Sifting through grandpa's things

Dad dividing things

Most of Sunday we spent it out at grandpa's house - kids, gradkids and great-grandkids. It is that time - time to divide and conquer all of grandma and grandpa's things. Boy is it a chore.

I've done a lot already. Have been spending 2-3 days a week out at grandpa's helping mom and dad take things out of drawers, package up pictures and throw away what needs to be gotten rid of. Some of the pictures I am taking home, scanning and then burning onto CD's for all my cousins. That way we each have got our own collection of our family's picture heritage. I'm really excited to do this for eveyone, but it's going to be a lot of work. I honestly don't mind, though. Anything having to deal with pictures is a great joy to me.

So back to Sunday.

It took us 5 hours to get through about half of the things. And this was just stuff that we had already took out of drawers and closets and set out on the floor or tables. The rest we will do in two more weeks. There is just A LOT of stuff. Lots. And to me, it's all worth it.

Here is just some of grandma's stuff. I'm telling you, this is only a fraction. Grandma liked to shop. A lot. And she liked pretty things. A lot.

I have ran across old hand-written notes that grandma received from her friends, from myself when I was little, from my grandpa when they were in high school, and I want to read every single one of them as I go along. Call me sentimental. It's in my blood. Obviously. Otherwise they would have never kept those things to begin with. I just love it all. It's actually been a highlight in my life reading those things. I'm learning so much about my family, about my grandparents, and about their lives before I came along. I've learned that I have a lot to be proud of.

So kinda changing the story. There is another photographer in my family. Her name is Anissa. She is such a wonderful mom and photographer. She is my cousin, Matt's wife. I've gotten to know her really well these past couple of months. I hope that it is the beginning of a long-lasting friendship. (I've luckily gotten to know Matt a lot better, too - him and I were with grandpa a lot together in his last days - it's been great, guys, thank you!) We really have a lot in common. It seems like we are both genuine sensitive down-to-earth sentimental people (and we both come from po-dunk towns!). There sure aren't too many of us around.

Anissa and Matt with Miss Maia. They adore her to pieces. She is a magnet with that smile of hers. You just can't pass her up. I know I'm biased, but it's true!

So, Sunday, Anissa brought her camera. And Guess what it is?! A NIKON! Woo-hoo! So now we even have more to talk about! I just love finding out new things like that about people I thought I knew, but really did not know at all. So while at grandpa's, Anissa documented parts of the day. I'm really happy that she did. So thank you, darlin'.

So here is one of her pictures that she took of Maia and I. We're in the middle of picking cards and deciding who gets what of the furniture that is left. Even though we were separating all of our grandparents things, which is sad and difficult because it makes it all that much more real that grandpa is gone and not coming back, it's also enjoyable. It's an enjoyable time because we reminisced about our past and looked toward the future. Grandpa would have loved that.

Nobody wanted this couch --- anyone??? It is comfortable!

I'm not really sure my point . . . it's just that it was all so nice and good and I hope it continues to be. And through this process I am seeing more and more that I am thankful for. Like realizing that it's my grandma and grandpa that I get my sentimentality (is that a word??) from, and realizing that I have some lifelong friends in my family that I never thought were there before.

Oh, and Jerry, we are really happy that you feel comfortable enough to share your ducks! *giggle*