DTTA

have you ever met a cuter grandpa than this guy right here?!? seriously! this is grandpa dick fairbanks - dust's grandpa, and very sadly, he passed away this past week. i thought that our kids deserve a little tribute to the guy their dad calls his "best friend."

 

i think it was the week after dust and i started dating (the 1st time!) that i was honored enough to meet this important man. him and gerry were so welcoming to their grandson's new girlfriend, and i had a feeling we would make many stops by the fairbanks home over the next few months. dust didn't let me down, and i got to know grandpa dick a lot better over the past few years. he always amazed me with his constant smile and positive attitude despite the many trials he went through on a daily basis. he was a true family man and was happiest watching sports with his wife or visiting with the kids and grandkids at family gatherings. he had a delicous recipe for chocolate sauce, and he was all about the sweets - maybe he was the one who passed that on to my sweet tooth husband! he was also one of the most loving people i'd ever met, and we never left the fairbanks home without a hug and a kiss (even though i'll admit i turned my cheek for the wet ones that grandpa dick tried to lay on me! haha).


i knew before dust and i got married that dust's best friend would be a big part of our lives, and i welcomed it with smiles and giggles. grandpa dick always made me smile whether it was his smart comments or his funny stories from the past or the way he could down a bowl of tootsie rolls or saltwater taffy :) we always stopped by when we were in the neighborhood, and i knew that my hubby and this wonderful old man had a very special relationship. dust looked up to him soooo much and talked to him about everything, and i knew we could count on him for anything any time anywhere. he was fittingly the best man at our wedding, and there was no one better to play that part in our lives!

 

there was also no one quite as excited as grandpa dick for the birth of our baby, beckam! along with his dad, becks will carry the name of this wonderful man on forever. dustin richard fairbanks tolman and beckam richard marshall tolman - 2 very lucky and very proud boys of their meaningful names :)

 

as hard as it's been and will be to understand and accept that this amazing man is not in our lives here on earth anymore, he is with his sweetheart up in heaven smiling down on us healthy and happy as can be! it's sooo comforting to know where he is and that we will get to hang out with him and gerry again. my heart goes out to the rest of the family, and we are doing our best to remember the good times (and there are many!) and smile at the amazing man's life that we were blessed to be a part of here in portland. we will always miss and love you eleventy four DTTA! you are one of our greatest examples and our best friends forever and ever :)

 

love you grandpa dick!