Finding so many photos….

Dear Guillianna and Elijah,

DONT FORGET YOU CAN LOOK AT A LOT OF OTHER Love Letters, dating back all the way FROM 2009 AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.  JUST TYPE A WORD INTO THE “KEYWORD” SPOT.   TRY TYPING “KIKI”, OR “HALLOWEEN”, OR “VALENTINE” AND YOU WILL GET TO CHOOSE FROM ANY POST WHERE I USED THE WORD YOU SEARCH.

LOTS AND LOTS OF PHOTOS WITH SO MANY LOVE LETTERS SENT TO MOM AND DAD over the years.   MEMORIES FOR YOU TO TO SEE WHAT YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE SO SMALL but that show your happy faces, your good times, and your true experience in the Mitten.

I have been finding so many fun photos to share with you.   We hope you are both doing well.  I know that you have been busy with your activities and school, and hope you know that we are so proud of all you must be doing.   Please keep working hard at school, keep being kind, and remember all of the wonderful things you used to learn at school here about ardent love, and the IB profiles.  Caring awards and the brag tags, that you earned, the amazing students you have always been, is sure to shine where ever you go to school.  Wish we could share in your daily stories and dreamstarters, lunch love and all the wonderful things that we once did, but you need to know that even though you may miss those things, we have not stopped thinking of them, and we are always sending you the best wishes every day.

And then there is Elijah…

This little guy …. so cute so tiny.   The idea that you have both like grown so much over these past eight months is so crazy.  Elijah lost teeth and likely has big boy teeth now.   Guillianna I will guess still has long hair, but who knows for sure.   We cannot wait until we can see you again.

I know we will for sure.  It is just a question of when.   I hope sooner than later.

Tomorrow is Halloween, and yet I heard from Aunt Kiki, that where you are they will be trick or treating on post tonight due to weather concerns for tomorrow.   I hope you have so much fun.  I wonder what your costume choices are and hope mom and dad will find a way to send us pictures.   So far we hope for photos, like we used to send to them, every day.   It never seems to happen though but we will not give up hope.

What a cute image of the cutest little sleeping boy, for sure.   Aunt Kiki is having a birthday in a few days.   Anthony had one and so did Janai, but we know your mom and dad were likely so busy they didn’t get a chance to say happy birthday.   Aunt Kiki has always loved you both, as does all your Aunts and Uncles.

This distance has made it impossible for you to see anyone of the family you used to spend so much time with.   I can only imagine that is very sad for you.   Poppy says, do not worry when his birthday comes, just like with Nana’s we have cards you made us and we read those, and remember how great you color and draw.  We know you cannot do anything about the situation, and more important want you to not feel badly that you cannot call or write.    We understand and we love you.  One day we will see you and make up for all the missed time with a big celebration with family and friends.

Until that day we hope you can make dreamstarters for yourselves to keep thinking good and happy thoughts.

Until next time, please know you are so loved, from here to the moon and back, forever and always,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Listen… with your heart!

Dear Guillianna and Elijah-

Today is Friday , and I definitely still get to enjoy Bash visits … it reminds me how much you both loved when he came to Nana’s on Friday’s or to your school. You used to make him laugh so hard ! Click over the link and you’ll find a video memory !

Then there is the video where Poppy took you and Elijah on a special date night… to show you how amazing it is to have a date with someone special and how you should always be made to feel.  SPECIAL!

Today in this photo he is just a few months shy of two years old. He is still so adorable and to me it sure seems he is growing fast.

Today he tried to fit into Guillianna’s doll stroller. He found it very funny ! I remember Guillianna and Eli both doing this with this same toy! It must be true that the older a person gets – the faster things and time- go by. We can’t imagine how you two have likely grown. I wonder if you even remember us ? Or if you’ve changed so much from what we remember? That is what is hardest for Poppy and I- it’s the idea we’ve been told that you two don’t want to see us or talk to us!!!!!!

The idea that something or that someone has said things that moved you from wanting to get good night kisses, dream starters and hugs every single night, changed the hysterical crying that happened when you had to leave, crying so hard about how you’d miss us  … to this new and completely changed relationship.   We are told you no longer want to know us ?

We have no option but to believe That it’s either – you’re afraid of hurting your parents feelings or that some sort of lie / miscommunication or mis information has occurred.

Both options are so sad ! All we can really hope at this point is THAT YOU LISTEN to YOUR HEARTS ❤️ AND KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS for you  TO always BE GOOD amazing KIDS WHO LOVE WITH ALL of their HEART and soul – ALWAYS REMEMBER THE LOVE YOU HAVE KNOWN FOR ALL THESE YEARS AND BE KIND.  KEEP all of the family and friends, teachers and PEOPLE YOU LOVE and care for,  CLOSE TO YOUR heart AND BE STRONG.

