Love you both !

Dear Guillianna and Elijah-

Another day has come and gone but not without many good and wonderful memories of you both.    It’s the weekend and hopefully the two of you have lots of family fun time ahead in the coming days.   We will likely see family over the weekend  here in the Mitten.   That is always special !  We are continually wishing and hoping that you have great happiness and that you will feel our love through out each and every day, and the peace and knowledge that we will always love you both to the moon and back,

forever and for always

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

 

Remembering Thinkerbell and the gang!

Dear Guillianna and Elijah –

So yesterday I reassembled most of the fairy garden given to Guillianna by Coach Becky and Mr Brian.  It’s  been something I didn’t do for quite a while,  since we moved.      It occurred to me that even though it was so sad that wasn’t taken with you when you left, it had so so many fun memories.  I simply felt I should reassemble it and hope one day in a perfect world you can see the image that may help you to remember Thinkerbell, Jasmine, Musilina, Beanie, and all the rest of them.  To think of mini marshmallows and the magical happiness.         I have been accused of lying to Guillianna, and making you both “dependent” upon  DreamStarters.   I believe in childhood dreams and fantasies, in reading and building stories to help little ones sleep.  Or bring excitement to the morning stories that would unfold when we would expound upon DreamStarters.   All fun things and joyful memories!  I only wish there were a way for me to understand  or to believe that any of what  happened, how you lived, and your experiences while   living  in the Mitten were in any way bad or harmful to either of you.     Poppy and Nana will always remember the fun, the imaginations that flourished, the love that was present, the memories that make up a very happy and healthy childhood.    It is our hope that you will too.    The embellishment or distortion of your memories is such a risky road to take when the real sentiments felt by grown people  have nothing to do with the life shared with you two  for so long.  What a shame it is for your memories to be tainted with anything negative if the real issues have nothing at all  to do with your time spent in the Mitten.

The real message and memories  of your time in the Mitten  is “LOVE ❤️“,  true pure love and we hope nothing will ever change that memory from your hearts.   As children whose love for Nana and Poppy is buried deeply, whose love can no longer be shown or shared, please know it’s okay and we understand, we want for you to be happy and have the love of your mom and dad and hope for one day all  of your family to see that love is good and okay, that it is a gift to share love for each other – and you should always know that we DO know how much you loved all of the time we spent.   We are sure it has been so much more difficult than words could say to keep inside all you feel and know to be true – to leave behind all you knew all you did and most everything that was yours  – but you are brave, strong, loving, great children who will have an entire world of dreams and a lifetime to explore them.

We will always treasure our memories .   From memories of Elijah and his Nana loves me bear !  To Guillianna and the Nana loves me shirt she could not part with ….

We hope you’ll one day know you’re loved to the moon and back …. Nana and Poppy will always love you –

forever and for always

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

 

Truths weather the storm…

Dear Guillianna and Elijah,

Field trips and birthday parties, and fun times !   I hope and am certain you will  have new friends and new adventures-  yet it will be fun one day for you to look back and remember so many Mitten adventures.    The photo above is when Elijah went to a birthday party for Annalise.    Guge was not invited to this one so there is not a photo of her on a horse but instead she went to an ice skating party for a friend, Kate, that Elijah was not at.   Or an organized trip to a pretzel factory where one child is invited  and the other is not- We have heard about how we didn’t let Eli ice skate but we’re  never asked why, nor did we hear how we didn’t let Guilliana ride,  and ironically all to build an impression to small kids that we were unfair!   Hopefully now as active full time parents  more is now understood about  how when invited to birthday parties it can be difficult to always have the sibling attend too, (especially when siblings are not included), rather than to tell innocent children and build a case that says  that their grandparents were unfair, maybe as time goes on there will be understanding – a simple request of explanation rather than accusation and partial truths to twist and manipulate the reality into a case for disowning grandparents .   The saddest thing of all is that two innocent kids have been made to believe that their grandparents they loved with for so many years are somehow bad, when everything in their souls will be telling them it’s not true, that worthwhile people they love and care for are somehow inhuman, that human lives are disposable , and can be cut out like paper snowflakes from their lives… that idea, that sad concept is why we must write.  The hope that one day truthful real and important foundational memories will be seen, freed, and the warmth and compassion inside of the two of you will see and understand that the real truth is everyone loves you both!   Everyone has done for you the very best they were capable of doing, that your parents love you  and your Nana and Poppy do too.    That you do not need to ever be sad, feel bad, or live with guilt.   You need not be angry, or feel hurt.    We love you we always will and we will always know truth and so too will you .

