A long history here in the Mitten State!

Nana October 15, 2018 0Comments

 Dear Guillianna and Elijah…

In preparing these love letters for you Nana and Poppy have literally thousands of photos, this is Guillianna at one of her early visits.  She stayed here in the Mitten  for a year on this visit, where in I cannot count the number of photos taken to share with Mom and Dad while in Iraq, aka the “Land of Sand”.   The good thing about this web site, is you can look up any of those love letters and your early years are documented beginning in February of 2010.

Biggest baby photo book ever!

When Elijah came, the domain name for the website was already www.guillianna.com and had to stay that way, but we then changed it from All About Guillianna, Love Letters to Mom and Dad, to All About Guillianna and Eli, Love Letters to Mom and Dad.

Now, it remains the same domain, only the name has changed to All About Love, Love Letters to Guillianna and Elijah.   The next photo is Guillianna in September of 2011.   You had been staying with Nana then too.  Pretty sure you were ready for the arrival of a baby brother, and you loved practicing with your babies.    Elijah came earlier than planned so Guillianna stayed with Nana and Poppy for a while longer while Mommy helped Eli work his way to coming home from the hospital.   Daddy was in Afgahnistan and we made sure he got lots of love from the Mitten state.  Reading the love letters again will help you see how we have always supported Mom and helped her by keeping you safe and happy.   Nana and Poppy have always tried to do the best for all of our children and maybe they don’t remember.   I wish we had a journal like this to help them remember all they did and meant to us as children.    Lucky you two will be able to keep your memories in this format that is for sure.

This is Guillianna and Poppy meeting Elijah for the very first time.  We flew you down to see him when he got out of the hospital.  Mom was so happy to have you both together.   We always flew you back and forth, I think you both had record frequent flyer points adding up really early on in life.

So adorable….  October 2011

This is how tiny Eli was can you believe it.

In December of 2011 while back at Nana’s and celebrating your third birthday. Elijah was partying like a newborn, and you were partying like a princess.   Dancing with Poppy and loving the royal treatment.

    GREAT MEMORIES FOR SURE!

All the family came, (this was before Gray Elena Cole Sebastian, Anthony, Mia and Janai ) and your friends Riley and Grant, Mr. Jeff, Ms. Erin (before Austin and Caroline), Great Grandma Sharyn, Papa Alan, Uncle Dave, Aunt Kris, Aunt Nori, Marisa, Noah, Rachel, Bryan, Steven, and of course the rest of the campers at Nana’s  (my kids) were there too.   You rode in your first limo that day.   Daddy was out of the country and so was Uncle Nick.  But oh my goodness did you two have a ton of family around all the time.   These people came to every party and every holiday, they made sure that you were surrounded in love all the time.   As you read you old love letters to Mom and Dad, you will see loving the two of you was a favorite thing for everyone here in the mitten.

      There are so many memories of the two of you, from infancy on… and we hope you will find all of these treasures when you are grown.  By putting them together in this format, they can be saved for you indefinitely.   Please know that our dedication to mom and her family, to you both, was and has always been our priority.   Your happiness, your health, your education as you learned to eat, sit on your own, crawl, walk, to talk, to discover and learn, to do activities like Gymboree, and gymnastics, dance, karate, warrior training, soccer, and cheer.  We have always tried our best, and we are hopeful that you will use all the tools we tried to teach and all the play and fun we tried to have, as you grow into adults.   The foundation given out of love should always be inside of you.  The many family and friends who have shared in the joy of the time spent together, they did with gratitude as well, we are all grateful and would do it all over again.

Love you both

Always and Forever,

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Change is hard…

Nana October 12, 2018 1Comments

WE LOVE THESE FACES… WE MISS THESE SMILES….

WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU BOTH!

Dear Guillianna and Elijah:  We know how hard change can be ! We have missed writing you love letters for several days while Nana made some changes to your website ! The changes were a must since the design of the program I had been using to write you these letters – was a decade old. By upgrading the technology the site is even more secure and can be navigated more efficiently.