 

So our hope is that with these letters, videos, photos – to you both are images of the true past and that they will stay inside you and help you through. That you will both ALWAYS remember to LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART. To have grown up with us – to have so many firsts. To learn to eat, crawl, walk, talk read and write … and somehow come to a point of NO CONTACT – and what it is our lives now ? Well that is incomprehensible to us! So we we too listen with our hearts ? and that is why we write- to remind you we will never be upset with you. That we loved every moment we ever had in your lives. And hope to be in your lives again soon. We would not ever miss a chance to see you at activities or at birthday celebrations. We simply love you and have no choice but to allow mom and dad to do things as they see fit. Here’s another link for you to click !

I think that I have video of all of these kind of things – and I remember having one of Elijah walking behind Guge on a tricycle when he took his first steps. ?

Here is another happy face !

The smiles the love the memories – they all warm our hearts. We love you both so very much. We hope one day you know how much and that the two of you as well as your mom and dad are all very happy.

Love you both forever and always – this link always melts my heart…..

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Running ? Having fun ? Keeping busy we’re sure!

Dear Guillianna and Elijah –

I hope you had a great day today ! Poppy does too! We imagine you’re busy every day school and maybe even have taken up running ?‍♀️ to make mom and dad happy ? since they love it so much. Elijah always loved it. Guillianna not so much in her cheer days but surely will learn to if it wins her daddy’s heart.

I remember doing the 5k with you both at Notre Dame and I asked mom in an email recently to please consider coming to the Mitten for homecoming. I never heard back. It would have been fun for all of you for sure. Maybe next year? Maybe you’re rock climbing too – we have no idea how you’ve been spending your days now but what ever you do we hope your healthy happy and safe. We hope you know you’re loved and missed.

 

I hope you also carved some pumpkins ! It’s almost time to turn back the clock for daylight savings time. Wish I could turn back time for us all to last year this time. So we could see each other. Poppy and I send hugs love and dreams if happy days.

Until next time please know we love you to the moon and back FOREVER AND ALWAYS.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

The struggle is so real …

Dear Guillianna and Eli-

What a cool  VIDEO !

 

 

Videos like this with memories of all the fun we had make us wonder, how we can make sure that you know forever- just how powerful love is! It has strength bigger than any super hero – more powerful than you could ever imagine. When something is true and right – no distance, no amount of time, no stories or perceived ideas can change what the heart knows.

I know that when you lived in the Mitten we had so many days weeks, hours, months, years of love and laughter. School field trips and play dates. Birthday parties and friends. These flood to mind when Poppy or I think of you both ! We have the philosophy that family is important. We have the philosophy that our children were lucky to have grandparents and they saw them all the time. They loved when they came to hockey games and we’d meet them just like we did when you were here weekly for meals or gatherings for all sorts of reasons. So this way of living without family is very different to us – to all of us ! Mom and Dad are following their own dreams and they live life on their own terms – the difficult part for us is that it must be so hard for you both. To tuck away your feelings for us, to make sure you have made them proud and worry of things we know you once did! Things like leaving the cookies for poppy in his brief case or the little love notes- building hot wheels tracks or playing school. Catch in the yard or going around the court and to the pond.

We hope that by posting these small pieces, the snapshots of time that seems gone – a glimpse into what was real and wonderful… by posting memories and telling you how loved you are – well we truly hope you’ll see that it is ok for you to relax- no need to wonder if we are sad or mad for we could not ever be sad with you or mad that you have not called , written or come back . We know you cannot. Do not think that we don’t truly know and feel your heart. We do. We know you !

Don’t worry that you may not even remember all that we have done fir these photos will help . This all began with us loving mommy and wanting to help her – we loved on you for years !

no matter where on the planet ? life takes you – in any country – in any state – in any city , in any school or any activity you do, – the true and honest love ❤️ and joy that is in your memories, and lives in our hearts , cannot be taken from any of us. If you ever need your grandparents we are a call away, and no matter the time day or night we have always been there for all of our children and will try to be for as long as life allows. They say grandparents or people in general cannot really promise to always physically be there , but they can promise to love you forever! If you remember that you will feel happy.

When you have a hard test. When you get a cold. When you hit a home run. Or get the special gymnastic move you’ve worked upon … we are clapping for you. Helping you up, trying to calm your worries and hugging you tight !

Today was another battle – to try and not worry about you both . To hope you are doing great and that the drastic change is not going to affect you in the future. We both worry because we have seen what childhood trauma does and how it affects adults. The post may be long today. Full of pictures all over the place in time …. but the words are calling to you both. Telling you that staying sweet, good, smart and confident in the love and support you have in the Mitten … will help you be the best version of yourselves as you grow! Uncles and Aunts, ?teachers, cousins, friends, your doctors here, all those you two have touched by being YOU- all of us think of you two and want HAPPINESS for you both ALWAYS and FOREVER –

We love you, from here to the moon and back –

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?