Dear Guillianna and Elijah-
While we cannot begin to imagine how hard it has been on you without seeing us, or how sad it made you to have felt that you must choose, or even what could possibly have been said to you that could make your hearts ♥️ no longer wish to see or hear from people you simply loved being with ( if that is even true) … we do hope you can rest assured knowing that we know you are strong and brave and you will always have memories of wonderful experiences.
Guillianna loved this outfit. She had one in black and one in white . Maybe you Guge will remember this trip to Indianapolis for cheerleading. You loved that activity more than words could say the smile on your face at the end of each practice or competition was priceless. You were so proud to have learned so many things and looked so forward to it. The time spent supporting you in this was so worth the happiness it brought you. You had the biggest cheering section for sure ! You were able to make your whole team smile from your passion for it and the Sparklers left a great deal of fun memories in your heart I am sure. We traveled so many places and had so much fun. Eli was so excited to cheer you on and for his time with us while you were involved with it, and to hang with Liam as well as getting to travel to Disney with the team ! OH MY HOW WE Love ❤️ this face and the wonderful and loving person inside – who always loved being with her Nana and Poppy!
It’s told to us that you don’t want to see or talk to us now ( again we don’t really know this to be what you say, what you think, what you feel must be … we simply do not know or understand , since last we saw your face in May, you were begging to FaceTime Poppy) and for whatever has been told to you to make your sweet hearts so unhappy — ( if that is the case ?), we are at a loss. Maybe it’s simply easier on you knowing there is so much unhappiness toward us resulting from the many years you lived in the Mitten, or that you have felt there is no way to cope, or possibly you have been told untruths to make you hurt, or maybe you hurt that we have not been able to help you during this time . Or maybe a combination of things ? We truly don’t know and no matter what the case may be we are worried for you, for our daughter who has allowed this to happen, or succumb to something that has allowed her to regress into isolation of some sort- it is all just so unfathomable ! No matter what the reason for this dysfunctional situation to have evolved, we write this letter of love to ensure that your real and true memories – the actual facts of your first early years of life – are preserved. If you wish we had been able to prevent this “cold turkey” withdrawal you’ve felt from all that you ever knew as home, we will forever be sorry that you both were not allowed to keep your relationships or belongings and that you’re entire lives felt uprooted. We are so sorry for that beyond words – and never imagined this being the result of our promises to your mom and to you both. Again, as I have said in letters passed, there is no way for us to undo the decisions of others, and each person has an opinion or right to believe in what they think is best. The only hope we as your grandparents have is that their children will see that the love and support given for all your lives were good, out of love, and have value. That family is a gift in our opinion but others may not agree and when it comes to children, the parents make that choice. This photo of Guillianna is indicative of how every single person in the Mitten, knowing her, would say accurately depicts her day to day life! Happy, positive, upbeat, caring, genuine and always close to her Nana! Maybe the song “where ever you go what ever you do” that was sung feels like we are not together but we are – we are both feeling loss deeper than the deepest part of the ocean and sadness, frustration and confusion at this situation . “What ever you do, we’re going to do it together”. “Through thick and through thin all out or all in” you’d sing it with me. And it’s possible you could feel I let you down, that I didn’t do something to make mom keep the promise you’d be back in two weeks or keep the promos you can call or try to stop the way the reintegration and slow down or minimize the drastic way the change back into your lives with mom and dad took place, and you were just so small to be able to know the truth behind how we will always have a connection in your heart regardless of what has been said or how this was handled. Elijah and you both have huge portion pretty much every part of your lives until last January 1 2018 that was good, wonderful, special and beyond happy. There was and is no need to cloud it, to falsify or misinterpret in order to build the family relationships that were desired, but it is how it was chosen to be done. No attachment for you as children translated to instantaneous bond most likely. Together, we endure the decisions respect that they are made from unusual and difficult circumstances. Not how we would have chosen and not our right to decide this for you. Nothing however will change the actual days and nights spent over nine years time to be anything less than the gift they were. These snapshots into past will hopefully allow you to both know you had an amazing and fun ride, and not a sad childhood.
This is Elijah with Nana and Poppy on a “special”. So often we had “specials”. We used to go to hotels and get a room just to swim ! This was always so much fun ! Poppy and Nana would love the smiles and laughter and we did this when ever we could to brighten up a winter day or cool off a hot summer one! Room service was a favorite for both of you. From all areas of the Mitten to Pittsburgh and Chicago, Indianapolis, Florida and Washington too! We had so many fun times and the thousands of photos will help you see that the heart can see and remember things that words cannot change. There never will be nor was there ever a time that your Nana and Poppy ever wanted sorrow for you, our intent was to share in your amazing lives, to help our daughter when ever and how ever she asked us to help her, to be the best Nana and Poppy we could be and love with all our heart and soul!
We love you both to the moon and back,
forever and for always,
XOXOXOXOXOXO
❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?
Nana
This was our THIRD visit with Guillianna, we had flown in the day she was born, and mommy brought her to the Mitten when she was just days old for some extra help that moms sometimes need after a baby is born – she then for you to see dad, and to pack up for you to come to the Mitten for a year , This photo came when they had already left for the Land of Sand and this website began. It was just before Valentine’s Day ! The love letters we wrote are still on this site, We tried so hard to keep your mom and dad connected during a time that there was no FaceTime no real way to communicate – we even installed a camera so they could see you sleeping on Skype or some sort of internet based link