10.18.2010

{ Blue has never been bluer. }

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On Friday, October 8th my grandpa passed away. It was a very sad day. The phone rang, I picked up the phone to hear my very sad and tearful father on the other end of the phone, "Amber....", he didn't have to say it....I already knew. I knew this day was coming, but I just wasn't ready for it. It saddened my heart to hear my dad in so much grief and pain.
Spencer had been home from school sick that day, he was there when I hung the phone up. I could see the urgency in his eyes as he watched me talking to my dad. I hung up the phone, "Is it Grandpa Strickland?" he asked. I gave him a hug and told him yes, it was Grandpa Strickland. He walked outside to get some air and I followed him. We sat on the rocking chair of the front porch and cried together. He told me what he remembered of Grandpa.
At the funeral they had balloons for all the grandkids and great-grandkids to release in the air. It was a beautiful sight to such a sad day....

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The little kids were all hopping up and down holding on to their balloon saying, "My balloon is going to get to Grandpa first!". It was sweet.

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The funeral was beautiful. My cousin Kristi gave a wonderful speech, that brought a few smiles from the memories she was speaking of and a few tears knowing that he is gone from this world.
After the funeral the church had a dinner for all of the family. The kids (all of the great-grandkids) were all running around playing in the gym after the dinner. It made me smile. I remember all of the Christmas family get togethers we had growing up,running around and playing with all of my cousins. We (myself and my cousins) have all grown up now and most of us have children of our own. It brought happiness to see the kids playing as we did when we were younger.

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Even the "big kids" joined in on the fun of running around laughing and playing....

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