Thanksgiving 2009

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Salt Lake at the Grand America Hotel! The food was amazing and so delicious! We had a great time all together as a family...except for one thing was missing! Mike. We all missed him and wish he could have been there to enjoy the day with us. Thanksgiving would have been perfect if Mike could have been with us. We all love you babe!

Here is Cooper, Grammy, the "Main Guy" at the restaurant who enjoyed hanging out with us while we were eating and Jesse! He was a nice little fellow and thought Cooper was quite the man because Cooper LOVED the chocolate covered strawberries. He even went and got Cooper a plate full of strawberries and chocolate and they ate them together. He was very friendly and made himself at home at our table and with our family!

Coop man with his chocolate face after eating who knows how many strawberries and chocolate!

I love Thanksgiving! This time of year is such a great time, but also a time where I remember the past and get a little sad. But only because I think of my Grandpa Bowen and how much I miss him.

Grandpa Bowen was an amazing man who will forever be an example to me. My sweet little Grandpa had a childhood unlike most people I know. He grew up living in one foster home to another. I believe there were even times where he didn't have anywhere to live. He had several brothers and sisters, but his parents did not play a roll in any of their lives.

Despite all the hardships Grandpa endured, he managed to turn his life around and be an excellent father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I like to think I was his favorite! He would tell me I was, but I am sure he told all the others they were his favorite too! But that is what was so special. He had a great bond with each one of the grand kids and we each had a special favorite part in his heart.

Grandpa worked as a janitor to support his family. They never had much, but he always managed to work hard enough to give them what the needed and sometimes what they wanted. He joined the church and was sealed to my sweet little Grandma sometime after my parents were married. He was a great man!

Things I will always remember about Grandpa:

He would always quiz me on my times tables...every time I called! The first several minutes of our conversation were always 5x9, 4x8, etc.

He had false teeth and would take them out and chase me around the house with them!

Grandpa loved to tease...he would pull out his electric razor, turn it on (he had the cover on over the razor) and would hold me down and pretend to SHAVE my face! He would laugh and laugh and laugh.

He loved to go to Sam's Club and walk through the candy aisle. It was his favorite.

He walked everywhere he went. He never owned a car, and I don't think he ever had a driver's license.

McDonald's was his favorite place to eat.

He was a gigantic flirt with the ladies, but he loved my Grandma more than life itself.

When he would fall asleep, his mouth always fell open.

I could go on and on about Grandpa! When I was fifteen, Grandpa passed away on Thanksgiving Day, and this day as never been the same for me. I think about him all day long and long for the days when he was with us. Every Thanksgiving Grandpa would ask my Dad for the neck and the BUM of the turkey! I can't eat turkey without chuckling to myself and always wanting to gag when he would slurp up the BUM of the turkey! Kind of gross, but none the less...that was Grandpa, the tease!

I love you Grandpa and I can't wait for the day when I can give you a great big hug again! I am so grateful for you and the example of strength you were to me. Till we meet again Gramps!