IF YOU TYPE A WORD, at the magnifying glass icon, any word, it will find you a post with that word in it.  You will find so many memories on these pages.  Please hold on to the memories made and the joy you always had in your hearts when we were together.   I have lots more love letters for you to read – and have so many stories to share with you .

If you move over a LOVE LETTER TITLE now shown in Blue the title will turn red, and take you directly to that post.   You can leave comments.  For anyone in our Mitten State, who may visit the site, or  read love letters….  None of the identifying information will be shown on the comment, and it cannot be displayed to the public without Nana or Poppy’s approval.   So please feel free to send your own love letters IN THE COMMENT SECTION,  to Guillianna and Elijah as often as you like.

We are missing you both so very much.   We are wishing happiness for you both, and that you will know when you read these letters just how much you have always been loved.

WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU BOTH, SO VERY MUCH, AND WE WILL KEEP TELLING YOU THIS IN OUR LOVE LETTERS  TO HELP YOU SMILE AND BE SUPER PROUD AND HAPPY FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL TIMES WE HAVE HAD.

All our love, FOREVER AND ALWAYS,

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Nana and Poppy

A new day – a new website design …

Nana October 12, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah,

I am so very sorry that I have not been able to post for a few days ! I had wanted to keep the web site in its original format and since it was such an old platform it was having so many issues and I didn’t want to lose any of the memories and data so – we have given it a new look better security and using this site we want so very much to preserve the reality and truth of your lives up until last January 2018 – the life you spent with us – and all the love we have for you.

This new design is hopefully easier to read and has the ability for you to search through all the memories made here in the Mitten.

I will continue to work on this site and hope that it is easy to navigate.  There is a little tiny arrow in a gray box, about half way down the page.   That arrow will lead you to the next post!

Not a minute goes by where we don’t miss you and think of you. We dream about seeing you again soon and laughing hugging and making the most of every minute we can … we do not know when that will happen. We don’t know if things will change with time and if mom and dad will eventually want to visit us or let you visit us, but know we – all of your family in the Mitten – are here with open arms and all of the love and support you always knew while in our care! We hope you never forget that love we share and we hope you’ll always use the happy we saw in your hearts over ten and six years- to do good, be kind and choose right . We understand you are small and how important it is to both of you to make your mom and dad happy. That is a good thing. You can and should always respect them and be good ! You can do this – and still keep the truth of your childhood secure in your heart because LOVE like the love we have for our children, and our grandchildren is the kind of love that  NEVER LEAVES .

All our love forever and always ….

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

WE WONDER IF THERE ARE TIMES YOU SIMPLY WANT TO CRY ?

Nana September 26, 2018 0Comments

grandparents are friends for life…

Dear Guillianna and Elijah:

It occurred to me that you likely go to sleep at night, or when alone, you could get sad.   Sometimes you may even find yourself crying or missing certain people or things but then we understand, yet at the same time you also know that if you’re sad that you miss us or the Mitten state – people in the Mitten, or things you did, it could make your mom and dad sad.   You could think, “if I tell anyone or show anyone, Will it make them mad, or sad, or dissappointed in me?’.   We could never be dissapointed since this is not anything you can fix.

PLEASE KNOW WE DO NOT WANT

YOU SAD…

Our only wish is to see or hear that you’re happy and that you feel our love!

