Dear Guillianna and Elijah:
Today is Sunday, last night we turned the clocks back, oh my how I wish I could turn the clocks back to last November ! We were just getting ready to go take one of you for some surgery remember? In my heart I feel that was a significant time and many changes began for us all. Too much to really understand now but can be explained when you are much older. For now, I just wish we had more time, so many choices were made, by lots of people in our lives, and since then we have lost some special people we all loved, like Grumpy who had no choice, and then saying good bye to Aunt Alyx. There has been so much sadness and huge change for so many people in our family, all separate from all of the changes in your own lives last January. Great Grandma Sally is missing her Grumpy so much. It is hard to be almost 90 and see so many sorrowful events happen in the lives of people you love. She has lived long enough to see so many changes in the world. She never imagined some things. Good as well as not good. You have to realize when she was born there wasn’t television. there was not cars like you know them, no air conditioning, everything in life was so different from the life we live today. Her best friend Ms Bertyl turned 103 this September – both of these women have seen the world and people in it evolve – and cannot begin to imagine or understand some things that they themselves have seen over the years they have lived. She truly misses you both. She is strong and courageous and she too knows you will always have great love in your hearts for her and she will always have great love for you two. She loved spending time with you both.
It’s been ten months full of so many changes, for everyone, and how I wish everyone could listen to their own hearts, find answers, fix things in life and hope for love and healing. We are hopeful that one day when you’re older and can see the love in the hearts of all your Aunts and Uncles, cousins and family that you both will look for answers in your hearts and know how lucky and wonderful your lives are. Gratefulness is so important for all people to know, because it usually brings happiness. Poppy and I have had so many smiles today reviewing all the videos and photos that we uploaded from the days you were here, and we are so happy that this kind of technology is available for future generations to be able to see the lives and memories in a manner that is able to remain intact, and simple to find. Old photos in boxes, or albums from years gone by can be so difficult to get to, or go thru, and they can be damaged or lost.
My parents kept old home movies on 8mm film, then there was VHS and Polaroids, or photos we used to send out to be developed. I am grateful for those images . The advent of digital images, and video has made it possible for people to keep memories organized and to make them come alive. The thing about this kind of memory “book” or blog is that in it you will find all kinds of answers. Answers to questions about memories that can fade, or be changed. Answers to question that you may not even know you have at 15 or 20 – but wonder when your 30 or 50 . There are also answers that are locked in your hearts for all time, and these images, will be so nice one day. They help us every day, to be grateful does bring happiness. We are forever grateful for time spent with both of you, all our grandchildren and our kids! One day, they will help you see life too. Peace, love, happiness are gifts, and they were in abundance during our time together. Special times with each of us, that will forever bind our love.
We want you to always have these photos and memories to ensure you will know how loved you have always been by us, by Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Great Grandparents and friends made through the years you were here. That love, those memories will be very important one day, for they will reassure you of your value to so many people, the impact you had upon lives and will help you to always know that everyone who you used to spend time with, who you loved, and cared for, understands that the Army moves people around, and no one will ever be sad that you cannot keep in touch easily, we all know how incredibly busy life is and we don’t ever want you to be sad that you didn’t have the opportunity to say hello, or ever wish anyone Happy Birthday and things like that. We all understand and want for you to simply have these images and videos, to help you when you are sad, or scared by moves made , to help you when you are missing all things familiar, or to help you when you simply want to feel good about the fun and wonderful things in your life.
We always made sure mom and dad got to feel as close to you as possible we took videos and sent photos, to make sure they could see you and know you were happy. Our promise to your mom was to keep you both safe, happy, healthy and to show her she could always trust us to support her. That was always our goal, and we gave our very best effort to make her and dad happy. Here are just a few of many videos we took.
Remember when we would sing them happy birthday, or send them random videos, and find ways to make sure they saw you at all your activities? We hope this site will one day be a huge gift for your parents to keep so many memories of you both where she and he can always treasure them. It began almost ten years ago – an idea that grew – Nana wanted mommy to see Guillianna every step of the way when she arrived here at not even four weeks old. We installed cameras, and I wrote love letters every single day. It was our love for you , then Elijah when he was born – and for our daughter as well, and we valued her trust in us for all those years! – Love brought you both into our lives to live for so long. We did every single thing in our power to make sure you were happy and healthy. We made sure you were always told how they were serving the country, keeping people safe and making sure you would be able to go to college, remember? We wanted you to be so proud of them ! No matter the time difference no matter where they had to travel, we made sure they saw you, and you saw them. When you were little and before FaceTime and all this technology we still found ways to play VHS tapes and DVDs that Nana made so you could always see their faces. Here is just a small sampling of a few hello’s!
On FaceTime mom would always call Eli a “little Stud Muffin” and yes, little man you were so adorable, look at this little clip…. so cute!
The family time in the Mitten was always special, and the love you had in your hearts was authentic/genuine and could not be denied. You can ask anyone … there was no better time for either of you than “Eli Nana or Eli Poppy, Gugu Nana or Gugu Poppy” time.
The love you both had for your Nana and Poppy was precious and you can ask anyone around, it was authentic/genuine love. Gugu and Eli both would dance with Poppy to Elf Story “extravaganza-glorious” and Moana, or play school bus driver…. she painted Poppy’s nails or put makeup on him. She also loved Nana Gugu time more than anything. Eli and Nana had some amazing Eli-Nana days and to play with Poppy build race tracks or go to his office, watch baseball and the Tigers… oh my goodness. Just thinking about these things reminds me how lucky we have been to have these times and well, the list is endless of things that the two of you loved. Your heart knows, and we hope you will keep all those amazing things so that when you need a smile, you can create your own “Dreamstarter” and replay all the amazing times.
These videos, and photos, are priceless, and Nana and Poppy love to see them, we hope you do too!
We hope to see you very soon, we hope you will come visit or we will be invited to see you. We are waiting and hoping. One day we hope everyone can listen to their heart… when that happens, we will bring you great big hugs and kisses from all of us in the Mitten, and you will feel so happy I am sure. Until that day, when we all can see each other again, we want you to stay as sweet and amazing as you always have been, work super hard at school, and listen to your parents. Have so much fun, know you are loved, and that nothing changes the love a grandparent has for a grandchild. Nothing changes the love a mom and dad have for their kids, and nothing can change the love a child has for the people they know to be good, and that they love and have always loved.
Love you to the moon and back, forever and always,
Nana and Poppy