Grandpa Hoyal!

Rob's sweet Grandpa Hoyal passed away on Monday night. I have known him for 7 years now and I feel like I have lost a grandpa too. Norm was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He lived such a wonderful and happy life and even this last month as he had been in and out of the hospital with sickness and broken bones he still had a big smile on his face and a friendly greeting anytime you arrived to see him.

We visited Grandpa the day before Easter and took a few photos with him and I am so glad to have these now.

Rob and Grandpa, how handsome are these two?
Norm didn't exactly have a quite voice and that was a family joke but he had some of the funniest little sayings that always made me laugh "Good night no!" and "Well that's a fine how do ya do!"

He also LOVED John Wayne and watched his movies all of the time. He even had a life size cardboard cut out of John Wayne!

The first time I went out with Rob we met at a friends and Rob was late. We finally met up with him and turns out he had been up to his grandpa's helping him around the house and that was why he was late. So months later Rob shared with me that when he was leaving his Grandpas he knew he wouldn't have time to go home before meeting for the date and so he used his Grandpa's toothbrush to brush his teeth (Why he thought that was a good idea I don't know.) Well I was pretty sicked out by this story because I may or may not have kissed Rob that night :). Thank heavens I can laugh about it now.

A few weeks ago Grandpa was in the hospital again waiting to have surgery on his hip. Rob and I went to visit him. He was happy and polite as usual, he was lying there in bed and every so often he would just start singing. I don't remember the words to the song he was singing but it was about leaving the Red River Valley.That is the last time I saw and spoke to Norm and in my heart that day I think I knew that would be the last time I saw him alive. He was always so happy even when he was sick. He was a wonderful example and has been a great grandpa to my husband. Rob has learned a lot about the gospel, about service, and life from Grandpa and I will always be grateful to him for that.

I want to share one last story that we heard today at his funeral that I feel shows just the kind of man that Norm was.
His wife was killed in a car accident when he was a young father of 3 (Rob's mom was only 4 yrs old.) The accident happened because a man ran a red light and hit her car. After the accident one night there was a knock on the door. Norm answered the door to find the man who had caused the accident standing there at the door. The man was crying and apologizing and saying how sorry he was. Grandpa Norm put his arms around him, gave him a hug, and told him it was already forgiven.

We will miss Grandpa but we will won't forget his example and all he has taught us!