Two to Zero in 23 days...Until we meet again

Total of 2300 miles driven + Mom, Dad, 4 kids & dogs + 17 days in a hotel= heaven to the children, and possibly Dad…absolute nightmare for Mom. All of this in just 23 days. To some this scenario might seem like an enticing adventure for others, not so much. Let me tell the story…it is almost unbelievable.

Looking back at the last couple of months, it is all kind of a big blur. On March 22, 2011, I lost the best stepdad a girl could only dream of. David lost the perfect father-in-law/friend…and our dear children lost the coolest Papa in the entire world. Stephen Ray Shields lost his fight with an evil disease. Papa was a fighter…he fought to the VERY end for ALL of us. He loved us, and we loved him. In my opinion, there was nothing better in life to him than to be a Papa. He was overly protective for their safety, i.e. foam swords were dangerous. They uttered the faintest of whimpers and he instantly coddled. He loved to tease and taunt with his zombie walk…or a mere blow on their tummy followed with a contagious giggle made his day…and theirs too. We couldn’t even get the car turned off and Papa was out the door to greet us. He loved us, and we loved him. Papa was scared of our dogs…shhhhh! That’s our little secret. Papa loved to tell us stories…the same stories…over and over…every time we would see him…and they were always about his children. We loved to hear them. Until the bitter end, Papa loved to hold his grandchildren…without saying a single word, they knew he loved them. It was that sparkle in his eye and that gentle smile…both, he had until the day he “closed” his eyes. He loved us and we loved him.


On April 14, 2011 (only 23 days later), I lost a father-in law that always made me feel like a million dollar princess…he was a flirt. Honestly, I liked to flirt back. David lost a father that always wanted him to be the best he could be. Our children lost their grandfather they had always prayed would get better. No matter his role, Sherman Randolph Hepworth was a top-notch, cream of the crop kind of guy. He always wanted to know about you. Unlike Papa Steve, he was sick the majority of daddy's life…so we didn’t know Grandpa when he was “healthy,” but he loved us and we loved him. Grandpa was very creative, we are pretty sure he could have been a famous poet or artist, especially with watercolors…who knows, maybe he will be some day. Grandpa couldn’t get a round, but boy did he love to hold his grandchildren. Whenever he looked at them, you knew that he knew they were start from heaven. He loved us and we loved him. Grandpa loved to talk and was always excited about when our next visit would be…so were we. We wish we lived closer to Grandpa…but, we loved him and he loved us.


Grandpa had that same nasty disease as Papa. That evil thing treated their bodies different…but, it was MEAN to both of them. You see, Papa was mobile to the bitter end, and Grandpa never was…but, Papa couldn’t talk toward the end, and Grandpa could. But, that didn’t matter because they loved us and we loved them...that evil disease couldn't change this...or the fact that...Papa loved Nana. Grandpa loved Grandma. Grandpa and Papa loved their country. Grandpa and Papa both loved their Heavenly Father and their Savior, Jesus Christ, and knew that the gospel was true…they lived it. This was their legacy….for this we are blessed and for this, we will be together forever someday….until we meet again.