We too feel tears come down our faces, because we cannot make others value the time you spent with us – we do know the value you put on your grandparents  – its awful, when you’re in such an unthinkable situation; and it may never be possible for some people to ever change the value they put upon parents, but the good news is,  there is no way to deny that we miss the amazing laughter and smiles, the fun, the school trips and play dates among so many other things.   We miss so many things – We also cannot help you with the feelings that must be inside of you.  We do hope you find a person in your life that feels super safe to talk about everything, be comfortable and free to tell all of the truth.   A teacher, your parents, a principle, a counselor.   That there is someone to talk to where anything you say to them can be private and maybe they can help you keep your smiles, and your happy thoughts.    Below is the photo taken the day Poppy and I felt that Mom changed or finalized thoughts on the future direction for your family – she went from wanting to be here for 5 years same school same home to relocating. When dad got selected to go to a different location he was to be out of the Army in a matter of weeks, by April,  but rather than stay where you were settled in – they felt it best to move where you would not be able to see us.   I think she saw how attached you kids were wanting Nana- I stayed with you after this because of her work schedule , and the requests to drive you to school or pick up , She saw that you asked for me right after this surgery while you were sedated. All normal based upon the events of nine years prior. It made her realize she wanted her kids to be close with her and dad and from that day on the new plan went into motion . Not to hurt you, but for her to be free of Poppy and I, to do things her own way.   She and dad needed to make things work for their family . So please don’t be sad … and know they love you so much. In doing this – breaking you of dream starters, and all that was traditional with us,  by doing this it would allow them to do what they as parents wanted to do – It’s truly possible for so many to love you and want you happy, yet have different ways of loving and caring,  and we hope everyone can find understanding and patience to allow you both the continued relationships with all of those you love, out of the love they have for you !

It is possible that Mom and Dad will soon ( if not already ) request the Army to move all of you farther away eventually, maybe hoping Aunt Kiki is not so close, or so we are further away…. and if so you can always keep us in your heart, remember all the good, all the love, and fun.  Keep those memories, and always dream.   DREAM happy dreams, and good thoughts.  Because no matter where you are in the world, your heart can hold on to the good things you love.    So you know, We do not blame you for anything tha has happened, ever, we do not blame any of this on you at all, nothing, and you should know mom and dad are simply wanting to be living the life they want to live it.   It is not up to Nana and Poppy, and we are only hoping you can all live happy.

‘Happiness’ is the dream –  and the it is the ‘hope’ from all those who love you both.  There is likely something you feel inside when you hear about us, a want that you cannot outwardly express,  like when maybe when Aunt Kiki says they are coming to visit some day.  And you suddenly wish you could too.  One day you’ll hopefully get opportunities to see or make dreams come true.   Until then, you have to remind yourself that no one can change what is real good and valuable from you, and no one can change some facts in life.   One of those facts is that no one can really take your grandparents away from your memories and only you have the power to make your memories bring smiles to you instead of tears.  There will be a day that you will find so so so many people who have shared your happy memories.  You will laugh and feel good about your memories and all of your days in the Mitten!  If that day cannot be today , or even tomorrow , we can hope it will be sometime in the very near future !  We do want you to know we have tried so hard to talk to, FaceTime, or visit you.   Yesterday Poppy emailed mom again asking that she welcome us to come visit you.  Last time she said she had to check Dad, and they then said “no”,  that was end of July first week of August, thinking it was before school started and it could be so fun. We hoped that if a little more time passed, they would change their minds.  So he asked again.   Now we will wait and hope they will see that a visit from people you love and spent so much of your lives with,  will be good for you both,  and will allow you to move ahead in a positive and good way.  They can have the life they choose with their kids and still let thier kids have grandparents to share in it ! They know we could and would come see your school, or take you to dinner.  What ever fits in with your schedules.   We could see Kiki and her family too.   Over these past months we have not gone to see her either, as we would not have wanted you to think we didn’t come see you too.    It would be a great thing to make it so everyone gets to have some Nana & Poppy time – and no one feels left out of time spent with grandparents!

Always remember, We love you Guillianna and Elijah

NO DISTANCE, NO TIME, NO CHANGES AS WE GROW OLDER, WILL EVER CHANGE the truth and love that lives in your heart.  It cannot change THE THINGS WE GAVE OF OUR HEARTS.  Nothing will alter what was SHARED WITH YOU FOR SO MANY YEARS,  our love WILL EVER GO AWAY…. all of this can grow and live in all that you do, and those things can hopefully help you as you grow and change through the years.

forever and always … we are sending you hugs, kisses, courage, and wishes for happiness….

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?