Returning after a long hiatus...

Hi everyone. When I started the blog, I was pretty good about updating it. I had gone on a trip to see one of my best friends and the day after I got home, I went to be with my Papa and my family at the hospital for the next 3-4 days until my Papa (my mom's father) passed away. He was very special to me. I always knew that when I had a son, the middle name would be after my Papa. Papa was (it's hard to say 'was') "John David", and Lincoln is "Lincoln John".

Lincoln and Papa had a very special bond between them. I loved seeing Lincoln interact with his Papa when he saw him. I was fortunate to have my mom babysit Lincoln for about a year. My mom happens to live with my Nana & Papa, so Lincoln spent many days of every week while I was in school with the 3 of them. Lincoln would sit on Papa's lap and get cookies, crackers, & puff popcorn from him. He loved playing in Papa's room with Papa's cars that were on his shelf. I didn't smiles come often from Papa over the years, but when Lincoln I'd walk into the room with Lincoln, I saw one...everytime.

Right after Halloween last year, I purchased a mailman costume online for Halloween this year. Papa used to be a mailman. He was the oldest ever employed by the Cedar Rapids post office. I took it over to show Papa and he just grinned. I think he forgot about it after awhile. This year, I decided a month in advance to take it over to Nana & Papa's to have Nana & Nonie (the name the grandkids have for my mom) look at it to see if it would need altered. Lincoln ran into the living room in full USPS mailman attire and Papa's face just lit up. I said "look Papa, Lincoln is YOU for Halloween!"

I'm so glad I decided to do that, because a week later, Papa was gone. I will miss him very much, and I will tell Lincoln about his Papa, how his middle name is after him, and about the special bond they shared. :)

IN LOVING MEMORY OF:

John David "Papa" Reader

February 23, 1925-October 5, 2009

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS