A year ago today, my dad got off work, jumped on his motorcycle, and started heading towards his home. A few days before, he came over to see my kids before we would take off on a surprise trip to Disney. We ate dinner and the kids had a jam session with their PawPaw on our toy piano, guitar, drums, and microphone. They sang a lot of songs, made up some songs, and of course sang my dad's favorite, "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog" (the Grandpa Version). He made plans with the kids and myself to start trying to come over after work once every other week for dinner and jam sessions, unfortunately that night was the last one we had with him. We don't know what happened. There were no real witnesses, at least none that stuck around. Did an animal dart across the highway? Did a car not pay attention, not look twice, and come over into his lane and then drive off? Do they even know they killed someone? For some reason, while traveling down the highway, my dad slammed on the brakes of his motorcycle and lost complete control. The skid marks showed that he tried to gain it back, but never recovered. He and the bike hit the highway. My dad was wearing his helmet, but the impact was just too much. The bike was totaled and he was gone.
Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes. That's how many minutes you have missed over the last year.
Weston is still just as skinny as ever. He is crazy wild, as in NEVER stops moving! I think he is going to be our sports star :) He loves running, and he is QUICK! He can already dribble a soccer ball better than his big brother and sister! He is a fish too. He loves the water, has no fear of it. Jumps off the diving board, sticks his head under the water, everything!
Hilton played his first season of t-ball and soccer. He can hit the ball pretty well off of the tee and he almost scored a goal in his very last soccer game, but I think he is going to be more like Aylin when it comes to sports. He says he liked both okay but really wants to play football! So when he is old enough we are going to let him try that out. He loves going to his preK 2 days a week and is a super sweet kid. He says he is going to be a firefighter when he grows up! He participated in his first young men's training class at church, he memorized a verse and a song to lead in front of a group. His daddy finally took him fishing, he loved it and can't wait to go again. And he is turning into a big Razorback fan, just like you would have wanted! He asks about you quite often, he still loves motorcycles and plays with the one you got him a lot.
Aylin, you would have been so proud of her this sports season! She improved so much in softball! She got a hit almost every time and she fielded a couple of grounders! With soccer, she has learned how to use her big kick and she is trying to become aggressive, but I'm not to sure that the aggression is ever going to come - lol. She is doing great in 2nd grade, really improving with her reading skills and becoming more confident. She is still doing the theatre thing. (I'm dealing with it-LOL!-really trying to embrace it, promise) Everyone says she looks like you and she randomly busts out singing Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog (your version of course) all the time!
I coached both Aylin's and Hilton's soccer teams, so I guess I am officially back into that like you wanted. I finally went to the DR about my BP, and they put me on medicine :( Bobby is still preaching at Southaven, we are starting on our 10th year here! Things are going great :)
We went and visited grandma a couple of times; I think Grandma really misses you the most. :( Uncle Tony and Uncle Mike are taking good care of her. When we visited with Uncle Tony and Aunt Sheila, Hilton was really struggling with the fact that Uncle Tony was your big brother and Great Granny was your mom - lol! He was hilarious sitting there arguing with them. He just might have a little of that hard headedness that you passed on to me ;)
The kids had a great first trip to Disney! I introduced them to your man, Figment, and we bought one for all the grandkids to have as a reminder of you. We had the most amazing first day, it was perfect in every way until that night after the Christmas parade, standing behind Cinderella's castle in the middle of the firework show of all places, when we found out you had died. We got mom back on a plane the next morning so she could get home to Tessa. She and Tessa held it all together and stayed strong through everything. They are still doing well, although we still haven't got Tessa back to college. Richard and J and kids are doing great too, but we miss them being close by. Bobby and I are trying to sell our house, we don't want to move away or anything, just want a little bit more space. We took the kids back to the Little Red and I told the kids about the first time you took me fishing, they seemed to really like that story. Hilton says he wants you to take him fishing too! :( Uncle Tony said he would take him fishing and hunting for you, he would be a PawPaw! I'm sorry that Weston doesn't get to know you, but glad that Aylin and Hilton have some memory of you, all good ones too!
We miss your goofiness.
