Gordon Grant Johnson, my grandpa

My grandpa, Gordon Grant Johnson, passed away Friday night. He has been very ill, due to cancer and old age and has been in the hospital for almost two months, I think he was 83. Though his passing brings much sorrow to my family, it also brings with it peace. I love my Grandpa Johnson and will miss him greatly.

I will miss his great love for all things musical. He played the violin and the harmonica and could probably pick up most other instruments. He instilled that love of music in his children, a love that has trickled down to me.

I will miss his love of adventure. Grandpa Johnson loved to go places and see new things, especially after reading about them -- this is a picture of Grandpa with my mom (his eldest daughter) at Kartchner Caverns here in southern AZ about 2 years ago. Even when I was little, whenever I would visit my grandparents in Maryland, they would plan exciting trips for us. With them I have traveled up and down the East Coast and seen amazing things.

Grandpa Johnson also loved spending time with his family, even if it meant being dragged out into the middle of the AZ desert. Here he is in 2006 with us riding ATV -- he was content just sitting in the shade under a tree with grandma.

I'm going to miss him very much, but know that he is in a much better place. It is times like these that I am reminded again how grateful I am for the Plan of Salvation and the role that my Savior Jesus Christ plays in that Plan. That because of the sacrifice of the Savior, and because of the blessings of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ - namely the priesthood power, the saving ordinance of the temple, and personal covenants we make with our Heavenly Father -- we can be together as a family throughout all eternity. I am truly blessed.

Thursday, my brothers and mom and dad and I will be flying out to attend the funeral on Friday. I was just thinking that the menu for Friday's activities should be interesting. Usually when my mom's family gets together there is a luau (because my Grandma Johnson is Hawaiian). However, my Grandpa Johnson does not like Hawaiian food -- no exceptions! So it will be interesting to see what is served. I'm voting for good ol' hamburgers and hotdogs. Grandpa Johnson would have loved that. :)