted into the ICU. Not too long after that, Grandpa S. passed away. Even though it wasn't completely unexpected--he was 88 years old, and hasn't been doing that great, health-wise, since around Thanksgiving--it was still unreal to get the news. We'll be traveling to northeastern Pennsylvania, where he and Grandma are from and lived for so long, for his viewing on Friday evening, and funeral on Saturday morning.
He was a Godly man, and for that especially, we can have peace. When I was first able to really spend time with him, he immediately made me feel welcomed in the family, (even introducing me to everyone we saw as his new granddaughter) he loved his grandchildren so much, and absolutely adored Brooke. He called her his "sweetheart." I'm thankful for all the time that we were able to spend with him, especially this past Christmas, and am extremely happy that he was able to meet Brooke, his first great-grandchild, and get to know her. She won't remember him, I know, but we have so many pictures, and so much video of him with her, and that will always be special.
Here is a little snipit of what I wrote about that trip, to give you a feel of what he was like.
2/12/06 ~ "Anyway, his grandparents and I talked about politics--they're involved in their community, which I thought was really interesting, so we talked about that. I really love Ryan's grandparents. They're the kind of people that are so kind, and big-hearted, I already feel comfortable calling them Grandpa and Grandma. They're just really nice, sweet people, who make you feel at home."
