Baby Picture Sunday

Today's theme is Feels like Spring for Baby Picture Sunday. So today I am actually not featuring a child in my Baby Picture Sunday, but the picture differently says the Spring is almost here...

When I saw these California Poppies in my grandma yard the other day, I knew that Spring is coming. They are beautiful. My grandfather planted a bunch of them years ago and they still come back in the spring.

In Remembrance

Just wanted to let you know that I still think about you everyday!

I really miss your smile and talking to you. Chase and Cody still talk about you. We miss you.

Forrest E. DeFrate - PAPA

April 28, 1923 - October 14, 2008

I wish you were here with us everyday!

Writer's Workshop

Mama Kate has a writer's workshop going on today and I am going to play along with a couple of the assignments.

The first assignment #3 .) Tell us about Grandpa.(inspired by Heather at The Extraordinary Ordinary)

I lost my grandpa in October. He was a wonderful man and I miss him everyday. When the boys and I do things like feed the ducks at a local lake, it reminds me of him and how much he loved life and what life had to offer. He had a wonderful life with a beautiful wife and 3 children, 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. He had a way that he would befriend anyone, everyone was his friend and he would stop to talk to anyone, especially children. Toddlers in the grocery shopping cart was his favorite people to talk to he would always ask them about their shoes and he could always get them to talk. I miss him everyday as do many people.

#4 Which appliance in your home would you most miss living without if you had to live without.(inspired by Amy at Escape Into My Thoughts)

My Crockpot - Oh my gosh. I use this at least 3 -4 times a week for dinner. I love that our dinner is completely finished when I walk in the door from work. I wouldn't know what to do without it. I think my family would just starve! I don't have a fancy one with the digital clock on it. Mine was a wedding gift it has a little turning knobby. I put it on a timer so my food doesn't over cook. Oh I love it! The meat comes out so good and tasty and the vegetables are delicious.

I have done my assignment for the week have you? Go over by clicking the top button and browse through the options and see what you come up with.

Writer's Workshop: #4

Once again thought I would do some writing along with MamaKat - Writer's Workshop:

The Prompts:

1.) Define goodness...joy...sorrow...and anger using pictures you've taken.

2.) Tomorrow I will do it differently. Here's how...

3.)Describe a 'sound' from your childhood. What was it? When did you hear it? What does it bring to mind?

4.) I remember when...

5.) Right now is the best time to start. What's your first step?

I remember when I was riding around on my grandfather's tractor on the property when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I would sit upon his lap and "help" him steer the tractor, move dirt or brush. One day, we were riding around on the tractor moving dirt by the garage. The edge of the bucket on the tractor hit the top of the garage and went through the wall. Now, my grandfather says to me " oh no, we just crashed, don't go in and tell grandma." Well that all it took for a 6 year old, that liked to tattle tail, to hop off the tractor and run as fast as I could into the house to tell my grandma that papa had crashed into the garage. She thought that he was hurt or it was a major crash. My grandma ran outside with me and obsessed the situation. Which was nothing that her 6 year old grandchild was describing to her. It ended up having about a 12"x1" whole in the side of the garage. No one was hurt or anything.

My grandfather still to the day that he died love to tell that story. He would get this huge grin on his face and show with his arms how I was running, so fast into the house. I remember this of my grandfather and it brings a smile to my face every time!

Happy Birthday Papa

Today would have been my grandfather's 86th birthday. We lost him back in October but the pain is still very strong. Everyday I think of something that I want to tell him. Everyday when I look at my boys I remember that they will never know their great-grandfather the way that I remember him. But they do remember him in little ways.

The other day Chase, Cody and I were eating at Taco Bell and a gentleman that looked simular, same white/silver hair and size, to my papa walked in the door, I really didn't notice it, but the boys yelled out "There's Papa!" I quickly looked up and said "No, that is not Papa". The boys went on to eating but it got me thinking that they probably wonder what happened to him. I never did explain anything to them because I didn't think at 2 years old that they would understand.

So I just wanted to wish a Happy Birthday to you Papa. We miss you. I know that you are looking down on all of us and smiling.

Weekend Update

What a weekend we had. Let's start with Friday.

