HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH!i

Nana September 21, 2018 0Comments

Dear Eli and Guillianna !

Today is the big day ! You turn 7 years old ! HAPPY ? BIRTHDAY ! While I cannot say in this love letter things about how amazing and proud we are of you at your school, the hard work at reading you do, or your baseball or other activities, since we have not been told anything about you in months …   We have not been sent a single photograph of either of you, so we dont even know how big you are, how you have changed.  That is pretty ironic since this entire journal is a small sample of the thousands of photos we have always sent your mom and dad.   Bridging the distance gap and making sure nothing got in the way of its imporatnce.    What WE CAN TELL YOU  is this  –  based upon what we know of you – what we saw – and how awesome you are … THE LITTLE MAN WHO LEFT HERE 9 MONTHS AGO IS WITHOUT A DOUBT…. SO SMART. SO HAPPY. SO SILLY. SO FUN. WE KNOW HOW YOU LOVE HUGS TICKLES SNUGGLES AND RUNNING FAST. WE KNOW HOW YOU LOVED BAKING WITH NANA. HOW YOU LOVED BUILDING TRACKS FOR YOUR CARS AND YOUR POPPY ELI TIME AS WELL AS NANA ELI TIME! WE KNOW YOU LOVED TO BE POPPY’S BASEBALL BUDDY!

We know that you are probably the most amazing first grader and we ARE PROUD of you!

Mommy always wanted for you each to celebrate on birthdays by giving the sibling of the  birthday child a ” little brother” or “big sister” gift. This is how she has celebrated on each of your birthdays. That is sure easy since both of you love each other and work so hard at being good to each other every day ! Guillianna you are the best big sister – and I hope you take time today to know how proud we are of your love of family. You sure did learn early on the importance and value of having a loving family. You always have had a huge amount of respect and caring for all of those around you !

I have sent you a package with birthday gifts for Eli and big sister gift for Guillianna and I did get confirmation of the delivery. I also sent you some baseball cookies that arrived today ! I am so sorry that Nana and Poppy do not know what toys you like to play with, or what you need or want. We sent some things you will hopefully enjoy ! Enjoy your special day.   From the moment you were born into this world  (and this applies to both of you being born early,  you have been so strong from the beginning,  so never ever give up on hope, on dreams, and on the people you may not see, we are here, we love you, and we are so proud of how brave you are.  Click below and see your first day!

I know I have posted some of these before, its just these are a few of Poppy’s favorite photos and like I said, without mom and dad sending us any photos at all, you are bound to find some that are the same.

That way you wont have to go so far back in the love letters to see them.   I will keep adding more, and floating around some of the old photos so it isnt so hard to find pictures I may have posted years ago…. and when I do, I will write you a new love letter each time.   Just like LUNCH LOVE!  ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

We love you to the moon and back – today- tomorrow and always ….

THIS IS TWO YEARS AGO ON ELIJAHS BIRTHDAY!

SO MUCH FUN!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Will repeat again and again – how truly loved you both are, today, tomorrow and always!

Nana September 20, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guge and Eli-

Look at this – this artwork is from when Guillianna was super small. I found it in my boxes of papers and important things I have saved…

I have artwork from both of you that both of you made for either Poppy or myself. I don’t know if you know this – but I packed each and every paper from school during the days and years spent with us and made certain they got to your parents. I shipped some to your mom when she was in Korea since she would have evenings when not at work to see what you were doing. The rest – I packed up and I gave to her, all set – and ready for her to keep. You did such amazing work and can be so proud.

I am still unpacking some things from our move. As I unpack it’s a sad reminder that mom and dad didn’t have you take hardly any of the belongings that were yours- when you left. There are so many years worth of belongings- toys clothes and memories – all of which were just left behind. ?

When I asked mom, why daddy didn’t load any of it onto the truck he rented – she said you would be back in two weeks for your eye doctor post surgery checkup – and she was leaving leave them for your cousins.

We hope you are having fun –  that you’ll grow happy and feel loved beyond measure- We also hope all the new toys and things helped ease your sadness- please know that love and dreams, love and courage, love and memories cannot ever be left behind. They stay with you. If you keep your beliefs, what you know to be true – close to your heart – if you choose to live happy and grateful for the life your mom and dad are trying to give you, if you do your best every day – not only will you be ok- but your lives will be good and we hope very happy . Choices are very important. If you always choose to be the best person you that you can be, be kind, honest, you will find all the happiness you could ever want ! There are times in life when your heart breaks and if you can say was I honest, kind, and did I do my very best. It will carry you to another day ! ( Likely as an adult Guillianna and Eli reading this , I hope you’ll fully understand and live to the fullest these hopes and dreams that your grandparents and all the extended family have for both of you, and all of our grandchildren )

I hope that mom sings you both the good morning song every day – or if not I hope you hear it in your memories and start each day happy- and that you create your own awesome dream-starters to end each day.

As we end this love letter let us get back to other important stuff. LOOK ? – This next pic is an art piece of Elijah’s! Followed by a couple more good memories for you to embrace!

I have to believe one day when you are free to make choices in your own lives, without guilt or fear,  and from the love in your heart, you will always choose kindness, we hope you will choose to do good in this world, to be grateful to your mom and dad for all the things they will do in the coming years to help you grow and learn- and to an entire family of people in the Mitten who have been there with you both year after year wishing you love and joy ! We hope that as adults you will both always ❤️ LOVE and put value on the family you choose to share your life with, for family is a gift . YOU HAVE always LOVED BEING OUR GRAND CHILDREN in the past AND we hope you KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHERE LIFE TAKES YOU – we will ALWAYS love you and we still and always will love being YOUR GRANDPARENTS ! We WILL ALWAYS LOVE you both very very much. Keep making good choices and keep smiling !

We love you both and hope your week has been good. We imagine it to be full of new friends at school, lots of activities with dad now that he is out of the Army and that mom is happy to have you home. I know for sure – we tried hard to make our children happy , grow and learn, and we hope that they stay safe by making good choices. Sometimes our children listen. And sometimes they follow their own choices. If you heard that we are bad people , don’t let it make you sad. If you have to agree with people who may say that we are bad people -it is ok… we understand and every child needs to feel secure and loved- and should never be made to choose! Please do not let it make you sad. We ABSOLUTELY KNOW how you BOTH felt when you were here and we do know the truth . WE KNOW YOU LOVE US AND YOU LOVE YOUR PARENTS… AND THAT IS A GOOD THING ! No matter what anyone says, We never have “blamed” you for anything ! We never will blame you for anything ! And we will always support your family.  The good you learned in the Mitten will stay with you forever. It’s called a foundation. You had the very best foundation we could provide. Mom and dad sent you to Notre Dame and some of cheer and gymnastics/soccer, and poppy and Nana took very seriously the responsibility to see to all your needs and to make you as happy as possible. Only time will tell if you will hold on to all the realities seen in some of these photos I share. You may be 18, 25, 45 or a grandma/grandpa before you read all of this but when you do- There is one thing I say over and over and over again …..

WE LOVE YOU BOTH – To the moon and back again – you are both so so so loved , by all the people in your life – even when you don’t see them. Great grandma’s, great papa, all your aunts all your uncles all your cousins in the Mitten and elsewhere. All the friends and teachers you had here -. We do believe and know – you need peace and happiness. So we will hope – we will write these love letters , and one day- you will see that mom and dad love you, that all those you’ve known through your lives to age 9 and 6 – love you and that your parents chose the  current path for their own reasons – it is how they want to live their lives. Not because you weren’t loved. Not because any one did anything wrong. Not because you were not welcome here and not that you weren’t doing a great job! Until then – we hope you can live every day happy and growing and learning! Playing and laughing. Knowing your loved by all the people who have come to be part of your lives whether you see us all or not. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy ❤️?

Love you two ! ❤️

Nana September 19, 2018 0Comments

Today is Wednesday and it’s T minus 2 days til the big “7” !

Dear Guillianna and Eli-

You’re almost there to the end of the birthday week … only two more days. Hope it’s an amazing day. Hope you loved the gifts we sent and hope you will laugh and smile because you’re having a big birthday party.

I wish we could see pics of you with missing teeth ! Some day, maybe someday. This week Sebastian has been visiting Nana a lot since Ms.Nancy is out of town. He sure does miss playing with you both. You’d be surprised how much bigger he is.

I will see if I can snap a photo for you tomorrow. Until then we love you to the moon and back forever and always,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Remember Trunk Or Treat INSIDE?

Nana September 17, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Eli,

Last year the rain was so bad they had to move the Trunk or Treat inside!

The temperatures are still warm and summer like , but it is not too long before we are enjoying cooler crisp air and falling leaves here in the Mitten state. Remember when Poppy was Robin Hood in the forest!  Sebastian was his horse ? ? so funny right ? You guys had so much fun that night.

Rylee and Guge… best buds for sure… I saw her the other day.  She says they have written you guys and she still has her little stuffed tiger!   She misses you as well they always tried to help us with getting into dance, and being kind.   I know it was very important to your mom that we have lots of play dates, and make friends in the years you were here.   The plan was always to allow you five years, in one place for the sake of continuity.   Education, friends, extra curriculars.   We did all of the things she had asked.   Truly tried to make sure you both were happy and tried our hardest to make sure our daughter was happy.     We celebrated Halloween …… for as long as possible didnt we.   I even remember when Rylee and you went to the Friendly Forest the year before….  Yep seems Halloween was from  mid to late September through October!

In addition last year,  you and the cousins went to Trick or Treat at Grandma Sally’s, before actually celebrating on Oct.  31, and Trick or Treating on actual Halloween night.  It was so so so cold outside, remember ?  Today was like 89 degrees…. I cant imagine that in a month it could snow!

Last year you two did do a lot of trick or treating… for sure!   Carving pumpkins will surely be fun, and who knows…. maybe this year, it will be wonderful trick or treat weather …

Anyway…. hope you pick fun costumes out, and that you will get lots of opportunities to have similar or better times this year!

We love you to the moon and back FOREVER AND ALWAYS,

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

AT GRANDMA SALLYS LAST YEAR with your cousins !