The weekend of July 15th saw us headed for a quick couple of days in St. Louis to celebrate Grandpa Gray's (Pampaw to the Gilstrap grandkids) 70th birthday. Rose had quite the weekend ahead, and he had no idea!
Mid-day Saturday was a BBQ and their place with guest after unexpected guess ringing the doorbell. Always cool under pressure, Pampaw received his guests with his typical hearty laugh and bear hug. Soon thereafter we showered him with gifts. A Kindle, a couple of new shirts and a new ball cap and he was well on his way to a wonderful afternoon. Little did he know, Rose was just getting started. The final gift...
The entire lot of us (friends and family) were headed for the local minor league ball park to take in the evening from our own private patio...
And Pampaw, after a quick warm up...
...was to throw out the first pitch.
The rest of the night provided the perfect atmosphere for catching up.
Followed by one last gift/surpise...
.
Pampaw leading the crowd in "Take me out to the ballgame."
Sunday morning, we all attended the church Pampaw is currently pastoring. Katie and Chris were pulled in at the last second to complete the Gilstrap Quintet.
Although quick, the weekend provided ample food for thought as we headed back toward Colorado. It is the selflessness and focus with which Pampaw approaches his every day life that was most poignant during a weekend in which there were plenty of memories made. We are proud and lucky to call him Grandpa (well, Pampaw, but you know what we mean). And we can only hope that for the big 7-5, he won't let the mascot peer pressure him in to throwing from the mound.
2 comments:
Congratulations and happy birthday
from the Duvalls!!!!!boy you guys really know how to "do it up big"
I could smell the hot dogs!!!
Your husband, and a child your proud of?? (one in the same.)
Love you, love your blog,
GMS
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