My Grandpa Smith

I don't know what my problem is today, but I've been really missing my Grandpa Smith lately, so I decided to write about him today.
My Grandpa is so special to me for so many reasons. I cherish him dearly because he is such a wonderful man. I could care less what others might think of him, I LOVE HIM!
I remember driving on his lap holding the steering wheel in his big old yellow truck and running right into his fence. He always calls me "Pudding" and I love that. I use to cry for hours when my family had to drive back to Salt Lake because I always wanted to be near him, and I still cry when I have to leave.
The summer Stephanie graduated, my parents to her back East for a week. So, Grandpa came up to watch the three girls. I wanted to impress him one night, so I decided to cook and bake for him. I don't remember everything but, he didn't complain once about the runny mashed potatoes. I also attempted to bake a cake from scratch (still to this day, I am TERRIFIED of this still). I misread t. (teaspoon) for T. (Tablespoon) of Baking Soda. When I went to check on the cake the top of it was almost hitting the top of the oven, so I took it out. Grandpa wanted the first bite, and cut a rather large corner piece and ate the WHOLE THING! I then attempted to do the same, and after one bite of eating pure baking soda, I threw the whole thing away. He said I did a good job, and just needed to keep practicing.
He always knows what to say and when to say it. He saved 3 kittens that were thrown into a garbage bin, and he let me take care of one of them. I named her Jezibelle. She was the first pet that was 100% mine, and I loved her. A few years later Jezzi, was on the back porch and I went out to visit her, and found a newborn kitten next to her! I was so happy. Well, a few weeks later, I was cleaning up the porch and found a box that had several dead kittens in it. I was so devistated, I ran straight to my Grandpa and Grandma's house and fell in my Grandma's lap and just bawled! I don't know exactly what my Grandpa said, but whatever it was, made me feel so much better.
He is a respector of all living things! He grew up on a farm, and learned how to respect all of God's creatures. He always has some kind of animal, whether it be a horse, pony, dog, goat, cow, pig, duck, chicken, cat or turkey,he always has something. I learned how to love animals because of him.
I have never seen anyone love another person, more than my Granpa loves my Grandma. My Grandma had several health problems throughout their marriage, and my Grandpa always took care of her, and loved her so sweetly, and geniunely. I never questioned his love for her. He was with her every second he could be even at the end. I have never seen a heart break like his when she passed.
I lived at his townhome in St. George when I was in hair school, after my Grandma passed, and he would come down on the weekends to go to the Temple. I loved everyday that he was there. We'd watch the news at night, and he and I would talk about everything and anything. He even convinced me to go on a date with someone, I didn't really want to. I would try to cook wonderful meals for him, and he was a champ at eating them, no matter how burned and dry I cooked the meat. One night he even took me out to Tony Roma's (partly to be saved from my cooking I'm sure) and we had such fun there. The other thing that always stands out is him drinking pickle juice. He said it keeps the body healthy, and it must work.
I was there for his first date with Nadine. I was so happy that he was socializing and dating. Well, the first date became a second date, and soon enough he sat me done and told me that he still loves Grandma so much and always will, but he really liked Nadine. He just wanted to make sure I was comfortable with that. A few weeks later, I came home from school, and Nadine told me the good news that they would be getting married. I feel so blessed to have been a part of that whole experience.
When Alvaro and I got sealed, we were still living in Florida and just flew out for a few days, to my surprise, Grandpa and Nadine were there, and I was so overwhelmed that they had made a special trip just for a few hours of the most important event of my life.
We always have such great talks, and Alvaro always asks him to tell us stories about everything. Maybe on another post, I'll write more about those stories, like when he was in the Navy during WWII and how and why he decided to start up Bumbleberry.
I love him so much, and think about him all the time. He's been going through a lot this past year, and has always come out on top. I pray this latest challenge will be nothing different. He is my hero, I look up to him, and I will always love him.