May 2023 Goodbye Grandpa Lyle

One of my favorite and most influential people passed into Heaven at the end of April. In May we took a road trip to Idaho say good bye. It was an 18 hour road trip one-way. It wasn't easy but it was important to me that our family be there. Tyler was willing to take days off and drove the entire way. His funeral was wonderful and I was able to play "I Feel My Savior's Love" on the violin, just for him. I've decided my grief isn't so much that he is gone, but realizing more than ever how much he encouraged me towards good and how grateful I am that he was my grandpa. He's been sick and slowly declining for quite some time (especially if you count the fact that he had an open heart quadruple bypass in 2001). He clearly was meant to stick around, maybe not for himself, but definitely for his family. All the parts of me knew that it was time. I was ready to be at peace with him passing, but I still was not ready. Lyla is named after him and my grandma for a reason. He and my grandma are a large part of why I continue to play the violin. I always knew he loved me. That love gave me confidence to do hard things and keep choosing the right. He was my first priesthood leader. He blessed me as a baby and gave me my gift of music from God. He baptized me a member of the church and allowed me to tag along on a trip to NYC. He was there when I shot my first deer and gave me my first left handed bow. His love reaches so deeply into parts of me that I can't begin to separate where he did and did not influence parts of me. 

He is my biggest hero and I miss him already. I'm grateful to know that families can be together forever. I know he is having wonderful reunions with his family in heaven. His body is free and he is working hard to build God's Kingdom. I look forward to the day I can hug him again and hear, "I love you the most". 

He loved farming and then gardening in his later years. He was always willing to give a razor ride and he even loved my puppies. I'm grateful my kids got to know him and I hope they remember the good times they got with him. 

All the pall bearers were his grandsons (my brother and cousins, only missing 3 grandsons). It was a moment to see them all lined with with 98% of them being over 6ft tall! 

Watching my grandma grieve and miss him has been heartbreaking. Tyler and I share out wedding anniversary with them and they are an example to follow. 

I found myself a bit helpless and not sure what to do. I ended up getting to be the watergirl for my grandma. Had to make sure she stayed hydrated! 

These kids always have fun when they are together. Grayson and Bentley were in charge of making sure the candy bowl at the funeral stayed filled. It had my grandpas favorite candy and Grayson made sure everyone who wanted some, took some. 

Until we see you again!