I have a few days before….

Nana November 10, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah:

Veterans Day – usually a time to think of all the people who have served in any of the armed forces – but I seriously do that every day ❤️ – have always been a person who has great appreciation for the sacrifices made by men and women serving their country –  and I am sure you can  remember  how we always lived this philosophy.    We have said how mom and dad are doing important work,  and time and time again we told you how it is a very nice feeling to serve.    Do you remember when we got uniforms so you could see how it felt to help others –  at the children’s leukemia Halloween event.   Hope you all had a good day and we’re able to feel the gratitude of others for all mom and dad have done.

I have a few days left to sometjing for Poppy’s birthday.   I am trying to make him a  little surprise gift!    He loved the hand-made gifts/pictures and surprises you two would for do for either a birthday or even for no reason at all.   So since its so hard being so far away, Nana is going to think up a plan to make sure he feels loved by you two and all the others in his life that care about him –  for his special day  –

It is actually in November 20 but we are going to celebrate on the weekend and we can always hope that means some extra  fun for you two also –  since there is not school on Saturdays!    I will not ever stop hoping your family will be able to make a visit to the Mitten for any reason be it a birthday,  holiday, or just any day.  To see the way you always smile when you see us!  Pure Joy!

Everyone here is doing okay ,   Uncle David is in the hospital and that is not the best but he needed some surgery and will have another procedure in a few days to hopefully help him more !    He, Aunt Kris and the boys are also working at staying close with each other  despite the fact that they live far apart too.    The fact is  family around him is helpful.  We would love for you to know how loved you are every single day and want you  to enjoy every minute on this adventure called life.    We will love you always and forever,

to the moon and back

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

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A snowy day in the Mitten !

Nana November 9, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah …

The first snow around town arrived this morning ! Aunt Liz and Uncle Nick posted a photo of Bash seeing it, it was so cute !

We hope that you have good memories of playing in it too!

You were ready to go out in the snow in these photos ….   and yes I know they are blurry … but it’s ok. Poppy and I will keep the originals safe if you should ever want them. This website has been around a very long time –  and it has taken so many hours of effort to create it over nearly ten years, so updating it has been a process – and is taking some time,  but we will always work on keeping it for the two of you to enjoy someday ? !  Every day I get photos from through the years popping up on my phone or computer- photos of all of the grandchildren as well as family and friends, events we have all shared.   It is a nice way to start the day, it is so hard for us not having seen any  “new” photos of the two of you, and therefore newer images will no longer pop up!   It is all so truly hard to comprehend!  We can only imagine how big you’ve both grown, since we have not seen  any photos of you both since you left our house the end of December 2018.   Almost eleven months ago !   Maybe that is why we enjoy reminiscing the fun and smiles we used to see every single day.    We love our memories and hope you too will keep some warm memories too locked tight away while also making new ones.   It is most important that you’ll get to share all kinds of new fun, new memories with  mom and dad … good thing for two great kids who we want to have the best things in life no matter what, it doesn’t matter where they live or what happens on the journey – as you grow older your Nana and Poppy are holding your hearts inside or our hearts,  and hope that somehow you are able to feel our love!  To have the love and support of grandparents, is an awesome gift.  To have all your aunts and uncles, cousins and great grandparents and some truly amazing friends you have made already in life,  to support you through your life as well as your parents, it an amazing thing.   That kind of love is something to be treasured and you both have it from the Mitten and all around you every single day.   This is a tree of life, and it has roots that you can see.   The roots hold the tree firmly in the ground and they bring all the nutrition to the rest of the tree so it can grow, be healthy, strong and thrive.   For you two, all of the people who have loved you and cared for you, still do and love being part of your roots, and your tree of life!

We love you forever and always , to the moon and back ,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy ❤️?

Yesterday was a birthday !

Nana November 8, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah –

Yep, it was Aunt KiKi’s birthday and we got such a nice call- they used two phones and, both Poppy and I were able FaceTime with them, but we were all at separate locations.  It was fun to be with them and celebrate. We sang Happy Birthday all together, and then shared (even if only on camera) some dessert and watched as she opened presents.  It was fun to see all of them and celebrate her special day.   I am so sure she misses and loves you so much, but she knows how busy you both have been, and understands so she is not sad when you can’t call or see them.   She too wants  you all to be happy.   I’m pretty sure that they won’t be able to travel to the Mitten for a while – so we were grateful for technology.

