July 19th - a day to celebrate two lives.

Well, as excited as I've been with Elaine turning 1, I must also think about something else significant that happened on Thursday. My grandfather, Robert Frost, 88 years old, passed away that evening. I guess in a way it's kind of neat that Elaine got to meet him and bring some joy to him and my grandma in his final year, and there's something uplifting about thinking about new life on a day we are forced to let go of someone else.

In a strange way, it's almost my yearly reminder that life cannot be planned.  We can't predict how birth will happen.  A year ago, I will never forget when the nurse told me Elaine was breech, and that we were going to have to change gears and do a c-section.  And a year later to the day, I'll always remember the phone call from my mom saying he was gone.  No matter how much we plan, we really have to surrender control to a higher power.

As I prepare the eulogy for his funeral that my grandma asked me to deliver, I am reminded of all the fun memories I have of my grandpa.  Here we are at a summer picnic at my parent's house a few years ago.

I even found this photo of us hugging after Eric and I got married!

This HAS to be one of my favorites, it's him dancing at my wedding with my closest friends!  I just love the look on his face. 

Here is one of the times he and Elaine met over the last year.  It is strange to think how these two are now tied together in this day of remembrance.

One more photo of us together makes me smile to recall how much he meant to us.  We will miss you, Grandpa.