i don’t know exactly where to start with this blog post. it’s so hard to summarize the love, gratitude and respect that i have for this awesome man that i have known my entire life. so, i guess i will start by realizing that that will be impossible. all i can really do is give you a glimpse of all of the wonderful memories i have of him so far.
we celebrated my grandpa’s 80th birthday a few weeks ago, so i wanted to share some photos from that special day while sharing some of my favorite things about him.
my grandpa (Don) has been such an important part of my life. i know that he was there for me before i even knew who he was and how special he would become. i have pictures of him with me as a baby. and i know that i was in his wedding (he got remarried when i was almost 4). i remember him being there for me on Grandparent’s Day when I was in elementary school. and the time he surprised me and showed up at the hospital when i was about to have my appendix removed!
he has been present at every major event in my life, from birthday parties to graduations and, most recently, my wedding.
some of my favorite memories of my grandpa are centered around his favorite holiday…Christmas! he has always had this child-like joy when it comes to Christmas, and he shares that with all of us every year. for as long as i can remember, he has put so much thought and heart into our gifts…making sure that it’s special and something that we really, really want. one year, he got me a bird for Christmas. my dad had always told me about growing up with his pet cockatoo, so i wanted a bird for quite some time. and not only was this gift cleverly presented to me, but he even made a date with me to go and pick out my bird, Lucy, along with the cage and everything. so special =)
he is an Angels fan through and through. he passed this on to my dad, who passed it on to me and my brother and sister. in fact, my dad started taking me to games when i was like one. i guess he would bring me in in one of those baby carriers and just feed me the whole time to keep me entertained. i think that explains why i like to eat the entire time whenever i go to a baseball game!
anyway, when Granny Joanny asked me to photograph this intimate birthday gathering at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach, i was so honored. it was just our immediate family, and we had such a great time!
his kids wrote a couple of parody songs for him that they performed, and the grandkids had their own performance, as well.
we had a wonderful meal. we laughed together and we cried together. and then we did a little family photo session down by the golf course before having some cake =)
my grandpa has been through a lot in his lifetime, but he has held his family together through it all. we like to say that we put the “fun” in “dysfunctional” but i look up to my grandpa as someone who has defined the meaning of family through his actions. he has always been supportive of everything we do and, more than that, he has been there to cheer us on and encourage us! i consider myself so lucky and blessed to call myself his granddaughter.
grandpa, i wish you many more years of happiness and love. thank you for all that you do! thank you for just being you =)
xoxo
jess
p.s. here are some more of my favorite photos from the day…
and just for fun…
