Uncle Fred visits...

Uncle Fred is in town from Louisiana!

He drives from his home to Idaho in some crazy record setting time, and he is like 80 years old!

He is so funny... this trip he at least stopped along the way to see his brother (Jim's Dad) and sis n law in St George. Really, it exhausts me just listening to how long of a drive and how fast he can do it. I don't mind airplanes at all, so I would much rather fly!

We always have fun with Uncle Fred. He is an amazing cook, so to have him for dinner is kind of intimidating... but I threw on some hamburgers and had some left over chicken fettuccine Alfredo, and had just gotten some great corn on the cob and had melons in the fridge... so at least we could feed him well, and he is always so appreciative. He must have told me 50 times how good the food was and thank you so much!

From a cook like him, it makes a girl feel really good to hear that!

I was also able to get what may be one of the last cases of peanut butter I will ever see again. His ward cans these at their cannery and it is the BEST peanut butter in the entire universe, the BEST! But this year was their last time. So I might not get anymore. I hope that doesn't turn me into the p-butter Nazi at my house... I have a feeling, it will be watched and monitored very closely! I love this stuff!!!!

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He is the oldest of 12 children, and he and his late wife Aunt Joyce never had kids of their own. It is so weird how much he and his brother (my fil) are so much alike. Sometimes he will say something or in his actions and I think.... that is just like Dad.

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We talked about getting together more while he is here visiting, he is staying with his sister a couple of towns over. And he has another brother that lives a short distance from them. I hold a huge huge guilt trip that we haven't gone and seen them, or visited and we are soooo close. I just hate having that over my head, but I know they love us anyway... it just stinks. We laughed a little that we would have to get beat up if we come over there, because we only come once in a blue moon, but it would be such a deserving beating!

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Uncle Fred has been a huge Houston Astro fan for years, and he and Aunt Joyce had season tickets forever. They kept all kinds of memorabilia, all their ticket stubs from ALL their games, hats, mugs, score cards (even Nolan Ryans no hitter games) seat cushions, bobble heads. And in his collection Uncle Fred has an Astro team signed baseball every year from 1965 to 2001!!!

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Last year he brought some of his collection and gave it to the teenager, some hats and the score cards, and memorabilia and even an Astros official jersey.

It was soooo generous and the teenager loves it and is so proud to have it.

In the collection there were tons of pins Aunt Joyce collected, and two charm bracelets... I have always wanted to make a charm bracelet with the dangley charms! ALWAYS!!!!

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He gave me hers... I was so thrilled and honored!!! One has charms from all the states they visited, traveling and going to games. It is awesome! The other has very personal items on it, her 1st wedding band, his 15 year pin from Dupont, her high school class ring, a football charm from 1944 Burley Idaho High School championship, and her cheer leading charm... I get teary every time I get it out. I am afraid to wear it outside the house, I don't want to lose any of the charms on it. It is priceless to me! It is so fun to have something from Aunt Joyce to treasure that way. I absolutely LOVE IT!!!

This year Uncle Fred brought his precious baseball collection to the teenager.

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So the boys went through all the balls, one by one. It was so fun to hear his stories and go through the collection. I can't believe he is letting it go, but the teenager LOVES IT, and will take care of it and have it forever!

It is an amazing collection, and we have heard him tell stories of going to different games all these years. But last night I actually thought to turn on the video and record a few stories. He told about one foul ball hit that Aunt Joyce got, and all the men around them were diving trying to get it first, but didn't see where it went, they were climbing all around the seats trying to find it... and she quietly tucked it behind her back and showed Uncle Fred later that she had gotten it.

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It was so cool, they dated it and marked what game and who had hit it.

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Later last night, after Uncle Fred had left, my husband came to me and we were talking more about the collection, and he started tearing up !!!! (this is huge...)

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He said "I can't believe he is letting go of that ball that Aunt Joyce caught! He said I would have that with me until the day I died if it were me, and a ball you caught..."

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Okay, he couldn't have said anything more sweet to me EVER!!!!

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(or was it a dump on me that I can't catch???? hmmmm... no I will believe it was just really sentimental and sweet)

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It just really hit us what Uncle Fred was giving us, it was much much much more than a collection, or memorabilia... it was a piece of his life. A pretty big piece. It probably held more memories than I will ever have in a lifetime. It was a piece of his marriage, his dear wife, something they shared together, they loved it together, and had kept all these precious memories in safe keeping, and now handing them over to us to keep safe, and hold dear.

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How will we ever show him how much we love him and how special he is to us?

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A very dear Uncle and very unselfish and loving to share something so special with us... his time and stories, and hauling peanut butter all the way out to Idaho from Louisiana!

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We love you Uncle Fred!