Singing Christmas Carols…

Nana November 27, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah:

Today on my phone came up the photos of this time a year ago, and this time two years ago, and it goes on for so many years.   The first photo needs no explanation – and is a memory from last year.   Hope all has improved and know we hope you are both healthy and happy.   So many memories and they are so special to us.    The time we shared is so wonderful and such a big part of who you both are and who we are!    Always use these memories to feel brave, strong and happy as you grow bigger and find your way through all the things you face in life.    Love is the focal point of all things good, and love is the two of you, your family, our entire family.    No matter how confusing it all seems-  LOVE IS AND ALWAYS will win, it WAS our BEGINNING AND WILL STAY INSIDE OUR HEARTS FOREVER, no matter what decisions are made by any of our children, or our grandchildren,  our love for all of them,  is at it’s  beginning .  We hope that by choosing kindness and love, memories of laughter and the real joy that was always present,  in your lives in the Mitten, and hoping that if anyone should ever feel sad when they aren’t able to see us, or when we are sad we haven’t seen you,  that we find a way to focus on the good.   We can always hope life will be happy and exciting for you both everyday.    There are videos and photos of you both singing Christmas carols for all of Great Grandma Sally’s friends.  Christmas concerts and so much more!

Ms. Hall would have been so proud,  I know it was absolutely beautiful to watch you two, together singing and showing kindness to the people who smiled and enjoyed it beyond words.  Again , for now I don’t want to upload the videos on the public site and I am having some slight  technical difficulty with a pixellated version  of the videos.  So I will ensure they are uploaded to the private site for you.  Good news, Aunt KiKi is going to visit us and she will deliver the special birthday packages so that we dont have to worry they will get lost or be left on a doorstep.  So nice of her.

We want you to know that every day you enjoy yourselves, and smile,  makes our heart happy.  Every day you give your best effort at school, we are so happy.   We feel so grateful for the days weeks months years we spent and look forward to a day where we can hear all about the amazing journey you have been having.

Love you to the moon and back,

forever and for always,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Monday in the Mitten

Nana November 26, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah,

Today is Monday and it has been a busy day to be sure.  You’ve likely returned to school, and Poppy certainly returned to work.    We are thankful as always, for the family time we did get, and missed very much the family we could not see.   We are looking forward to the Christmas holidays.   This is such a fun time of year.

We know, it is almost birthday time.   We had sent Elijah’s birthday gift, and mom’s idea for the traditional big sister gift.    Now it is time to send Guillianna’s birthday gift with the little brother gift.   I will get it in the mail tomorrow so that it is there in plenty of time for the special day and will make sure it is sent full of hugs and kisses for you both.

Poppy are I are both hopeful that the Christmas holiday season will bring you both so much joy and happiness.   We also would love more than words could say to see your happy little faces, and share in your joy.   Until that day comes we will continue to remember fondly those smiles, and share with you our memories.   Poppy will be taking a little more time off and may get to travel a little bit more since he wont be working 6-7 days a week.   He will actually have some Saturday and Sundays off.   Perfect for visits to see family right?   Who knows, we will always hope, sometime soon everyone will be able to see your smiling faces.

For now we will wait, and hope all is well and you’re happy as can be.

Love and kisses, forever and for always,

our love is traveling to the moon and back for you both,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

Back to school/work time ?

Nana November 25, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah –

It’s that time of the evening – Sunday night after a nice weekend or the Thanksgiving holiday school break – where kids are on their way back to college after break or back to elementary, middle or high school after a nice little break. It’s the time of year where there is only s few weeks left before Christmas break and it makes getting your thoughts back to all the business of work or class time a little difficult since it is such an exciting time of year.  Glancing back into time, look how little you were….

In a little over a week someone will turn ten years old ! How amazing is that. Hopeful we will get to say HAPPY birthday, hear your voices – or see your faces. We have been wishing and hoping for that daily and surely will not ever stop.

Today we have had dinner with Great Grandma Sally, went to see Uncle David at the nursing home and got to see Aunt Kris there too!   Before that we went to Poppy’s work to take down all of the Thanksgiving decor and put up Christmas / holiday decor So as you can see we are trying to say super busy. we hope you too have stayed busy with all kinds of fun things.

