Grandpa Steve Daw

My grandpa passed away early this morning.  I will miss him so much.  This has been coming for some time, and I am glad to know that he is happy and not suffering, and that we will see each other again.  My Grandpa Thurston (my dad's dad) died before I was born, so Grandpa Daw has been my only grandpa while growing up.  

Here he is last summer with his wonderful wife, Kaye.

Here we are at a get-together at our house in 2006.

At Katelee's blessing day, 2006.

Slumber party in Grandma and Grandpa's backyard!  2008

The first time Grandpa saw Katelee, 2006.

Me and grandpa, June 1, 2009.

Things I will always remember about my grandpa:

• He loved to laugh and always had a good joke ready to tell.  Sometimes he would call me up just to tell me a joke.
• He loved his grandchildren; he was overjoyed whenever we came to visit.  He always had time for us.  He called me often.
• He loved to play games.  We often played dice or card games with him.
• He loved root beer.  
• He was great at skipping rocks.  Once, as a child, he came with our family to a lake.  We kept finding flat rocks for grandpa to skip on the water.  Then my sister, Melissa, found this GIGANTIC flat rock.  We all laughed so hard at the thought of skipping that thing.  Then Grandpa picked it up and threw it; I think it even skipped once!
• He loved Gerald, and told me every time I saw him what a great guy I had married.  Once or twice Gerald took Grandpa to the priesthood session of General Conference, and Grandpa was always so tickled by that.
  
• He always liked to introduce me to others as "my first grandchild."  
• He loved to go to lunch with us.
• He loved to have us over for dinner, games, or a movie.  We loved spending time with him.
• I remember attending his baptism.
• He loved to tell us stories about the pranks he pulled as a kid or funny things that happened to him in the past.  He had great stories.
• Growing up, he always gave us money for our birthdays.
• He loved to have fun.  Every summer he had a family reunion where we all went to Lagoon for a day.  We also had a lot of fun at these reunions playing games and staying up late laughing and talking.
• The fast offering boys in his ward loved to have the route that included his house, because he always gave them a can of pop (probably Root Beer) when they came.
• I loved his laugh.
• He loved to support his family, and was always there for an important event.  I remember him attending my high school graduation, my wedding, Katelee's blessing day, and more.
• He thought cereal bowls were for babies.  Whenever eating cereal or ice cream, he used the BIG bowls.  :)  
• He thought Katelee was so cute and so smart, and told us so often.

I love him; he was a great grandpa to me and I look forward to seeing him again someday.