It is hard to write about how much you love someone. But I love my Grandpa. So I decided to write down a few of the things that I love about him and a few memories as well.
What I love about my Grandpa:
- He is tall! We all get our "tall genes" from him, and I love it. (Being tall is a blessing in my eyes.) I always look up to him, literally and figuratively. I will always be his granddaughter, and he will always be my grandpa. I look up to him in so many ways.
- He is also strong. Hugging him is the best because you feel like you are hugging a strong and immovable person. And that's how he is with the gospel. A rock.
- He is athletic. Our family is passionate about sports because of his enthusiasm--especially in basketball. We love the Lakers! Grandpa was always a star athlete in both football and basketball. He played for the University of Utah in Salt Lake, and took them to win the National Championship. He has the gold jacket to prove it.
- He seems to know everything and always has great advice. He is always your cheerleader and never your critic.
- He has the SOFTEST feet. I've only seen them a couple of times because he always wears socks and is very ticklish. Thank you Grandpa for giving me good, sturdy, and yes, large feet. I have great balance because of it.
- He is loving. My Grandpa loves every one of us and shows it. He treats my grandma like a queen (because she is one). He takes interest in every one of his grandchildren's lives. He comes to our games, listens when we ramble, hugs us when we need comfort and tells us that he loves us. A greater grandpa could not exist.
- He is always a great example and blesses our lives. His service as a Mission President blessed our family beyond measure. He is a constant advocate for missionary efforts and has set a wonderful example for all the grandchildren to serve a faithful, full-time mission.
- His wink-and-a-smile, then a hug. :)
- I was his first grandchild. I called him Barry.
- For Christmas one year, I received "West Side Story." I was so excited to watch it. I brought it with me to Grandma and Grandpa's house, but no one wanted to watch it with me. Except Grandpa. He watched the whole movie with me and was so patient, even though I'm sure watching a musical wasn't on the top of his list. Thank you Grandpa. I've never forgotten it.
- Grandpa loves See's Bordeauxs. And of course, with little kids running around, they needed to be protected. He used to hide a box in one of their bathroom drawers at the MacMillan Ranch house. Somehow, I discovered them. I took one. Maybe more. Grandpa caught me one time. I was sure that I was in trouble. Instead, he oped the box for me and told me to take one with a smile on his face. Thank you for sharing your candy with me. It is a sweet treasure I will always remember.
- When I was about twelve or thirteen our entire family flew to Hawaii. We acquired many local souvenirs including a ukulele. One night in the hotel room, Grandpa let us play dress up with him. We put mom's straw hat on his head and other Hawaiian knick-knacks. He picked up the ukulele and strutted around the room playing and being silly. We laughed and laughed. Thank you for playing with us.
- We took another family trip a year or so later. This time to Montana. It was certainly a road trip to remember. One day we went horseback riding. Grandpa used to be a jockey in his childhood. His horse's name was Weinerbug. The guide told us to stay in a line on the trail. But Grandpa liked to go off the trail. haha. I can still picture him whistling and wandering off the trail between the trees. He looked like a cowboy, and all the while the guide was saying, "Sir? Sir, please stay on the trail." haha.
- At the halfway point of the ride, we stopped in a clearing and got off the horses for a few minutes. Lina, my littlest sister, was about three or four maybe. She was standing next to me while Grandpa was talking to us. All of a sudden, Grandpa rapped Lina's forehead with his palm. Lina staggered back a little, a look of "why did Grandpa hit me?" on her face. haha. She had a big mosquito on her forehead. Grandpa killed it before it could bite her. Thank you Grandpa for protecting us from bugs.
- Grandpa is an awesome Ping Pong player. He plays with his left-hand so you can win. But watch out, as soon as he switches the paddle to his right hand, it's all over. He can't be beat. I visited Grandma and Grandpa on their mission in Singapore for the first time in my senior year of high school. It was so fun to play with him and watch him beat the missionaries on P-Day. They all respected him, even more probably because he would join in the fun with them. While some of the missionaries played Squash, Grandpa and I sat on the bench dying from all the heat and humidity. Grandpa told me how beautiful I was and that the general missionary behavior on this P-Day was definitely different since I was there. And now who knows if that was true, but it sure made me feel good! Thank you Grandpa for always boosting my self-esteem :)
- On my second trip to Singapore, Grandpa took us out to a fabulous dinner by the ocean. The restaurant was outdoors on the boardwalk, decorated with a canopy and lanterns, right next to the ocean and a little down from the Merlion statue. It was the most awesome restaurant I have ever been to. Everything was decadent and so delicious. We ate crab and lobster and so many other yummy items. Of course, all the menus were in Mandarin. We didn't understand the prices. What we thought was the price for the whole lobster, was actually the price per pound. So when Grandpa got the bill, we realized why the tiny little waitress had brought out the live lobster and crab to show us before they cooked them. They wanted to sell us the biggest crustaceans they had. Well, we ate them. And they were delicious. After the shock of the bill wore off a little, we laughed and laughed. Grandpa said he wasn't going out to eat again until Grandma had her contacts in. haha. Grandma laughed and laughed. Then we realized she had on two different shoes. We laughed and laughed. Everything was funny at this point. We came to the street to get in line for a taxi. Everyone takes taxis in Singapore. But Grandpa saw that there were two BMW taxis that we could take. "What the heck," he said, "Let's go home in style!" haha. Thank you Grandpa for the most delicious, and expensive, meal/taxi ride of our lives.
Go #54!
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