Happy Birthday Grandpa

Yesterday was my grandpa's 74th birthday.

This is him and his sidekick, Jackson.

Wherever Grandpa goes...Jackson goes.

All of my grandparents that I was born with are still living. I know, I am so unbelievably blessed.

However, I have only known one grandfather my entire life.

(My papaw died before I was born).

And I have to say... to a granddaughter, grandpa's are just special.

As I spoke to him on the phone yesterday, I was reminded of that.

Mama is an only child. So baby Bro and I are his only grandchildren.

I think it is safe to say he has spoiled us over the years :-)

My grandpa lives right outside of the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Tennessee area.

Kev traveled with us last spring to meet grandpa for the first time.

I was so emotional that trip.

All trips to Grandpa's are emotional.

His health is so fragile and I always pray every time we leave that this is not the last trip we take.

My mom is always emotional too. I swear she still has the same respect for her dad today as she did when she was 16. She lives to please him to this day. She is such a daddy's girl, just like me.

I think I mentioned it once before on here, but that trip last April is when I officially decided I wanted to blog.

I had been scoping out the bloggy world a bit and then on that trip in my grandpa's living room, I stumbled upon  Kate's blog. I was hooked in that instant on blogging. It was her blog, and and others similar, that captured all the little moments of the journey that is life that had me dying to do my own.

 I wanted to have my own piece of the Internet where I could capture my life for my friends and family to see.

And since I started blogging I have noticed I have paid so much more attention to the smaller details of life. The little moments in big events.

I wanted to capture every little instance of trips to grandpa's to have forever in my mind.

I don't want to forget any of it.

And now I get to have that  keepsake for me and for those closest to me to always reflect on.

Not to mention that I get to share them with all of you. I get to connect with hundreds of other awesome gals in this community that I can't believe I had been missing out on.

So maybe I owe it to Grandpa's house, for getting me starting. It was that trip that inspired it all.

I never blogged about that trip, I always waited for the right time.

I was afraid when I first started blogging I wouldn't stick to it.

I still don't get to do it as often as I would like, but life sometimes gets in the way....and that is more than OK.

So here are some photos I took way back when (last spring) that I thought I could use for a blog if I ever had the balls to do it. Gosh I am so glad i grew a pair :-)

Here ya go....

If there is one thing I can count on with visits to grandpa's it is that I am guaranteed to gain about 5lbs in that weekend. With no regrets of course.

KR was in shock over all the food ...hehe.

Ever since I can remember, no grandpa trip is complete without a root beer float.

And not just any root beer, Big K brand root beer.

And always, always, always in his Alvin and the chipmunks glasses.

This photo hangs in grandpa's house.

I remember my dad was too tall for the pic and he had to get down on his knee and they had to raise mom's stool. Look how adorable baby bro is. And mama's hair...wowza's. Just kidding mama.

And if there is one sound I can associate with Grandpa's house, it's the chimes of this old grandfather clock

We are traveling to Tennessee next weekend to see Grandpa.

Just mom, baby bro and I. Daddo has fishing plans and Kev is out of town for an annual guys trip.

Still, I am sooo looking forward to it.

We don't get to see Grandpa and Della nearly as often as we would like. We are usually limited to spring and summer due to Baby Bro's football schedule. However, we are so excited. I can't wait to spend time with him and the rest of the fam. Those types of trip and memories are priceless...and of course I will be blogging about it for a keepsake.

Again, Happy Birthday Grandpa!

I love you soooo very much.

Thank you for always making me realize how precious every second of life is.

Can't wait to see you in a week!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!