A Trip to Say Goodbye

D and I were scheduled to take a trip to CO this past few days to see my Grandfather (Poppa), D's Great Grandfather. We had not been able to see him during the holiday season, and really wanted to be able to spend a little time with him. His health had been on the decline since early January, and in the days before we left for CO, was getting much worse. We got to CO (Fort Collins) in the evening on Wednesday, January 23rd, and decided to go see him the next morning since everyone was tired after a day of travel, and still trying to recover from being sickos. Late on Wednesday, Poppa passed away peacefully. We are so sad we did not have a chance to say goodbye, but are thankful for the many memories we hold dear of times spent with him as well as with my Nana, who passed away in October 2006. It was wonderful to be with and surrounded by family and friends during this time, and we are so thankful for everyone who came to Poppa's memorial service on Sunday to celebrate his life. We had the opportunity to sit around with family and talk about memories we had of Poppa over the years; it was nice to have some laughs and tears, and learn more about all the ways he touched people's lives throughout his own. We are so happy for him that he has moved on to reunite with his wife, and will miss him dearly!