NOTE: I wrote this post over a week ago but just didn't get around to posting it.
For Labor Day weekend K & I headed to Memphis so I could meet my adorable niece and spend some time with my fam. We got there Friday night- I can't begin to describe K's excitement about meeting McKenna. She was literally jumping up and down giggling as we were walking off the plane! When she saw Mamaw and Kris waiting for her she covered she mouth "ohhh" with excitement and took off running towards them. It was SO cute!!
This is excitement on the plane
I was pretty excited too....
She loves her little cousin and wants to do everything for her, feed, change, hold, etc. She's such a good little helper. At one point she was holding McKenna on her lap (with my one handed assistance- since in the other hand I had the camera snapping away) and she leaned down, put her hand on Kenna's check and whispered "Kenna, you the best girl ever". I thought my heart would melt!
This was the point when she said that to McKenna
Our time in Memphis was cut short though, Saturday morning my mom got the call from her sister. My Grandad had passed away. So, I booked a flight for Reed that day and he flew to Memphis then we all headed up to Kentucky to be with the rest of the family to remember him....
He had been struggling and bouncing back for some time now but Thursday (early AM) he fell out of his wheelchair- right onto his head. He ended up breaking his 6th vertebrae and at his age (
91!!!) surgery wasn't in the cards.
By Thursday night he had bounced back, and even said so to my Aunt. He was sitting up and even ate an entire bowl of soup. Then on Friday he started to fade away, he had fought for a long time going through ups and downs. There had been lots of times over the past year+ we had thought we'd lose him at any point then he would be up and walking around the next day! He was such a strong man.
The funeral was Monday afternoon, Labor Day, very fitting for him. He grew up a farm boy from a rural part of Western Kentucky. Went off to War were he served our Country for 4 years straight during WWII- the stories he told would captivate you. He came back to home and met my grandma Jean- the most wonderful lady I've ever known. He bought himself a farm where they raised 3 kids and countless head of cattle, hogs, chickens, horses, you name it, they had it.
My grandad was a farmer, a woodworking- he spent so much time in his shop, a stand out community member- he helped build a lot in his community including the major nursing home, softball/sports complex, etc, he was a loving dad, a husband, and a wonderful grandad with amazing stories to tell. As I got older my appreciation and respect for him grew as I learned the story that made him who is was. My grandad had 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren! He was so proud of each and everyone of us for the people we've grown into. He always told stories of us and if you knew him you knew his family. He ALWAYS carried pictures of his family (wife, kids, grandkids) in his shirt pocket and showed them to anyone who'd look. I'm posting the below picture because it is one he always carried of me.
This was my 3rd place finish at Nationals in 2005
My G'pa was so proud of me...
We took this picture last week...
I just know he would've carried this one!
He loved that K loved horses
I will miss my grandad so much but I am happy that he is no longer suffering and that he has made it home to be with my grandma- he didn't want to live without her... they were married for 58 years! There is not much more I can say about this amazing man. I love him and he is missed.
Shelton LikinsMay 8, 1918- September 5, 2009
