Grandpa Great

 Scotts Grandpa, Ted Packard, passed away on January 25th 2022. Grandpa Great held a very special spot in all of our hearts. He was so kind and loving and made me feel loved, important, and wanted. Nobody made me feel as welcome as Great Great did. 

This was the first taste of death that kids had ever experienced. The younger boys were sad but did okay. Tayden cried a couple of minutes, but Beckett was crushed for days. He came home early from school once because he couldn't focus and often broke down.

The funeral was beautifully done, but again hard for Beckett. He must get his emotions from me. He sat next to me and cried on my shoulder the whole time. Losing Grandpa was hard for me, but watching my son struggle was gut-wrenching. Scott spoke and did a great job, but again watching him choke up pulled my heart out. I feel like I could be sad and take on the weight of the world if it means shielding my loved ones from pain. 

We knew it was going to be a long hard day, so we rented a hotel and let the kids swim after the funeral. Jeff and Sharlee and Matt and Jen and new baby Hunter came with us. It was a lot of fun and just what we needed after our rough day. 

I'm grateful for the legacy that Grandpa Great left behind and even though I'm an in-law, I get to reap the benefits of it. And more than ever, I'm grateful to know that we will get to be together again.