A Trip Home

If you know me well, you know I am from Ohio.  It a simple fact.  I mean my email address had been Ohiogrlatheart for over 10 years now. I love everything about Ohio but I have my crazy favorites which usually have to do with some kind of food.  Donatos pizza(I can get a taste at the Air and Space Museum), Grater's ice cream(my loving brother usually brings a few out with him when he visits), Tim Horton's(OMG coffee and donuts!).  See I love food, there are reasons I still have the baby weight from all 3 kids.  BUT my favorite things in Ohio are my family.  My parents, my brothers, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, they are all there.  Six hours between me and most of them.  It is crazy that I am so far from them since I grew up seeingmost of them weekly/monthly.  I have a huge family on my mothers side, I mean she is # 14 in her family!  14!!!!  My fathers side is a little more managable, he is the youngest of 2!  And it is my father's family that I NEED to be with right now.

My Grandfather passed away on Sunday morning...and I now am in the car on a 6 hour drive to be with my family.  Grandpa was older, lived a long life, was an amazing man...you know all the cliques.  But he was my Grandfather and I wasn't ready for that phone call.  I selfishly wanted to be able to make a happy trip home with my little kiddos to visit, to hear his stories(for the 100th time), give him a big hug and kiss.  Tell him again how much I love him.

See he's not a "blood" grandfather to me.  My Dad adopted me when I was 5, he and my Mom had been married for 2 years then.  My biological father wasn't around.  I wanted to have the same name as my Mom and Dad.  My Dad's family was amazing during all of the adoption.  I had already been calling them Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt and Uncle.  I just had a piece of paper that said they really were "legally" those titles to me!  I was NEVER treated as anything but theirs, I have NEVER known anything but their unconditional love. 

I have some awesome memories that I have shared with my kids.  Some of them my Dad has shared the same memories with my kids, like a ride on the tractor lawn mower, LOVED that!  Touring the firestation that he worked at, all 5 of his grandchildren has the memory of sitting in a ladder truck and "driving" and how he would turn on the siren just long enough to make us jump.  Parades were pretty fun too.  Grandpa had this "old car", it was a '57 Dodge, bench seats, NO seat belts, that he would drive in local parades.  I think it over heated and stalled more than it made it through the whole parade route!  Anyway, I was the only grandkid to get to drive it!  I was 14...it was going to be our little secret.  He told Grandma as soon as we walked back into the house!!!!  I got into so much trouble!  Yup, you read that right!  I got grounded!  Grandpa just didn't keep secrets fom Gandma, period.  Maybe that is why the have been together all these years!  I know I looked to them as a model of what a good marriage was.  I think I made a good choice in my husband he has many of Grandpa's traits.

I am looking forward to telling and hearing all the stories of my Grandfather.  I look forward to the warm embrace of my Grandmother and of my parents.  I can't wait to see my kids play with their cousins and to be able to hang out with my cousins.  It is just what the Dr ordered for this broken heart of mine.  I love you Grandpa, rest in peace.