Someday They Will Meet

To my precious daughter:
I want to tell you about your name. Your beautiful, old fashioned name. Estella Erlene was your grandmothers name, my mother. She was.....perfect.
I wish she were here to see you. She would have loved you baby girl.
She died just before I found out I was having your big brother, Nikolas.
My heart broke that day. Time has patched it back together, but....it's still missing a piece.
Actually, it's a rather large piece, but there is One comfort.
Your grandma loved Jesus, and I pray that you will too.
Then, one day, hopefully well after I am gone from this world, you will meet us both in heaven and I will introduce you to your namesake. I'm sure she would love that you are named after her. In fact, I know she would have been flattered.
Cherish your name my sweet Estella, for it is a heritage passed down from your grandmother and your great great grandmother. Women who have loved the Lord, "with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind and with all their strength." Mk 12:30

I can't believe mom has been gone over six years now. Today she would have turned 71. That sounds old as I write it, but really isn't considering my mom's mom just turned 91 and is still doing quite well. I can't imagine what my life would be like now if my mom were still alive. We had really just begun to start doing things together as friends not too long before she passed away. I feel robbed of my friendship with her as an adult. Perhaps that is the hardest part of her death. That, and, of course, that she never saw my children. I know I'll see her again, which does bring me comfort, but.....I miss her now.
I'm so glad I had the many years of memories with her to think of. I often tell the kids about their grandma in heaven. It is a little hard for me to know that they aren't going to miss her. Why would they, they never knew her? Hmm, still hard. I think of Job, losing all his children and still saying, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Then, at the very end of all his suffering, he has even more children.
The Lord gave, the Lord took away, then the Lord gave to him again. In the same way, God gave me a wonderful mother, she was taken from me, but now, God has given me Sue, a wonderful grandma to my children, and also, a friend to me.

The Newest Skater on the Block

Nikolas has been practicing skateboarding recently and seems to be picking it up pretty quickly. He can skate down our driveway now and has just started to learn to do a trick. I think it is a kick flip, or maybe an ollie....I really have no idea what the difference between skating tricks are, but I did hear those words come out of the 9 year old neighbors mouth when he was teaching Nik. It is pretty humbling to have my 5 year old son starting to be better than me at something. This, I am sure, is just the beginning.

Trick or Treat!

Every year since Nikolas was born we have gone trick or treating with three other families. The first year we went only six of these children were born, now, there are thirteen!

The boys.

We couldn't have planned our boys any better than this. The oldest three boys are nearly the same age, the middle three boys are within 3 months of each other and the younger two boys are within a couple months, or so. They all love each other and I'm so thankful my boys have best buddies. We all have decided we really can't ever move away or stop wanting to get together because our kids friendships are too perfect. Little Estella doesn't have anyone her age, but she does have all the doting big kids, so I don't think she will feel left out.

The girls.
See what I mean about the doting big kids?

Onto trick or treating! Lukas was Optimus Prime, and since his outfit is a 2T it just accentuated his tiny little body, especially his buns! We all had a hard time not laughing. He's too cute, and THEN he talks in his tiny little muppet voice!

This was too funny; every time they went to a house they ended up lining up nearly tallest to shortest. Nikolas, by the way, was Luke Skywalker, (though his outfit is Anakin).

They had a great time, in spite of the cold, and brought in quite a haul of candy, which, of course, is the best part. :)