Poppy and I hope you’re both doing so good –  and we are just about through another week.  He will be taking off some time from work, and wanted me to be sure to tell you he sends you HUGS AND KISSES! The picture above was taken when we all went away – you two  and we also took Coach Megan and Miss Taylor.  So –  so  – so much fun right ? I think you swam so much that weekend you almost became little fish ?!

I unpacked another box the other day since we moved and figured I would show you something you may remember.  The purple shoe!

Then I began to cook…. and well, cooking with out my two helpers sure is different.

And, I made some soup for Poppy. I always seem to forget we are only two people, and find myself looking to share the extra food . Grandma Sally loves when I can bring her some home made goodies. Being in the kitchen makes me think of the Food Network, kids baking championship show and you two baking with me.   At the end of the day, the thing that makes us most happy is remembering the smiles. The fun and laughter- so many stories to write and keep.   I hope one day you will read them and say, I remember that!   And the smiles will sneek up on your face and be older larger versions of the ones below.

Certainly were a lot of smiles and that makes both Poppy and I happy remembering them and the hope that you are making lots of new fun times together!

We hope that you know how much you’re loved and missed by everyone. Make today awesome and keep up all the hard school work . Now that Aunt KiKi is done celebrating – we are well on our way to Poppy’s birthday. The Thanksgiving holiday / Guge birthday events and Christmas ? are right there after that ! So exciting .

Please know we ❤️ love you to the ? moon and back, forever and always ,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy ❤️?

What we know for sure, love lives in your heart!

Nana November 7, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah –

There are so many questions in life, things that happen that we can’t understand. Things you hear in the news or in history class at school – that don’t make sense. Or things that are discussed in politics, medicine or sports that you many not fully understand now – but eventually learn about, or things we think we do understand or know, things we believe in for a while suddenly change or become something different. It can be so difficult to understand the why or how of grown up things? Yet as an example of how it will all work out try to imagine this … when you go from kindergarten to fifth grade or fifth grade to high school you learn more and more and understand things in different ways – in kindergarten you can’t do algebra. But you can when you’re older. When you are first learning letters you cannot read but you eventually can. But there is something you can both be certain of today, while young, is something that you’ve known since you were babies. You are and always will be loved !

The real sincere feeling of comfort cannot be imagined. As a baby, a toddler , a young child and an older child you know what feels right to you and what makes you feel afraid or sad. You must always be able to tell the people you trust truth and keep the truth no matter what happens to make it fade.

A child knows When they are comfortable and when something is not right they can feel it. Take your memories of all the good and real events in your lives and use them make your own dream starters of sorts , You can always depend upon the fact that the love we have for both of you- is authentic/genuine. It is not wavering, and just like the flag story we talked about – how the men during the revolutionary war, who fought to keep it flying no matter what – well sweet kids- our love is just like that. No matter what happens – or what anyone could ever assume – our love will not change and is the exact same as you would remember it. Real. It is also forever. There is no way to truly explain to you how much we look forward to seeing you both again, we will wait- maybe it will be when things are not as busy.

When lots of time passes you could think we forgot, you could think we don’t care , You could think we are ones that are “too busy”. You could even think other things that would not be true. BECAUSE None of those things above are true.

THE Thing THAT IS TRUE IS you’re loved ! By so many people. Every person in the family you’ve spent years around is missing you, wishing you happiness and to stay as wonderful as you always have been. The things that YOU CAN REMEMBER should not be erased or altered by time or anything. Your memories should be cherished or kept special and valued. No matter how many minutes, hours, days, months, weeks or even years go by the truth will always be the truth and the love letters will always carry with them the reflection or the images of the truth.

The documents you’ll get when your old enough to read, able to understand the words, see who wrote them, or where they come from, will fill in blanks that can’t be understood now – and this information can help you as grown ups. It will help to fit all the pieces together – for these are records make a time line that shows our family’s birth from the beginning and how all the members of this family are good wonderful people. Each person in the world is different. We all have different kinds of life stories. So many different people and so many different life stories all merged together and created yours. It will show you all those who love you…. and there are so many stories of those who gave of themselves to make our own kids lives better, well as your lives so nice , for so long … not just Poppy and I, but uncles and aunts, great grandparents and cousins, friends …. and no matter what things may appear to be now you will have so much information that shows the love of family and is a great gift to know how loved you are.

All of us love you both and will always hope that love can bring to you and your family good things forever and always, to the moon and back …..

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?