Easter 2011

Easter has been so much fun (and it's only Saturday!) this year. Caden had a BLAST. We had two families to go to today, first was our friend (and B's 2nd cousin) Tyson and his parents' house. His brother Colby and his wife Rae were there with their 3 boys. Caden had so much fun running around picking up the eggs that me and Branden would point out. He found bubbles and a chocolate bunny that he kept calling "Nunny ook" (Bunny book...we have a Curious George book with bunnies in it we've been reading at night), and after the hunt he had fun first helping Colby's oldest son pull the younger 2 in a wagon, and then getting a ride in the wagon himself. After that we went straight to Branden's mom's where he went on another egg hunt and then colored some eggs in their garage. He was so exhausted by the time we got home (which was about 5:30pm and he'd had no nap or snooze or even a blink all day) that he just kind of dazedly played in the living room with his cars until bath, and then basically passed out in my arms during story time before bed. The weather was a little chilly, but that didn't seem to deter him a bit, and he had an awesome time. He was ridiculously fun to watch and the "*gasp*, wow!" every time he found and then opened an egg was so blasted cute. Can't get over how much I love this boy.

While Easter always has special meaning, it means a little something more to me this year. My Grandpa Bylund (dad's dad) passed away on the 18th of this month. He'd been sick. He'd been...well, not Grandpa.

My fondest memories of my Grandpa will always be of our fishing trips. Him and me and my Aunt Joy and Dad, out wherever we wanted, fishing all day but not necessarily catching anything....and not caring if we didn't. I'll remember him helping to teach me how to fish, how to cast, reminding me not to throw rocks in the lake because it would scare the fish away, and chatting up any groups around us as if he'd known them for years (personally I think he was just trying to soften them up to get them to give up their secrets if they were having better success than we were). I'll remember him teaching me card games, and then getting 'mad' at me when, after the first hand of a game I'd just learned, I'd whomp him and Dad in a sweeping win.

My most recent memory, and now probably one of my most cherished, was just a couple of months ago. I was visiting him at the VA home with my mom, dad, and cousin Rachel in February (I forget the day). Grandpa was in his wheelchair by his bed. He kept acting like he had something in his eye - reaching up and dabbing at it with the back of a finger, blinking a lot - something that he couldn't get out. So I asked him, "Got something in your eye, Grandpa?" His voice was quiet, kind of that dazed quiet he had recently, as he said, "Yeah. Can you look?" So, gullible me, got up and went to him and bent down real close to his face and peered into his eye. You'd think after all these years and knowing the tricks he'd pull to woo the ladies, I'd have known better. The moment I got that close, Grandpa tilted his head back and up and stole a kiss. Rachel was laughing and said "Oooo he's still got it, he got you good!" And he goes, "Yeah, I did," as I'm 'scolding' him for bamboozling me and he's looking at me with this impish grin. For a moment that night, Grandpa was Grandpa again.

I will miss how hard working he was, how excited he was to do ANYthing outdoors, and how much he absolutely loved his family. You could see in his eyes, in his face, at every new baby blessing or birthday party that his kids and his grandkids and his great-grandkids were his pride and joy.

My favorite picture of my Grandpa, holding Caden on his blessing day. Is that the face of a proud man or what? He's almost busting at the seams.

I'm so grateful this Easter for my Savior and for the Resurrection so that I have the knowledge that I will see family on the other side of the veil. I love you, Grandpa, and hope you've found the perfect fishing hole in Heaven (even if you don't necessarily catch anything).