Grandpa Gary

Once again it's been months since I've updated this but that's because I knew the next post was going to be the hardest one I would write. I've been thinking about this post, deciding how to tell you, what to say and which pictures to share. But seeing as you will be here in the next four weeks (EEK) I knew it was time.


I want to introduce you to your Grandpa Gary:

Grandpa Gary was your dad's dad and boy was he a pistol. He had a list of jokes that he could live off of for years! In fact the very first thing he said to me was "Well you aren't the blonde Geoff was with last week!" (Your father once loved blondes, but he saw the light...) I didn't know how to take that but when the rest of the family groaned I learned very quickly what a jokester he was. 

His very favorite joke hands down had to be: "Do you know what I heard? Sheep." I will let your father explain that one to you. 

Grandpa Gary had a passion for sports, in fact, I'm not sure passion is even a good enough word for it. He lived to watch his kids play, coach, ref. 

Your dad and I hadn't been dating long when I took this picture. Uncle Lucas was a senior in high school and got to play a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium, home of the KC Royals. Grandpa G was so proud watching his son on a big league field.

Grandpa Gary was an awesome coach, according to his many former players I met. He coached the Mean Green Team, a football team for decades. In fact, even after he no longer coached he kept all the equipment in the basement, tons of play books and pads and helmets. He was so proud of all his kid's accomplishments.

Your Aunt Jenna's softball team won the state softball championship her junior year and it's hard to tell from this picture who is more excited- her or Grandpa Gary. :) He'd be at all her softball games, he'd go watch Lucas coach his many sports teams, he'd even spend all day out at your dad's softball tournaments, sometimes staying longer than me! He truly was a sports fan, Mizzou, Cardinals, you name it.

Another thing Gary loved to do was dance- clear the floor at weddings- he was the headline!

 Your Grandpa could bust a move. You can see the circle of people standing around watching.

The second time I spent some time with him was at a family member's wedding reception and he was out there holding his own to a Nelly song (you will learn to appreciate Nelly someday when you are much much older). He could make anyone smile while he danced.






















                                 Grandpa Gary above all else was a family man.

Your dad, aunt and uncle threw a surprise 25th wedding anniversary party for your Grandma and Grandpa Karr a few years ago and the shocked look on his face when he walked in was priceless. It took him a good 10 minutes to realize it was all for them.


Now, as much of a jokester and coach as he was, Grandpa Gary had a very soft spot for his kids and family. Weddings, babies and graduations really got to him. He wasn't afraid to let his emotions show, a characteristic I always secretly admired about him.

 

At our wedding he was crying, he couldn't make it through Lucas and Tori's either.

He loved his kids so much. I've heard from many people how much he would talk about his three kids. Even when I first started my job at KOMU he was so proud of me- he would introduce me to people then go on and on about how I got that job before I'd even graduated. 

Grandpa Gary got two daughter-in-laws in the last couple of years and your Aunt Tori and myself were thrown right into the mix of the Karr family. We were teased just as much as the other "kids"- he always got me whenever I'd say "We'll come up and see you soon" "Come up? Come up? Lauren, Jeff City is DOWN from Columbia". Ha. 

Grandpa Gary was also very fond of all the little ones around- he loved his great nieces and nephews. He'd take them to feed the cows, or play in the yard or just tease them till they'd run away. 

Holding baby Adalyn

This is the part that makes me sad. Because I see this picture of him and Adalyn and I'm just so sad I won't get to see him holding you.

Last summer Grandpa Gary got sick. For awhile they couldn't figure out what was wrong. Once we finally knew what was making him so sick it was too late to fix. Your Grandpa Gary passed away on August 31, 2011. Mommy and Daddy were very sad along with the rest of the family but sometimes God works in mysterious ways. We spent a a good week in Jefferson City with your Dad's family, looking through pictures, telling stories and eating, lots and lots of eating. It really made the family closer, I personally left feeling much more part of the family than I ever had.

The day we said goodbye could not have been more beautiful.

We all got to send notes to Grandpa Gary on these pretty balloons- my note to him was of course- about you. Remember me saying God works in mysterious ways? He does. You see, even though he is gone now- Grandpa Gary left knowing you were coming.

Your Dad and I found out about you in late August. We were going to wait to tell the whole family a little later but something told me we should just tell him. After Geoff told him you were coming Grandpa Gary cried. The last words he ever said to me were "I'm happy for you two". I've never told anyone that before. Makes me tear up thinking about it. He passed away two days later. 

The other day your Dad was telling me he was a little sad that we wouldn't have a picture of you and Grandpa Gary and then I remembered something. 

This:

We took this picture right before I left for NYC. So even though NONE of us knew it yet- you were there with us! You are a part of this picture. It will be in your nursery.

So that's the story of your Grandpa Gary, he is still missed every single day. Each holiday and birthday, each beautiful day, each day we are at a baseball game, or when the Cardinals won the World Series, and the Mizzou Tigers beat the kU jayhawks (all teams we will talk about later)- he was missed. 

People talk about how sad it is that he died so early, how much he is going to miss out on. Yes it is sad but I prefer to look at all the great things he witnessed in the last three months of his life.

He got to watch his baby girl graduate high school:

He got to watch his middle son marry his high school sweetheart:

And he knew you were on the way.




Even though Grandpa Gary isn't here with us anymore doesn't mean he isn't going to be a part of your life. We will make sure you know all about him and learn (some of) his jokes.


I'm sorry he won't be here to teach you things and to physically cheer you on but you do have an amazing grandpa and two wonderful grandmas waiting for you. You will learn more about them in a later post.


You have so many people waiting for you here to love you so we will see you in a few weeks Little Miss!