Wednesday, July 22, 2009

When it rains it pours.....

It has been awhile, I have been waiting on something cheerful to write about.

On June 16 my Grandfather suddenly passed away. Yes less than two months away from the wedding. I made such a big deal at Easter how he and my Grandmother would be my only Grandparents there. We went to Florida to be with my WONDERFUL family and celebrate the life of the most amazing Grandfather that God could have provided for me. He was truly a caring, kind, generous and loving man. He was well known around his town and a few towns around it, the service was beautiful. It was held at my Grandparents church, then headed to the cemetery, where we were lead by a fire truck and every light we passed was blocked by a police car and the officer outside the car at full respect. At the cemetery the US Navy played taps, folded the flag across his casket and gave it to my Grandmother in honor of everything my Grandfather did for our country. After we said our tearful goodbyes we headed to the Knights of Columbus hall (where he was very involved) and had a true Irish celebration of his life.

David's Grandfather has now been in the hospital since Saturday. He has a few issues and at 86 anything going wrong isn't good. We are praying he will pull through.

On top of all this we are sitting at 17 days from the wedding, which is a whole different stress. I am just praying to pull through the day with as few tears as possible. It will be so hard to not have my Papa at my side to give me away, but with the family I am blessed to have I know they will be there to support my Mom and I. We will not only have them but my Papa's Mason Brothers as well. We are so lucky that he was also an amazing man and left behind an endless support system.

I am ready to say I DO and become a Stroud and start our life which will be full of love, laughs and priceless memories.


Every storm has a silver lining....some you just have to look a little harder for.