On Friday Mom, Dad, Amy, Nate, and I left for Grundy. For some reason my sinus infection decided to come back full force on Thursday and I felt awful all of Thursday night and Friday. I dozed off and on in the car on Friday, due to Amy driving. We got to Tazwell in the late afternoon and while Dad took care of some business at the nursing home that Grandpa was in for 12 hours, us girls and Nate hit up Magic Mart. Going to Magic Mart was always a part of visiting Grundy. As kids we got to go and pick out a toy. Nate had fun picking out Diego matchbox cars and a purple unicorn Pillow Pet.
We got to our hotel around 5 and settled in while Amy and Dad ran to the funeral home for the death certificate which actually wasn't even ready yet. Seems like most errands and tasks that were supposed to be simple this weekend always ended up being complicated. We went out to dinner at Long John Silver's because that was a place we used to always go with Grandpa.
Saturday morning we woke up and enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel then headed out to another Magic Mart. They had an Elmo Car and Nate managed to get a couple of rides in. 
My sister's college friend Eric met us at Magic Mart and spent the entire day with us. It was nice to have an outside of the family face around. He quickly became Nate's friend and they bonded over some Salt N Vinegar pringles. We attempted to go to the park that Grandpa used to take us to, but the gate was locked. So we took a picture in front of the gate. Kind of a bummer.
We eventually got lunch and headed back to the hotel to coax Nate into taking a nap. It took a long time to get him to sleep because he hadn't actually burned off much energy that morning. We all got dressed up and headed to the funeral home. The viewing actually started at 5pm, but we got there a little after 4. I changed Nate in the bathroom because I had yanked him out of bed to leave. He was so quiet and subdued, he sat on a couch for a few minutes just looking around. I think he knew we were there for something serious. We were at the funeral home for 5 hours and not once did I have to put him in time out or really correct his behavior at all. I think God had a special hand on his shoulder that night.
So from 5-7 people came to visit and pay their respects. I didn't know most of the people there other than Grandpa's siblings and a couple of other relatives and one of his close friends. I got to meet a couple of people I had heard about, but other than that there was a really weird vibe to the visitation. It's weird to be on the side of the people who had to plan and execute everything when there are other people on the other side acting like they were his immediate family.
The service was at 7 and are family ran the show. Amy planned the service, Dad gave the eulogy, and I read scripture. A local preacher gave his talk of hellfire and damnation and one of Grandpa's siblings did the same. The best part of the evening was the bluegrass music. It was the one thing that was truly Grandpa and gave the service an upbeat, slightly disorganized feel. It reminded of the man himself.
After the funeral we went back to my Great aunt's house for some dinner. It was so special to just walk into her home and have the food all laid out and to just be invited to eat and talk. It's what I imagine people doing at times like those, but because of where we live, nobody really does that for you. I love my good ole country family!
We buried Grandpa at Quantico on Monday. I knew almost everyone there and it felt much more like family even if some of the people aren't related to us. It was a very short service, but by far the most final and heart wrenching. My dad is a strong amazing man and when he shed tears, so did everyone else there. I hope he knows how much everyone admires him and respects him and was able to see that through the support he got on Monday.
The service at Quantico didn't involve an actual burial. We saw where Grandpa was going to be buried and last night we sat down and picked out his headstone. Grandpa's birthday is in less than 2 weeks. We've already discussed getting flowers and visiting his grave. I still feel like this isn't completely real. I think when the holidays roll around and when I go to fill out cards to send and I no longer include him that it will start to feel real. He wasn't an everyday part of our lives, but at some point I think the loss of a beloved family member will be more apparent. Right now we are still just trying to get back to normal. I'm so thankful for my family and for God's everlasting promise, it all has given me so much peace in all of this.
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