Saturday, October 31, 2020

Greg Swartz- My Grandpa

How do you actually start a blog
about losing someone that you loved dearly ?

I asked myself this question over 100 times.
I wrote some and then deleted it several times. 

My heart aches. 
Like ripped out of my chest pain
that I have not truly felt in several years.
Grief has many stages.
Each phase comes when it pleases 
and effects everyone differently.
I have cried buckets of tears.
I go back and forth with genuine shock.
I have had angry emotional fits.
All of the 'what ifs' taking up
my every thought.
If I just shouted
"I LOVE YOU"
as loud as possible would he hear me?
I wish I would have said this 
or asked him that. 
Thanked him more. 
Hugged him more.
Let him know I was grateful 
to have grown up having him in my life.
Tell him that I loved him more.

My head has been swirling.
Conversations I had with him.
Things he did.
The way he smiled.
His laugh.
His personality.
Our family memories.

In these last few weeks I have gone
through literally thousands of photos.
This man had a FULL LIFE!
He had many loving titles. 
Son-Brother-Friend-Husband-
Father-Grandpa-Great Grandpa

I am so very thankful for 
these pictures. 
Every Single one of them.


And because these pictures
have given me so much comfort, joy,
and healing, I am going to share them.
Like a ton!
Over several blogs, so get readyπŸ’–

*They are not in order*


                             
                                         











                           









                                 
                                   


                         

                                        
                                      
                           




                             







                             

                              



                             










I am so very grateful for all of these beautiful memories.
I am thankful these moments were captured 
and I am able to share them with my children.

*The next few posts will be all pictures*










Wednesday, September 16, 2020

How About A Little Quarantine Project Smash-Up-Part 1


 Quarantine has been rough,
like really rough and long.
Am I right?
The other day our
family was talking about the + and -.
They are always there in 
every situation.

Everyone agreed that one
of our HUGE pluses was all
the projects we have been 
able to check off our list✅

We've been in some form 
of lock down, aka quarantine 
since March 15th.
That is quite a bit of time
for pretty big projects!

So lets do a mash-up
starting with the outsideπŸ˜€

We started with the garden.







It was extremely fruitful and we
all very much enjoyed it. 
We are already planning next years!

We  also put a ton of work into the front yard as well🌷🌼




Next my bearded man added a roof to our deck.
In 12 years of living here we have never used 
the deck much!



He got a fancy diamond sander for
a fresh stain coat.





Before πŸ™ˆ

After πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ˜πŸ˜


It is so dreamy out there!

Derek recently finished a pretty big project
in the front that he has been planning for 
quite some time.

Before πŸ™ˆ

After πŸ™ŒπŸ™ŒπŸ™Œ
Gorgeous new gate and 
beautiful brick sidewalk😍




                                                                           New stoop too!

                                                                        We live on a hill.
I love driving past our house.πŸ˜„


Needless to say I am in L😍VE!

He did such an amazing jobπŸ’–

Thank God Lowes stayed open!