Beard-be-gone

It all began as a healthy "non-competitive" No Shave November with his brother Dave. And....2 1/2 months of growth and many compliments from the (older) ladies in the ward, Jim was ready to shave it off.
 I loved it and was sad to see it go.
Luckily he looks good either way!

 

 

Grandpa Mel

Last Saturday we said goodbye to our Grandpa Mel.

Back in November he fell and hit his head and never fully recovered from the fall.

Grandma Annette arranged for him to come home and to receive hospice care.

On January 7th She called and asked if I would meet her at the house at 3:30 to help her get ready for Mel's arrival.  I got to her home at 3:00 and did paperwork with the Hospice nurse. Annette arranged for a transportation company to bring Mel from the Care Facility where he had been staying. He arrived at 3:40 and they carefully moved him from the gurney to the hospital bed. Annette, Jake, Julie, the Hospice nurse  the transportation guys and me were all in the room and Annette said "I don't think he is breathing. His chest usually moves up and down." The nurse listened with her stethoscope and checked for a pulse. Annette looked at the 2 transport guys and jokingly said "What kind of drive did you take over here?" We giggled and then we all watched and waited.

The nurse put the stethoscope back around her neck and said "He's home." Annette began to sob. Julie put her arms around her mom and cried with her. I walked over to Jake and put my arm in his arm. We all just cried.

I called Jim and he left work to come down to the house. Julie began calling her siblings. I was asked to call Mel's kids. I was also asked to go over to Grandma Fugal's house and tell her. I shared an intimate and tender moment with grandma Fugal.

She was in the middle of watching Dr. Phil with the volume at full capacity. She couldn't hear me knock of come in. I startled her a bit but she did know who I was. I sat by her side and told her the news. She began to cry and she repeated over and over again, "Oh how wonderful! It's just so wonderful!"

I went back to Annette's and stayed there for the duration of the evening.  Family came over and we all mourned with each other. It was both a sad and happy time. At 8:00 we called the mortuary and they came to get Grandpa. Jim and 2 of Mel's sons helped them move Mel and put him into the hearse.

The Funeral was 4 days later and it was a beautiful service. One of the best parts was seeing all of the scouts in uniform standing at salute and holding American Flags. Mel was a huge scouter and had even been the last person to ever receive a college degree in scouting from BYU.

We will miss that loving, kind, mild mannered and even tempered grandpa. He was a great man who did a lot for Annette and her family. There are so many stories of his goodness and the miracles that were wrought by the workings of his hands. So grateful we were blessed to have him in our lives. We will love him and miss him.