Remembering Grandpa Rick

It has hard to believe that it has been two years since he left. It was a very cold Monday morning-- when he left us at 7:20 a.m-- the sun was out just like this morning. It was like a sign from God that all was well. We knew that the time had come and Dad had finally won. Cancer had not beaten him--he had beaten the cancer!! He was going home to meet the Lord. We talked about the people that would be there to meet him at Heaven's gate. He was with his Lord all his many friends and family that had gone on before him.

We were so sad to let him go, but he had given us all so much. We are truly thankful for the time the Lord shared him with us. The one thing Dad learned from cancer was that "Everyday is a gift". The last eleven months of his life, Dad spent getting us all ready for this transition. Yes, he prayed everyday for a miracle and he got it. He was healed--perfectly--just not the way we here on earth wanted.

Today I look at the pictures of our last Christmas together or just the things we did in his final days. Landon, Lauren, Logan and Lyndsi have grown up so much, they all have memories of the fun and not so fun times. Ubby doesn't even know who Grandpa is, Boog talks about him once and while. She laughs when she talks about him. That is good! We all laugh a lot when we remember him--Grandpa would want to be remembered laughing not with tears. Grandpa believed in making the most out of every situation--tears were not going to change it!!

I'm sure he would be so disappointed if I didn't share the verse that meant so much to him during his last couple of years:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee:

be not dismayed; for I am thy God:

I will strengthen thee:

yea, I will help thee;

yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand

of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10

There would be so much more I could say--so much he taught me. Really valuable lessons we could learn from but that is enough for now. Remember: "EVERYDAY is gift---use it well."

WE MISS YOU DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!