Refusing to say goodbye

My children have been extremely blessed! They were born with 5 grandmas! Five remarkably wonderful strong women that have set such great examples for the girls. In 2012 we lost two, my great grandma Corinne at 100 and John's grandma Tillie at 96. And even though they are gone, we've never said goodbye. They are still with us in our thoughts, our memories, our stories. We reminisce about them and smile. Our hearts are warmed with a feeling of peace. Yes, we're sad they are gone, but peacefully content knowing they are watching over us. I see traits of my grandma and Tillie in the girls and I love it. I love knowing that in the short amount of time they were together, a bond was made. Evie is being raised on memories and stories of her grandmas. She identifies them in pictures. It's important she knows where she comes from and those guiding her.

I mentioned last year that my mother in law is battling breast cancer for a third time. It's a horrible disease and to win the fight once is amazing, but twice!? Miraculous! We have no way of knowing what this time will bring. When we found out her odds weren't good, our hearts broke. She is the backbone and glue of the Kelly family. We pray for her daily and hope for a miracle. But no matter what happens, we won't say good bye. She will be with us always. I look around our home and so many things are tied to memories of her. Our kitchen table and chairs where she fed her family for years, a bench on the front porch where she sat giggling and talking with the twins last fourth of July, a photo of her and Evie from the family photos we had taken a few years ago. This blog (some days I wrote just for her).

I love you, Nancy. I want you to know that. I want you know that you are an amazing example to me. Showing me how to be a wife, a mother, a friend, and how to be generous and giving. You are more skilled in the kitchen than I will ever be, but you've taught me so much. You are an amazing grandma. Making holidays, birthdays and family functions so special. The deviled egg debacle, Christmas dinner with cinnamon icecream, burnt Thanksgiving dressing because the oven went bonkers, Easter egg hunts, personalized pillowcases for the kids, tea parties with the girls, driving to Rochester and almost wrecking, being there for Corynn's surgery, clothes shopping with the twins for birthdays, taking them shoe shopping when they were 2 and vowing to NEVER do that again, picking out homecoming dresses....so many many great memories!

We love you, pretty lady! Forever and always!