There have been so many things in the Mitten that were done together, and so many things that were done that were individual either based upon age, extracurricular activities chosen by your parents,  or friends etc., however no matter what anyone ever infers, during the Mitten stay, while in our care,  you two,  were our priority and we always put your needs first !   Always !   Your happiness was everything to Poppy and Nana.    Making mom happy, showing her that she could count on us, that she can trust.    Making someone believe in family and trust is not easy.    We always hoped we could .    We can still hope one day it is seen and no one can take away a persona hope.    It lives deep inside with all the love a parent and grandparent has.

  

Seems there have been amazing moments captured and it is those images we hope will continue to live inside of you.   The hope is that if you have felt you must side with unkind words, side with falseness and ideas of unhappiness in the Mitten, to feel loved and accepted to feel safe and stable we can fully appreciate the long term effect of that situation.    We also understand and love you both.   We know that you have both been caught in between the love and good you have always felt from us  and the new reality that is  we have been exiled or forbidden from your lives.    Never forget that the truth is always the truth and eventually it finds a way to survive and rise out of a storm of untruths.

We love you both TO THE MOON AND BACK,

FOREVER AND FOR ALWAYS,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Warmth, hope and Love ❤️

Dear Guillianna and Elijah-

This is a “selfie” sent to me from you two one day long ago ,  looks like the two of you are doing some  “sha guge eli agins” –   Fun times for sure !

The school week is underway and the first full week after s holiday break is always a little hard in that you have to get back into the routine of school, the holidays are over and the lessons at school begin , however there IS something GREAT to look forward to.  VALENTINES DAY !     Making Valentines for classmates, the memories of Valentine’s Day passed- it is after all the day of ❤️LOVE ❤️

That is something everyone has in common when it comes to the two of you.     Love!    Last year for Valentines  day  Nana and Poppy were just beginning to see what would be ahead.    A year ago today Youd only been gone a few days and we had thought you would be back for a post operative check in a few weeks.     After all  that was what we were told when we asked why everything was being left behind- we were told all your belongings were still in the Mitten because you would be back in a few weeks as well as for visits and there was no indication of what lay ahead.   In January I got a reminder call  from the doctor’s office, and so I spoke to mom,  we learned you were not coming then but would another time .   In February we sent you each Valentines boxes with surprises inside. Up to then we had begun sending post cards and using a special photo app,  to send you love notes , to help you know we were thinking of you , and try to help since the last words we heard as you two were literally sobbing in the car as you left was that  “yes,  you’d be able to call ”,  and would  yes “you would be back on a few weeks”.  At you’re request( both of you asked and loved getting it )  we used to send you “lunch love” every day at school and so I began sending these cards to you at your new home.  Then,  we sent the Valentines to you both.   This is when we recognized there was serious change and  what we later learned was that these things were being withheld.     As time continued to pass we began to see that there was an alternative course being taken and it was not until May following numerous requests to see or talk to you, that phone numbers were changed  and contact was stopped by your parents.  The letters and cards we sent have been saved for you in digital format and you will one day know that we didn’t stop caring, we didn’t stop loving you, we simply , like you, were in the position to watch the unthinkable unfold .

This is a sculpture – it depicts the feeling of loss – and it is without question applicable to us in so many ways-    And we feared that you two at such a young age,  would be subject to similar feelings.  It has been proven that physiological and psychological changes can be seen following significant loss and can significantly impact everything in your body in so many different ways – As time passed and the situation grew worse we began to write these letters again.     To try to help fill in, and piece together the huge void in all of our lives.  While each of us is different and opinions on “how to “ or “what is best”  may greatly vary- one thing is sure.    Everyone loves Guillianna and Elijah, everyone has been impacted and as people who have been primary care givers for so long  with experience and knowledge beyond that of small children or even our own adult children, we will work so hard to make sure we take any and all steps we can  to help heal the broken heart-  be it yours, ours, our daughter, the family – any and all of those whom have loved you both for so many years !   The love ❤️ is so real and sincere you can see it in every single photo and feel it in ever sing memory.    Never forget how loved and lucky you both are to have so many who think of you all the time are wishing happiness for you always and want or see you excel in your life choices .   You do have so many family and friends who send you love hugs and kisses!

We hope you school week is underway and that with all else in the week you must do- that helping you along the way is  the feeling of love  and support.     It’s our belief that your understanding of our absence has been tailored or manufactured/contrived to allow the belief that our absence is for reasons that are not factual.   Love,  like what you two have known is not imaginary, and it doesn’t disappear.    We will always hope for a change of heart.     This website has been around since Guillianna was but weeks old, and one day you may see it again.  Our hope is if you do at least some of the emptiness you could feel as a child will be replaced with the warmth, hope love and gratitude we feel in our hearts when we think of you.

We love you both to the moon and back,

forever and for always,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?