world's best hugger

some how i neglected to post about memorial day, i think because it was such an insane week for me that it got over looked. every year my mom and several sibblings and grandpa get together to travel to idaho (idaho? YOU da ho!) to decorate family graves. this year we were lucky enough to have a few hours with grandpa and alisa before their flight left. we took the opportunity to take some family photos on the steps of mom and dad's house.ever since i was a little girl i have looked forward to seeing my grandpa and having my guts squeezed from one of his family-famous hugs. everyone in the family, even my dad, agrees that he is the world's best hugger. i used to think that it was because he was a big cowboy kind of man and he maybe didn't know his own strength. but as i got older i realized there is no accident about how tight he holds you, it's all about letting you know how much you are loved. they're the kind of hugs that say, "you are the most important thing in the whole world" and "you are my favorite granddaughter" and there's nothing in the world quite like them.i'll be honest that i was a little worried when i saw him on memorial day, it's been a few years and he's definitely looking more frail and aged. but when he saw me, he hugged me just as tight as ever, and i was so grateful. in fact, i hugged him more than once just to get my fill until the next time.