On Friday, Grammy and I made stew for 150 people. I needed to make the stew for my grandfathers memorial the next day, so I had asked Grammy to come and help me put it together. We ended up peeling and cutting 20 pounds of potatoes, we use 5 pounds of baby carrots, 5 pounds of celery, a big bag of frozen corn and peas, and 15 pounds of stew meat. We were exhausted after the day of making this stew. I had two roaster pans of stew, which turned out too be way too much. I decided to start the roasters about 8pm and let them cook all night so they would be ready in the morning at 8am. After doctoring it up a little with some broth, beef gravy and some flour it was all very good. I think on Friday night I was in bed by 8:45pm. I know Grammy and Pop went home and took a nap. Thanks again for helping me on Friday!!

So Saturday we get up and head to the memorial to set up everything. We also run to Costco to get the rest of the food for the services. It starts at 11am everything is ready to go. The place looks awesome and Papa really would of had a good time seeing all of his good friends. Grandma did really well. The service and remembrances lasted about an hour and then we eat and partied! It was everything that my grandfather would have wanted. It was nice to be able to say goodbye. I still feel that he is going to answer the phone or just be at his house but I guess I will always feel like that.

Sunday we took the 7 great-grandchildren for Christmas pictures at Sears. Oh what fun that was. Here is 7 kids under 6 - getting their pictures taken. First Sears was having difficulty's with the camera, and then the younger kids didn't want to sit still or have pictures taken at all. In the end we got 2 poses that we liked and that was good enough for us. After that Amy, Jacob, Uncle Steve, Allyson, and Brynnah came up to our house for a visit. Chase and Cody get along very well with Allyson and Brynnah they had so much fun!

I wanted to tell Nancy and Dennis thank you for watching the kids on Saturday for me. It helped a bunch and I really appreciate it. Thanks again.

Favorite Song

Chase and Cody have a new song that they like to sing. We were watching CMT "Crossroads" where Taylor Swift and Def Leepard were performing together. Chase and Cody really liked and started to sing "Pour some sugar on me". It was very cute!

Today is a difficult day for me. We honor my grandfather in memories, his favorite food and a lot of family and friends. I will let you know how it was next week throughout my posts. The other thing is that my grandma is leaving tomorrow for Montana to be with her sons (my uncles) for a couple of months. That is self is very difficult for me as my grandma is more like a mom.

I am very sad today.

Miss You

I really miss my Papa. I miss everything about him.

I miss the way he answered the phone everytime I called my grandparents house (which was a few times a day). He would answer it Good Morning or Good Afternoon and he would always say Howdy somewhere in the beginning of the conversation.

I miss his smile.

The way that he had a way of getting on my nerves about issues but now I wish he would continue to get on my nerves because I miss him so much.

I miss that my sons will never remember how much their great-grandfather loved and admired them. Everyday he wanted to know a special story or something about the boys.

Tomorrow is the services for him and I guess life will go on after that and they say that we will start healing from our loss. But I doubt I will ever stop missing my wonderful Papa.

My Papa

Born in San Diego, CA on April 28, 1923. He grew up in San Diego, riding his bike and playing in fields that are now buildings. He became a big brother when he was 12 years old to Barbara, who has since passed away. He went to San Diego High School but never graduated due to a little war called World War II. He served in the Army over in Europe. As a mechanic in the service he repaired airplanes.

He came home and married his long time girlfriend, Dorothy. They were married on April 21, 1946. Papa worked as a mechanic for the local chevy dealership in San Diego. He also worked in his fathers shop downtown San Diego before it was taken over where the Horton Plaza sits now. Papa and grandma moved to Jamul, CA in the far east county and began to raise there family. They had 3 children, 2 boys and a girl.

Papa loved to be around people and have parties. The more kids there were the better. He would always stop in the grocery store and talk to all the babies. They would always smile for him. He just had a way with babies. His favorite food was soup and coffee. He also liked ice cream and cookies.

Papa touched every life that ever came to know him. We miss you and love you.

Papa - I Love you

As I sit here in tears, I want to inform you that my grandfather passed away this afternoon. He was very much apart of my life and our memories will always be with me. He left this world with his family close by to a more peacful place. He is now with my mom and they are both looking over the family and all of our tears. He has left behind a wife, 2 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws, 7 grandchildren, 11 great-children, nieces and nephews, and many many lifelong friends that will all miss him very much.

I will do a picture dedication and a memory lookback throughtout that days, weeks and months to come.

I will always love you papa...you are the best grandfather a granddaughter could ask for.