He's Home... Grandpa Umbaugh is Home

<--My Dad & His Dad - in 2004 - at a cousins wedding

Hello blog readers. It is with sadness for the now, and hope for the eternal, that I write to you. My Grandfather, Arnold Umbaugh, died this morning at 12:36am. I thought when I began to write to you that I had more words to say, but I guess its seemingly slim.

Your first statement I’m sure is “I’m so sorry. You’re in my thoughts and prayers.” Thank you, first of all. Second, please just keep me in your prayers. I am thankful that I am in your head, but throw us up to Jesus. He is exactly what we need right now.

Grieving will begin probably on Sunday. Tears have been shed, and even now as I begin to think about my grandpa, what I’ll say at his “celebration” service on Tuesday, tears well up from my soul in memory of him. My mom’s dad passed away when I was 9, so Grandpa Umbaugh is my main memory of a Grandpa. One word you might use to describe him is jovial and passionate. He was passionate about loving my grandma, and loving God. He was jovial in that there is no doubt he would make you laugh within 30 seconds of talking with him.

He told me stories of when he was working in the hospital and Grandma was a nurse there, how he would paint her shoes! What a silly man! He won the love of his life by playing pranks on her, and she fell for it hook, line, and sinker. What a lucky lucky woman. I haven’t gotten to talk to my Grandma yet to see how she is, but I am sure she is heart broken. The love of her life, for the past 65ish years, was ushered into Heaven this morning. 65 years is a long time to remain with the same companion. You have never seen two more faithful “lovers” in all your life. They have been a beautiful image of what marriage can be. Through thick, through thin, through tough times, and good… through broken hips, through surgeries, through the Navy, through grandchildren dying, through Alzheimer’s, and until death. Thank you Jesus for my grandparents; for meeting their needs through each other. Through growing their love old together and for showing me what real love looks like in the face of very hard times.

Anyway, so that’s the update friends. I’m exhausted and am headed to the batting cages tonight to hit the crap out of some fast pitch softballs. Until then… look below & you’ll see my beautiful grandparents. (Sprinkled with sisters & parents)

Thank you for reading. Thank you for praying.

<-- Grandma and Grandpa

Laura and Grandpa at cousin's wedding ---->