Living in a Boys World

This is a continuation from yesterdays post.

Okay, so I have to tell a funny Carter story...about death. This is a conversation that took place between he and my Mom (Gran). After a conversation about Heaven and how we will all go to Heaven one day, it went something like this...

Carter: My Mom will go to Heaven one day.
Gran: Yes, she will...but it will be a long time. We all will go to Heaven one day.
Carter: Not my Daddy.
Gran: Yes, one day (a long time from now, he will too)
Carter: No he will not...he makes cardboard with me (one of Carter's many obsessions).
Gran: Well, your Mom feeds you and takes care of you too.
Carter: Well, Daddy can learn to do all of that too.

My Mom came and found me and said "Susan...I think you need to start making cardboard with your son".
I stayed home from work this year so that I could spend more times with my kids...and this is what he thinks of me...ha ha!

I started this blog for several reasons. One was that I wanted to keep family posted with pictures. However, the main reason was because I am not good at writing things down. I figured I could include things on this blog that my boys could one day look back on and see all the funny things they said and the special things we did. It is basically a Memory Book for my sons.
Since I started this blog after Grandma passed away, I would like to add her Euguly to this blog. Not only for those to read that did not attend the funeral, but to also have it on here for Carter and Landon to look back at one day. Grandma was a special lady who was loved by SO many. You couldn't help to like her...she was so kind to others and so much fun to be around. I can only hope that I will be like her one day.

This Eulogy was read by my cousin Kyle, who did an excellent job delivering it. It was written by all the cousins and then I added the introduction and closing. Grandma planned a lot of her own funeral and one thing she said was "Maybe my Grandkids could say something nice about me". We could of talked about her forever, but had to keep it somewhat short.

If you have made it this far reading my post, thank you. Next post will be more "up-beat". I took some pics of the boys today and as soon as my camera charges, I will put them on here.

Betty Lou Nordyke was born July 13, 1925 in Parkland, Washington to Christian and Selma Olsen. She had one brother, Fredrick Olsen. Betty met the love of her life, Warren Nordyke, while volunteering at the local U.S.O. in Olympia Washington. Warren was stationed at Fort Lewis during World War II. They married in 1946 and shortly after moved to Springfield, Missouri to be near Warren’s family. Their two oldest children, Greg and Chrissy were born in Springfield. Central Ohio Breeding Association brought Warren and Betty to Tyler in 1954. Tyler is where their two youngest, Pam and Mike, were born and is where they have since called home.

Betty’s grandkids, me being one of them, decided it would be nice to share some of our fondest memories of our Grandma. We have so many, but these are a few that were so special to us.

Susan said…

“When I think of Grandma and growing up, I always think French onion dip, fritos, and iced tea. To some of us, buying chips and dip seems so simple but to me, eating them at her house was special. It was a treat she would buy when she knew I was coming. And we can’t forget that she made the best iced tea and always served it in her brown pitcher. I also share Grandma’s love for Wheel of Fortune and would often call her at the end of a show to discuss the contestants wins. I was even fortunate enough to attend a live taping with her last summer. My husband, Rich, and I feel blessed to be the mother of Grandma’s two great grandchildren, Carter and Landon. Carter loved his Grandma Nordyke and couldn’t wait to visit her because she always kept lifesavers in her candy bowl just for him. He reminded us yesterday that Grandma will always be in our heart. My youngest son, Landon, was born October 8^th. It meant so much to me that Grandma got the chance to meet him just 12 days ago.”

Kyle said…

“Some of my earliest memories are of holidays at her house. Thanksgivings and Christmas’s were always a special time. Holidays at the Nordyke’s meant plenty of food, usually a good laugh or two, and always a lot of family. One of my most cherished holiday memories however came just a couple of years when my wife, Katie, and I were blessed with her presence in our tiny one bedroom apartment outside of San Francisco for another Thanksgiving meal. The quarters were tight, but it didn’t stop us from watching the Dallas Cowboys. The visit touched Katie and I; that our family would travel that far to spend the Holiday with us and it will be a memory we always cherish.”

Clay said…

“She was a great travel companion. She and I shared many adventures together but one of my fondest memories of grandma was just down the road in Noonday. I would ride with Grandma and Grandpa out to the lake place in Grandpa’s old blue truck to feed the cattle. When we would hit the fork in the road he would let me and Grandma out to walk the rest of the way to the lake picking wildflowers and blackberries. Once we would get to the lake we would get the fishing poles out and take a few cast, it was a special time.”

Kara said…

“One of my favorite times with grandma was breakfast at her house. I don’t consider myself a breakfast person but Grandma’s was different. There was something about her bread, her toaster and the way she toasted it that made it good. Of course we always had to share with her dog Saxon; it was his favorite too.

Bryce Said…

“Some of my fondest memories include summer afternoons playing in the hayfield at Grandma’s house in Noonday. After the sun had gone down and dinner was served I would dig through the back closet at her place and pull out a game that was a tradition for Grandmother and I. Candy Land was a colorful game for children in which the entire objective is to reach the finish line first. Grandma would win every time, and she would throw herself a victory celebration; complete with improvised song and dance. Betty Lou Nordyke loved playing Candy Land with me, and loved winning the race, but there was a much more important race she was running. More than winning and more than playing games, grandma loved her savior. And once again she reached the finish line first. But this finish line is only the beginning.

This year Grandma was blessed with the addition of three more grandkids. Cameron, Schieler and Emily joined our family when Grandma’s youngest son, Mike, married Candice on October 5th. Grandma was so happy.

Grandma… This past year you have proven to us just how strong you are. You fought the battle hard and never complained. You always had a smile on your face and right up to the end you reassured us that you were okay. There is so much we will miss about you but we know that you are in a better place. Give Papa a hug for us. We just know that you are running around with Saxon, playing mahjong with friends, watching your beloved Cowboys, and enjoying your 5 o clock glass of wine. We love you and like Carter said, “you will always be in our heart”.

Logan and Carter on Rachel's bounce house at the farm.Rachel and Carter at Cristina's in Flowermound.
So peaceful....
Carter at Karate class. He loves it! I was a little skeptical at first, but I think it is great. They practice "stranger danger", in order to get a stripe on his belt he must recite address, phone # and know how to call 911. It is also great "self-discipline". They are VERY strict and even have time out for not following directions. For example, if the directions are to push away from the stranger (they practice on the teachers) and then run to line 1, but they run to line 2...then you get time out (for like a minute) for not following directions. Teaches them to really listen...I never knew Carter could stand so still...ha ha!

I can't wait to show Carter this picture when he is older. This is he and his cousin, Sydney. Notice he is driving a Barbie jeep!

I went to many parties with both of these guys in college...ha ha. It is so funny to see them both with babies. That is Don and Edward on the left.
Have a wonderful weekend. Rich will be catching up on work stuff all night tonight and then tomorrow we are going to the farm. Don and his family leave on Monday to head back to London.