When we decided to move to Indiana I was excited to be moving so close to my Mom's hometown. My Grandfather was the Dean of engineering over at University of Illinois and after he passed away, the engineering building was named after him. I have not seen the building in twenty years, so we decided to drive over to Illinois.
This is the house my Mom grew up in. I knocked on the door to ask if we could take a picture and she invited us in and gave us a tour. We were able to see a lot of my grandpas woodwork and she even showed us labels in the closet that my grandmother had put there. My Grandma died before I was born, so it was neat to see her handwriting and her love of organizing. Something she and I both share!
The mailbox still says W.L. Everitt!
This is my step Grandma. We stopped in to say hello and had a good visit.
Then we headed over to see his building. While I know this posting is not interesting to everyone, I know my brothers will appreciate it. I felt so proud seeing his name everywhere!
This plaque has some of his quotes on it and captures his personality quite well. Hard to read, but very funny!
Molly in front of the building.
Me
Me, My engineer husband and our future engineer. I think Grandpa would approve!
Of all the things I am most proud about my Grandpa, it is the legacy of goodness and kindness he left behind. He had many accomplishments in his life. He changed aviation and radio and the world of engineering, but people who knew him loved him because he was so kind. He was known for getting to know his students and helping them in life, not just academics. He was funny and inviting. He had an open door policy that enticed his students to confide and trust him. I am grateful for the memories I have with him and I wish he were still around. I think we would have had a great time together.
Tomorrow will be 23 years since he passed away.
I thought this was the sweetest picture of my Brother Everitt and Francie. He has a great relationship with his kids. It was neat to watch him calm her nerves and talk to her about what to do.
Cute Family!
We also got to spend time with my good friend Tara and her little boys. It was so good to actually spend time with them. Somehow she is always out of town when I am there.
Molly loved the Giraffes and the monkeys. Then she had a melt down. We were only there for a little over an hour, but we had fun while she lasted!
Here she is with Grana looking at the monkeys.
No visit is complete without Molly trying on one of Tibu's hats.
Tibu took Molly in to the hot tub and played with the fishies, and then they went for a dip in the cold pool. She wasnt a fan of the cold pool.
He also taught her to throw rocks in the pool. I told her that was an activity she was only allowed to do with her Tibu.
He is an amazing father. Molly adores Nathan. I love watching her get so excited when he comes home. She follows him around everywhere and generally prefers him over me. They read books and go on walks and spend a lot of time together.
He went out to mow the lawn a few days ago and she was devastated that he was leaving so she sat and watched him.
Every time he would get close to the window she would pop up and start screaming.
This is the house my Mom grew up in. I knocked on the door to ask if we could take a picture and she invited us in and gave us a tour. We were able to see a lot of my grandpas woodwork and she even showed us labels in the closet that my grandmother had put there. My Grandma died before I was born, so it was neat to see her handwriting and her love of organizing. Something she and I both share!
The mailbox still says W.L. Everitt!
This is my step Grandma. We stopped in to say hello and had a good visit.
This plaque has some of his quotes on it and captures his personality quite well. Hard to read, but very funny!
