My conversation with Eleanor about Grandmother (Nana C)

As you may know, my Grandmother passed away this morning. When the girls woke up, William and I were talking about our plans and the Eleanor started to ask all kinds of questions...
"Mommie, why did Nana C go to heaven?"
"Well, sometimes God calls us to heaven and we don't get to ask why, but know that the person is in a better place."
"Oh, OK...so like Papa and Uncle Andy...Nana C is with them now? But how will they find her?"
"Yes, just like all the others, Nana C is with them. As for finding her, God will show the way."

That kept her content through out the day, but as we were going to bed, it started all over again and went something like this...as William put it...I just kept digging myself deeper and deeper and deeper...
"I am going to miss you while I am in North Carolina, Eleanor."
"Mommie, why are you going to North Carolina?"
"I am going to visit with Baba and PopPop, Uncle Clay, Aunt Anne, Ben, Addison, Aunt Lyn, Tim and Mac and all the other aunts and uncles. We are all gathering to celebrate Nana C's life. That is what happens when people pass away."
"But Mommie, where did Nana C pass away to?"
"Well, her soul went to heaven, remember...just like--"
"YES!!!! Like Uncle Andy and Papa and Sara's mommie, and..."
"And Papa C, too."
"Mommie, who is Papa C?"
"Well he was my Papa and he was married to Nana C."
"So who is he married to now?"
"He is still married to Nana C, in a way."
"What color shirt is Papa C wearing?"
"Umm...white?"
"What about Nana C...how did her suitcase get to heaven?"
"Well, she doesn't need a suitcase in heaven."
"Do you need a suitcase in Omaha?"
"Yes."
"Then, why does Nana C not need a suitcase in heaven?"
"Because God provides everything we could ever need in heaven."
"How will they leave heaven?"
"They will not leave heaven...once you get to heaven, it is so wonderful, you never want to leave."
"OK, but Mommie what is a soul?"
"Well, her soul is what makes her Nana C...her heart and spirit. That is what went to heaven, not her body."
"Where is her body?"
"At a place called a funeral home."
"What do they do with it?"
"They get it ready to go in the ground. That is what we do with people's bodies after they pass away sometimes--we put them in a box and put them in the ground."
"But what happens to it in the ground?"
"Eventually is turns to dust."
"How does it get dusty, Mommie?"
"Well, after time, it just turns to dust...do you remember the story about Adam and Eve?"
"No."
"Well, in that story, God creates our bodies from dust and then when we leave this earth and our souls go to heaven, our bodies eventually turn back into dust."
"Does the dust get out of the box?"
"Nope...it stays there. Now, I think it is time to get to sleep...you and Daddy can talk more about this tomorrow."

I am not sure about you, but I am tired!

Just a few thoughts...

Well, tomorrow marks one month from one of my saddest days yet. I think it is all starting to sink in for me and I must say that while I have not been outwardly emotional about my brother's passing, I am starting to feel or sense it...not talking to him during one of my many phone calls to home during this Christmas season, not seeing him in any Christmas photos (not that he ever wanted to be photographed), and not having the usual 'boobie' prize from him...not sure exactly were to start, maybe I never will, but for now, I want to start to share with you what an amazing person Andy was.

Although Andy's memorial service was not necessarily a fun occasion, it was such a celebration of his life and who he was. It was uber cool to hear what folks had to say about my brother...he had such an impact on every person he came into contact with, and at the same time, was one of the meekest, mildest, and tender-hearted persons you would ever meet. He always saw the best in people...including family members...that was just Andy.

Growing up with Andy and the stories I could tell, well...I will save that for another post...not sure I am ready to go there just yet, but in time...

Andy leaves with us three very special people, my nephews, Tim and Mac, and my sister-in-law, Lyn. Lyn is also an amazing person...funny how God connects people like Lyn and Andy who individually are wonderful, servant-hearted people that seek to know God better, but together they possess amazing strength in one another that is centered on God and make you want to know God better because you see what He has created in them. I cannot imagine what Lyn is going thru, but I know that she is relying on her faith and trusting that she will continue to move forward by God's grace.

Please continue to pray for our family, but most importantly Lyn and the boys.

First Day of Preschool!

Again, this has been a long time in coming, but here are
pictures of Eleanor on her first day of Preschool at the YMCA. She LOVES everything about it, especially her teachers, Ms. Michelle and Miss Heidi! Here are a few shots on her first day!

Swinging away!!

Well, I must admit that I have lots of photos to upload and never seem to do it in a timely fashion, so please forgive me! Here are a few photos of the girls enjoying the last few days of shorts and t-shirts weather on the swing set. Thanks to our awesome babysitter, Ellen, Eleanor now loves to go high and fast! She had been fairly skittish of swinging high until Ellen showed her how fun it was!

Look who is sleeping in a big girl bed!

I caught Laura Kate climbing out of her crib last weekend, so we turned her crib into a toddler bed. She LOVES it and has done great with the transition. I was able to sneak in her room during nap time and here is what I found!
Needless to say, I think is she is sleeping well without the outside railing!

Learning to can the fruits of our labor

One of our first priorities after moving in was putting in a garden. William has spent lots of time tending his crops and we have loved eating all the fresh veggies! We also decided to start canning and now have stocked piled lots of yummy things to eat...dill pickles, salsa, green beans, dilly beans, sweet pickles, and more! Here is a photo of our first canning experience...dill pickles--had to crack open a jar today and man are they good!


Along the way, William had lots of great help in the garden...here they are coming in with their daily harvest.
And in the midst of all this work, there is always time to be silly with daddy!

Playing around!

The girls love the "park" in our backyard, so we took some pictures while playing...enjoy!