Celebrating Grandpa's Life

The day after Christmas we woke up at 2:30 am. Yes, thats AM as in 2:30 in the morning (and thats after going to bed after 11...we are crazy!!) to get on a flight to California. It started off a bit rough when Cade started crying on the plane before take off. Its 5:50am mind you, everyone is snoozing, its dead silent except for a little kid close to us making little noises. Cade was so tried, and when he gets tired he gets so fidgety and keeps turning and graping everything. He started crying and wouldnt take a bottle or binky. It probably wasnt really too long but it felt like forever. Thankfully he fell asleep and was out for a good 40 minutes. I loved just holding him asleep. I dont do that much at home. So it was really nice. 

We landed in Las Vegas and got off to get on our next plane. We had a whole row to ourselves! So nice! I buckled Cade in next to me by the window. He looked so big sitting there in his own seat while he opened his little plastic fish book. It was my happy moment of the day! So cute! This flight was much better. More room and happier baby!

Mom and Kristen picked us up at the airport and we headed to grandmas. We rested there and both got a good nap until it was time for my Grandpa Garfields funeral service. It started with going to my Aunt Kakalas house. With almost all my cousins, 4 aunts and 4 uncles, we headed up to the park to take family pictures. Here are a few pictures of us on our way up to the park.

Uncle Paul

Uncle Marky

walking up the hill to get to the place we were taking pictures

After pictures we went to the church and had our traditional white elephant game. Every year at my grandpas, we would get together with my moms side of the family and play the white elephant game. My grandpa always contributed the best gifts..always some cool gaget or electronic.  The rules were that after three steals it was safe and you could keep it. Oh and no crying :) It was always a fun time. So we played that game. I wish I had pictures but I was taking care of Cade most of the time and didnt really get to be there. But I did get an awesome (creepy) clown cup and a little kids art set ha :)

Then it was dinner and the memorial service. My grandpa wanted to be cremated so it was not a traditional kind of service. We had an opening song and prayer by my uncle Kevin. It was a beautiful prayer that really touched me. And then my Mom and Aunt Kristina shared what they learned from my grandpa. It was funny and sweet. My grandma died when they were all just kids and my grandpa had to raise 4 girls and 1 boy by himself. He was always a jokester and was just his own kind of person. He loved raising animals and had lots of them! He had a unique laugh and loved to use it :) All the grandchildren sang a Child's prayer and we watched a video of my aunt Kim and uncle Jeff interviewing him. He had Alzheimer the last 10 years are so. He lived with aunt Katie and uncle Val and they took care of him...bless their hearts! Not an easy task at all!! I really respect them for doing that for him. 

One thing I never knew about my grandpa was that he got engaged to my grandma on his mission! They were both older....my grandma left after teaching a few years and my grandpa had already graduated college. They were in Tonga as teaching missionaries. Everyday after teaching they would meet (until 5 oclock and then they had to be back in the dorms) One day, 5 minutes to 5, he said to my grandma, "I have a plan. I think we should go back to the states, get married and you can teach for a few years." And she said, "I think that sounds like a good plan." And did they ever kiss before they got engaged? His response, "Heavens no!! We kept all the mission rules!" haha love my grandpa.

 I think the memorial service fit my grandpas style perfectly and I think he would have been very happy with it.  All of his children were married in the temple and are very faithful members. He wasn't perfect but he stayed faithful during his trial and his family has been so blessed because of it.  The happiest thing for all of us is to know he gets to be with his sweetheart after nearly 40 years of being apart!