We found ourselves getting messages about photos on this date through the years and while looking at the images we smile and remember the great times spent with you and all of the family.  It’s something that makes both of us happy and yet also makes us realize how much you must have changed in the past 11 months.   Can only imagine Elijah has lost and regrown new front teeth …?  Having seen you both learn to do all things children do as they grow – makes us especially close to you both.  Thing like – Learn to drink from a bottle and on to sippy cup and regular cups, roll, sit, crawl, walk and run. Sing ABC’s. Twinkle twinkle, draw, read and write …. there are so many videos and moments captured for you to have when you’re grown. Most of the videos are difficult for Nana to upload in any sort of pixellated format, and were working on this, getting all images pixellated takes some time since it am keeping the original format intact and replacing them with new photos that are less identifying.    If the videos won’t upload properly –  I will load them to a private file because they are so so precious and will one day be yours to treasure should you ever want them.

We used to write you letters at the end of every school year.  They were given to mom, for when you each graduated high school.   It would be a collection of letters written from us to show you of our love and continued support through the years.   Luckily,  I have the letters of older years on my computer hard drive and yes we will upload those for you too.  Yet since we have not heard anything about the second half of third grade and kindergarten, and while we have not heard anything  about fourth and first grade  thus far, we would  have a hard time writing letters about events or our shared knowledge of each of you in these grades.  Instead,  you will have these love letters to remind you how truly present we still are with you during these days weeks and months, that you’re in our thoughts and how we hope each day is bright,  full of wonder and happiness!   Physically in the same place attending grandparents day at your school, seeing your plays or music concerts, sharing life the way wo would like to , may not be allowed at this time but what is allowable and fair is the freedom to say what is just as real, just as important and just as needed- to send love and our support only at this time we can only do it with words.      Love and promises made will not be changed by location.    They cannot be changed by anyone else.    You’re feelings are yours.   We will support them.     Our feelings will not change due to any circumstances.   No one will ever be able to tell Nana and Poppy anything that is untrue about the two of you or the days in the Mitten.  We will always love you, we will always love our children.   What happens tomorrow and the next day or the next week, month or more – may be an unknown.   For all of this came as such a huge surprise.    What is clear and cannot change is the love that surrounded both you by all of your family – and that nothing can ever alter that.

here is to wishing you both an amazing return to school.    Keep your heads in the scholastic zone and try despite all the fun days ahead with birthday and potential parties,  Christmas break  and a new year coming !  Be sweet and kind as always,  listen to  and love on your mom and dad !     Know that every minute we are proud of you, and we love you forever and always, to the moon and back ,

XOXOXOXOXOXO

❤️Nana and Poppy❤️?

First time Poppy has been off work…

Nana November 24, 2018 0Comments

Dear Guillianna and Elijah,

Today is Saturday, and yesterday was BLACK FRIDAY, AND THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME IN ABOUT 30 YEARS Poppy was off work and able to just stay home for four consecutive days.    He was off Thursday for Turkey day, yesterday, today and tomorrow too.    It will be so nice for him to not to have regular work.  We will likely go decorate for Christmas at the office tomorrow, but that is not the same as work.   

I have a few photos for you to enjoy today, hope you love them as much as we do.   Poppy and Nana will likey go see a show tonight.  We haven’t been to the movies in a while.  Aunt Allyssa said the Grinch was a good movie…  and you have likely already seen it.   Poppy and I have lots of fun memories taking you to movies, plays, and activities.   We hope you are doing lots more activities, and fun movies.   There sure are a lot of good Christmas movies out this time of year.  Classic favorites and new ones galore.   Hope you can watch some, or read some good stories this holiday season.

Action heros, or action figures may likely have replaced Cars, right?   Cheer may be out, but maybe dancing is in? Or other fun activities.  Yet do you know what is coming?   EXTRAVAGANZAGLORIOUS time of year.   That is always the most fun right?   Dancing with Poppy  be it to Moana or the Elf movie, as we approach December and that holiday time of year, there can’t be a better memory than that.

As you enjoy the last few days of your Thanksgiving break, I hope you are smiling and feeling like dancing, or full of laughter.  Grateful you are making new memories and look forward to the day you are able to share them with all the family and we all look forward to the day we can all make even more memories.

Love you forever and always,

to the moon and back,

Nana and Poppy