Grandpa Rex

The girls and I have been in California for the last week or so. The beginning was quite rocky, but has since smoothed out, and we've really enjoyed our time here. The first couple of days we got news that my (half) sisters' mom had passed away, and my heart breaks for them, it still feels like we just lost my dad, Emilyn split her tongue open by pulling a drawer out onto her face, and we found out that Matt's Grandpa Rex had fallen and was on a ventilator. It was a what next kind of day.
It turns out that they think Grandpa either had a hard attack and then fell, or fell and then had a heart attack, but either way he broke a bone in his neck and was unconscious by the time the ambulance came. He was out fixing a sprinkler in true Grandpa fashion, so nobody is exactly sure what happened. He has been struggling with congestive heart failure, but other than the weight loss, you could hardly tell that he was uncomfortable and in pain. Out of the three grandparents Matt and I have left, he was really the strongest. By the time I heard about the accident, he was in the hospital on a ventilator, and a few short hours later they were taking him off and letting him go. Even if he would have recovered from the heart attack he would have the neck injury to deal with which could leave him paralyzed. It was a peaceful way to pass on, but I miss him already. I missed out on the opportunity to say goodbye, and then again on some closure since the funeral was in Utah yesterday. I wanted to go home, but between the logistics, the cost, and the girls, it didn't seem possible. I really struggled with not being there, and I appreciate Matt's understanding. I was pretty close to Matt's Grandpa. I'm not sure if it was because both my grandpas died before I was born or because we just had a special connection. They shared some thoughts and memories at the funeral and here is what I sent my brother in law to share:
Grandpa Rex took me in as part of the family immediately upon meeting me. We had a special connection from the start, and I've always felt close to him. Matt often teased me that he liked me best! Grandpa had a way of making everyone feel like they were his favorite. I think we always got along so well because we were both so stubborn and willful, we just understood each other. I have admired his strength, both in body and character. We would arrive to help him do a project, and he would have half the tree stump out himself! I love his complete understanding of the gospel, and my most fond memory will always be having him seal Matt and I together in the temple. I know he was ready to move forward, but for those of us he left behind, he is already missed.