Grady's Pumpkins
I've always loved everything about fall. In the fall of 2007, I was excited to be sharing the season with our boys. Tyler was in Kindergarten, and that brought new and exciting adventures for us. Cooper was almost 3 - just old enough to really be getting excited about Halloween and everything that goes along with it. Grady was our little man. He was 4 months old and getting such a personality - I couldn't wait to take him out trick-or-treating. He was going to dress as Superman.
We picked out our pumpkins early. Tyler and Cooper picked their own pumpkins and we all picked out a big fat one for Grady. We thought it was funny because his pumpkin was bigger than he was.
On October 19th, our world fell apart when Grady passed away.
I couldn't tell you how, but somehow John and I kept it together enough to give our older boys a Halloween. We painted the pumpkins with them, and on Grady's, I painted his name with one little flower under it. In my mind, it was a perfect tribute to him. But after Halloween came and went, I soon realized that his pumpkin was not going to last forever. I just couldn't bear the thought of throwing it out. I decided to dry the seeds from it and share them with our family to plant the following year.
At harvest time, we saved seeds from those pumpkins. Now we would like to share them with anyone who will promise to plant them and help us raise another generation of Grady's Pumpkins. I want to see this tradition carry on and keep Grady's spirit alive for years and years to come.
Since Grady's passing we have been diligently raising funds for SIDS research. We're asking for a $7 donation for a pack of Grady's Pumpkin seeds requested online. Proceeds will be forwarded to the Spartansburg Playground Fund.
If you are interested in planting seeds in Grady's memory, please let us know - our supply this year is limited.