Grandpa Paul

Story time! I have a ton of posts that I need to get up from our summer fun, but I wanted to share a story from our Utah trip while I wait for the pictures to download! I think that conversations in the car are the best! I feel like a fly on the wall sometimes when my kids start talking in the backseat and they forget that I am up in the front listening! Sometimes I am involved in the conversation and it just turns flat out funny! This moment took place as we were driving from Sandy to Provo to meet family at Seven Peaks water park. I love history and I try to take advantage of every opportunity to teach my kids about their family history! My Grandmother and her parents grew up in Pleasant Grove. I have told the kids countless stories about PG and the Strawberry Days Rodeo, my great Grandma Winnie's rose garden and creepy cellar. On this day as we drove by the gigantic G on the side of the mountain, I told Trey that his Grandpa Paul (whom he is named after) was the first person to paint the G on the side of the mountain. I watched in the rear view mirror as Trey sat a little taller and asked, "Grandpa Paul! The cowboy?" "Yep." I replied. "I have his cowboy hat." He stated proudly.  "Why did he get to paint the G on the mountain?" "Because he was the mayor of Pleasant Grove." I told him. Then out of the blue he asked, "Is he still alive?" "No buddy," I said. " He has been dead for a long time."  "How did he die?" said Trey. "Well, he died in his sleep." There was a long pause until Trey said, "Oh, I didn't know you could die from that. Does it hurt?" I told him that it didn't hurt and then I asked him, "how did you think that people die?" "From getting shot and in accidents and stuff." He replied. To which Livia, who had been listening this whole time quietly spoke up and said, "He was the mayor Trey, not the President of the United States of America!" At which point the sip of water I had just taken came out my nose!  Can you tell that she learned about President Kennedy this year? 

I swear to you that I have the best job on the face of the earth!!! I love moments like this and I love blogging about them, because even though I think that I will never forget, slowly my memory starts to fade and I can't remember the details. It has been a rough summer, but it is moments with my kids and my family that keep me going in the direction that I know is important. Thank heavens the stories to share just make my smile wider and wider and that makes everything worth it!