Papa Jim

I apologize for the delay in posting. I don't mean about the normal everyday stuff (although I should apologize for that too), but about the big news that has been happening in our lives. When I started my other blog She Runs Everywhere this blog took on a new meaning. I don't want to put importance on one vs. the other, but I admit that I post on my other blog a lot more frequently than this one. Anyway, I should have posted sooner about this, but I was wanting to wait until I got the pictures/slideshow ready. Anyway, enough excuses.....

In most recent news for our family, Jim's dad has passed away. We were completely shocked and unprepared. Ha! As if you ever are prepared. In many aspects we are used to not seeing Papa Jim (as he's always been affectionately called by our kids & us). This has helped in a practical sense. Especially for the children. Heck, Andrew doesn't even remember him & unfortunately Carmen never got to meet him in person. This breaks my heart as I grew up never knowing my grandpa either.

It's been quite a heart wrenching time. For a week or so my heart & spirit was very heavy with this news. Even as life moved on I just had this heaviness about me. I suppose that is the grief though. Slowly though that has lifted. I haven't cried in days, although at least once a day I feel like I am going to. I'm an emotional sap anyway so this squeeze on my heart makes me that more susceptible. Jim has handled this differently. We are such complete opposites, you know....I guess that's part of what makes us so great....we balance each other out.

Due to some circumstances Papa Jim was cremated and we will hold a memorial service for him at a later date. Right now, Jim is out in California taking care of all the other business that surrounds this all. As the oldest child he is next of kin and everything defaults to him. I hate when he has to be gone for an extended time (which does not happen often). I miss him a lot.

Here is a slideshow of pictures of Papa Jim. It starts when he is a young boy, then shows him as a young adult then moves to when Jim was a baby and then into some of the visits from when he was a grandpa. I know there is more. I'm having a hard time recovering some of the digital ones that were taken in more recent times. For now, this is good.

If you want to read more of my thoughts/insights on him & this situation you can read about it on my other blog.