Today..

A few things that happened today...

Today my sweet Grandpa (Dad's dad) passed away at 94. I am sad that he is gone but also happy. He was the last of his siblings left and his wife had passed away awhile ago too. So I know he is definitely MUCH happier being able to be with all of them again. He was the last of my grandparents and I will definitely miss him. While growing up it was a guarantee that he'd be at all of my soccer games cheering me on and yelling at all the other girls if they were doing bad calling them "fatheads!" (even if they were on my team and their parent was sitting right next to him). He usually was there at the field sitting in his chair before we even arrived to warm up. Players on my team always knew my grandpa because he was always the first to arrive and was always there. He also traveled a lot with my family on our family vacations to San Diego. He remarried after his first wife died but he was real funny with her. He had a house in Prescott where she lived permanently and also his house in Tucson. He would travel every 2 weeks back and forth (up until the age of 92 or 93, amazing I know!), but I specifically remember one time he traveled with my parents to a soccer tournament of mine. We asked him what he told Gayle (his wife) about him coming and he said, "Oh I didn't tell her. I told her that I was going to stay a little longer in Tucson but she wouldn't want to come because her ankles would swell from the heat so it would probably be best if she just stayed in Prescott." (She very rarely came to Tucson anyway) He also told her to not call him at all because he would be very busy. The reason he never wanted to tell her she was going on vacation or anywhere with us is I think because she thought it would be too hard on him to go. But it never was. My Grandpa has always been in great health and even at 94 he was only taking 1 medication and it wasn't anything serious. He loved sports and was always up for any sporting event we invited him to (UA baseball, football,l soccer) and loved watching sports on tv. When we had season tickets to UofA football and our seats were SO high up, almost the top, he would trek right up there with us and climb all those stairs. He was always very sharp and had a great sense of humor. I loved him so much and will definitely miss him a lot!! What also amazes me is to think about our past prophet Gorden B. Hinckley and how at the age of 97 was traveling the world and leading our church with no problem! My Grandpa at 94 was in pretty good shape mentally and physically compared to some, but not in the shape to be doing the things Pres. Hinckley was doing. That right there to me is a faith builder!

This picture is in my journal so that is why it looks the way it does. My Grandpa really did support all my brothers and sister in everything we did and it meant so much to us. This is when I ran the torch for the SL Olympics in Albuquerque and he even made the trip there. He would get teary eyed at things like that, or when my parents would tell him one of us scored a goal. I'll miss you Grandpa!

I took Bella to the dollar store to get her some more bead and a little purse. When she saw them in the store she immediately started saying, "OOoooo" Then I'd hand her some and she just kept saying Oooooo, it was funny. Then I went to checkout and put them on the conveyor belt and she screamed so loud because she thought I was taking away her precious $1 bead necklaces.

Her new latest thing is "Bou Bou". Translation = bounce bounce. She's become a little obsessed. We let her bounce on our bed so she will always walk up to the bed now, lean against it, and start bouncing up and down saying "bou bou". I'm a little nervous whenever we'll have to switch her to a bed because beds to her = fun play time! The picture above is her sitting on the printer and trying to bounce on that. She also straddles my stomach if I'm lying on the floor and starts bouncing up and down, not so fun for mom!
Then lastly today, I took Bella for a walk to the park and when we first arrived at the park I could see a dog from a far at the playground roaming around with no leash. I first thought, "Who the heck has their dog with no leash and tons of kids around!?" Then I get closer and he come right up to us and I quickly realize he is a stray. He has a collar but no tags. He clearly wants food since he is just hanging around looking sad, but it was kind of scaring me since who knows if he was mean or not. I have been scared of dogs running up to me ever since I got bit by a dog a year and a half ago. I talk to some people at the park and they say he's been around the playground for a little now and is a stray. Everyone keeps shooing him away as did I since Bella kept wanting to go pet him and he wouldn't go away! He seemed like a nice dog but I could tell he was really defensive when anyone would shoo him away or Bella would screech loud in excitement, so I was nervous he would bite if he got too scared. Well he eventually ran away and I didn't see him the rest of the time at the park.
Then I get Bella in the stroller and I start walking back and I turn around and he is RIGHT behind me! He totally scared me at first...well actually the whole time. He continued to follow me all the way to my apartment door! No joke. He walked RIGHT by my side most the way, or just a little in front. I had to cross a major road and I was really nervous about him if he decided to still follow. Well he did right behind me and people rolled down their window and said to me, "Miss, is that your dog??" I'm sure they were thinking what a bad owner I was letting "my" dog cross a major road with no leash. He crossed the road just perfectly and continued to follow. So when I got to my door he was ready to come right in! I was SO sad to have to close the door on him knowing his fate. So I called animal control, which is really the police who then pass it on to them. The lady told me animal control didn't have anyone out patroling right now so there was nothing they could do. I felt bad because he was pretty much stuck in our apartment place unless he waited for a gate to open to go out, which maybe is safer? He didn't look skinny so that made me feel better that he wasn't absolutely starving..yet. I open my door a few minutes after I called animal control and he was still there! Why did he have to decide to follow me, a dog lover, but who doesn't want a stray dog! I feel so bad still.