it's been a while, huh? well, i haven't been home much to be honest. and i don't exactly have my evenings the way i used to before hyde was born. but it's okay - i wouldn't trade it for the world. just means that some things don't happen as often as they used to. for a while anyway... eventually he'll go to sleep at 7:30 (or 8:30) when beth does and i'll have time to do things like this more often.
today my post is one i should have posted long ago when these pictures were taken. pictures of my grandma and grandpa from our time together in jackson hole last august. and let me just tell you right now, i have never known better people in my whole life than my grandparents. wise and kind, but also very cool, they exude love and give of themselves so freely. i've never met people who pass judgement on others less than they do, and they seem to have a genuine love and concern for anyone who crosses their path. that alone is one of the most amazing things about them. they love each other with a deep love and even though they often correct each other's stories (don't all old people do that?), you'll never see them fight or bicker or say one bad thing about the other. they have the ultimate relationship. the kind you see in movies. the kind everyone wants. the kind few are lucky enough to have. does it get better than them? i tell you, it does not. i don't know people more generous than they are - they're the kind of people who would take a stranger in and offer them everything they had if it would help another. they literally lead a life of service, and it's incredible.
one of my favorite pictures ever:
my grandpa totally rules the school. he's the kind of person you could sit and talk to for hours and hours, just listening to his stories and wisdom. he often tells of tales from his past, his youth, vigor and adventurous spirit filling his eyes again and marking them with a twinkle. i'd know that look anywhere. whenever he wears a hat he rests just on the top of his head and it lies a little bit crooked, which just makes it all the more endearing. though he's big and burly, he has the softest heart on the planet and isn't afraid to shed a tear or two, almost with the notion that if you feel it, there's no sense in hiding it. it's just honest. he gives the greatest hugs you'll ever get - the type where you just get lost in his warm strength and want to hold on forever. he's also taught me that when things get tough, you bow into the wind and press forward, knowing you'll come out tired, though much stronger, on the other side.
and my grandma... her bright blue eyes sparkle and warm your heart like nobody's business. she epitomizes unconditional, genuine love. there's always room at the table for one more in grandma's house and no one is ever a stranger. with amazing wit and perfect charm, my grandma keeps it light, keeps it real. the best of the best at putting things in perspective when you need it most and offering encouragement when you need that even more. her body may not be as young spry as it once was, but her spirit sure is, and i don't think there's much out there she would let slow that down. with a smile that comes easy and is cozy warm, you could talk to her about anything. somehow she seems to know what you need long before you do. patient and strong, selfless and kind, her wisdom shows through in her every deed. she is the utmost example of showing the pure love of Christ.
somehow this is the only picture i have of their faces from our time at the lake that day. but we have big plans for a photo shoot, don't we grandma and grandpa? :) where i hope to capture more of their story. maybe they'll let me share on here. i hope so.
i love you grams and gramps. you guys are the coolest grandparents ever. i know i say that a lot, but i mean it. for reals. thank you for being you, letting me be me, and loving me the way i am. maybe someday i'll be like you. i could only hope so....
