My Grandpa Gil

My first vivid memory of Grandpa Gil that I have was when I was a small child, probably 9 years or so after he and Grandma got married. They lived in California so we only got to see them once or twice a year. I looked so forward to those visits. At first he seemed so elusive to me, a new grandpa to get to know. I was very drawn to him and wanted him to love me. I would follow him around and ask him to do things and listen to things, but he was very busy visiting with the grown ups and didn't seem to have much time to get to know me. I observed that he was gone every morning when I got up. Pretty close to stalking him I guess! I waited until he got back and asked him where he had been. He made some comment about it being none of my business with a grin in the corner of his mouth. I asked again anyway and he told me that he went to breakfast every morning. I thought great! My ticket to alone time with him! I asked if I could come and he said no, because I wouldn't be able to get up that early. That was that until, I got up at 5:30 am and sat on the front porch waiting for him! At about 6 am he came out and looked at me with surprise, then grinned, and said "come on, let's go!" Grandpa Gil took me to a breakfast diner and bought me pancakes and juice. He read his paper and we talked. I felt so special and knew that I had gained a little respect from him that day. After that our friendship began to grow.

Later when I was 12, Grandma and Grandpa invited Tiffany Crum and I to go to Canada with them. That trip is very dear to my heart. I was able to get to know my Grandpa even more and see how much he loved my Grandma. He made her laugh and treated her like a princess. Tiff and I loved every minute.

The last few years I was lucky enough to have Grandma and Grandpa move to Utah. We were able to have Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners together, birthday parties and BBQ's. Grandpa always had a joke to tell or a story. My children love him as I do. He was so strong and lived an amazing life. On his birthday last year, he helped pilot an airplane one last time. My family and I were not at the airport but waiting in the same town, in my yard watching the sky. We got the call that he was headed our way and the kids starting jumping up and down. They were so proud of him! We heard the engine and he raced over our heads as we waved and shouted to him. What a guy!

Yesterday, Grandpa took a different kind of flight back to his eternal home, after he served almost a 100 year mission here on earth. Grandpa, I love you. I hope you are enjoying your friends and family that you have missed. I hope you have your own jet in a private hanger and that your next adventure will be just as grand. Don't forget to leave the porch light on for the rest of us.