Pee-Paw

Dear Connor and Caleb,

I am writing you this letter because a short time ago my Pee-Paw (your great-grandpa) passed away.  Pee-paw was a great man.  He had a big impact on me which will undoubtedly spill over into the both of you.  If you were to ask “what was the one quality about him that stood out above all the rest?”, most people would tell you it was his sense of humor.  I can’t argue with that.  However, I will tell you that the impact he had on me goes much deeper than that.  Pee-paw was a man you could look up too.  He was a caring man.  He was a loving man.  My Pee-paw demonstrated to me what it meant to work hard and support your family.  His doors were never locked because he wanted to be available at all times.  He loved it when someone would just drop in unexpectedly. 

Pee-paw also loved baseball.  More specifically he loved the Red Sox.  That may be a familiar thing for you two and that is because of Pee-paw.  From a young age, I loved baseball.  Pee-paw loved baseball too.  We had that in common.  When I was little, I did not have a favorite team so Pee-paw made sure I learned to love the Red Sox like him.  The Red Sox went 86 years without winning the World Series.  Pee-Paw waited almost that long to watch it happen.  I will never forget that night back in October of 2004 when the Sox finally won.  Although it was almost midnight and I was 1,000 miles away in Virginia, I knew I had to call Pee-paw to celebrate.  Sure enough he was awake and watching the end of game from his home here in Florida.  I called, he answered and just yelled, “Tim, can you believe it?”  It was so exciting.  He sounded as if he was the one who knocked in the game winning run. 

I like to think the greatest thing he taught me was to be a Red Sox fan but I was blessed enough to have learned so much more.  Pee-paw set a great example of how to be a loving person.  There wasn’t a single person that he encountered that he didn’t at least try to make smile.  He loved talking to, and encouraging everyone he came in contact with.  He loved kids and love teaching them about Jesus.  I couldn’t tell you how many people were blessed because they knew Pee-paw.  I was fortunate enough that he lived so close to where I work and live.  It was easy for me to head on over to his house on my lunch break and spend some quality time with him, especially during his last few weeks.  Most people change when they know their time is near but not Pee-paw.  He embraced reality and knew there was little he could do to change that.  During his final weeks, he kept up his sense of humor and encouraging attitude.  Losing someone you love is never easy but seeing him try to maintain his “normal” gave us a little peace and I know one day I will see him again.  Ultimately, I know I am blessed to be able to call him my grandpa.  He was a great man, he will be missed but the lessons he taught me will be lessons that I cherish and pass on to both of you.

I love you both very much,

Daddy

May I?

 May I tell you about our May so far? They say that March comes in like a lion but I feel that has been more true about May. The month started us off with me flying up to Lynchburg to visit Uncle Casey and help him to settle into his new house. It was an added bonus to get to see Aunt Hilary perform in Mary Poppins. The weekend was spent unpacking boxes, putting furniture together, and shopping. Trying to get everything one needs for a working home is no joke. I didn't feel like I did a good enough job and promptly told Grandma Glenda that she needs to go up do a better job than I did. There's something about having mom fix things that always works.

Sadly this past week Great Grandpa Hackett (Peepaw) passed away. He had been battling cancer for a while and his battle finally came to an end. I am so glad that Tim was able to visit with his grandfather during his lunchtime to spend some quality time with him over the past month or so. Connor even got to visit with Daddy a couple times and greatly enjoyed his time with his great grandfather. They got to talk about t-ball and Connor would just sit and tell him stories. This is the last picture we have of them together from one of their lunchtime visits. Peepaw left behind a great legacy and is the reason why Daddy has such a love of the Red Sox. Daddy loved his grandpa very much and there has always been a very special bond between the two of them. From their love of baseball to their love of aviation, Peepaw has always been one of Daddy's heroes. Peepaw also always made me feel loved, special, and cared for. My favorite would be when he would lean over to Daddy and tell him what a great job he had done. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on in the lives of our boys. I know it already is.

Saturday was our big day to find out what this little baby growing inside of me is....I give you:

Caleb Guise Petersen

I was shocked considering how different this pregnancy has been, but I am so thrilled for Connor! A little brother is just what he needs and he is going to be the best big brother. God has a plan and I know that it is exactly what our family needs. I pray these two boys will love each other, respect each other, and be each other's best friend. That is what we will teach them and that is what we will model for them. Connor is already planning adventures from "chase" to "teaching him trucks" to "how to play tricks". That last one makes me nervous.....I'm sure it will be fine as long as I don't find frogs in my bed. It was a great revelation to make this Mother's Day even more special. He was so active during my sonogram that the technician was amazed. It has been interesting too because I'm already feeling movement from this little wiggle worm. Today marks my 16th week and I am just chugging along. I've had some migraines recently but I think some of it is stress related. I just have to take each day as it comes and I am so lucky that Daddy has so willingly taken over when I can't be home and keeps everything running smoothly. I don't know what I would do without him. This Friday I am chaperoning a trip to Universal, now that will be a test of endurance and coming back 4:30 Saturday morning will be interesting. I think I can, I think I can.