The Picture Perfect Day!

Big wet snow flakes are falling... not enough to stay, but plenty to be the perfect end to a day that was as close to perfection as I feel we can get.

A full twenty-four hours of the Grand Baby are enough to make the entire world spin straighter on it's axis.

For the first time since her Daddy went to Heaven she came to spend the night.  Gramma is a bit tired sitting here tonight looking at those big wet snow flakes.  Not exhausted, not mentally tired, not fed up wanting to hide tired.  It's the tired that comes from keeping up with an eight year old that is on a mission.

Sitting here in the silence I am listening to a new version of one of my favorite Christmas Carols, feeling grateful to my Aunt for sharing it.  I am reflecting on the pure joy of having that little cherub tell me that this was the greatest day and that she felt special. I felt special too.  Grampa and I felt loved and blessed to be part of her day.  To help her accomplish her goal.

Her Bubbie is coming home tonight.  He's her youngest step brother, the two of them are darn near inseparable.  They are two peas in a pod.  He's her protector and she is so excited to have him back home. One of her mission's for the day was his welcome home banner.  It's bright, cheery and proclaims an eight year old's love of her brother.  Her joy is returning.

The other piece was a bit more interesting.  She decided she needed to make a scrapbook.  Not just any scrapbook.  She didn't want a photo album.  She wanted something to hold her memories and to tell the story of her life.  She's only eight and she already has very firm idea's about this.

Almost two full hours in Hobby Lobby and she'd found all the supplies she needed.  She'd found her memory book although she still wasn't too happy about those plastic pages they'd put in there.  She needed white corner tabs, beautiful colored papers, a book that had a place for a picture, and it had the word "memory" embroidered on it.  Of course we had to add some stickers and a bling letter A.  I mean after all it needed to reflect her personality.

carefully picking out captions

She was so determined.  It seemed odd.  All for a picture and a ribbon from a race she hadn't wanted to run and had not been thrilled with.  I was struggling to understand where this "new hobby" had come from. Where was this going to lead?

She gave me snippets of hints, it had to be the story of her life.  It had to have stuff that pertained to her life, that she could remember.  I was a bit confused as she slowly peeled back the layers of her story, her reason. And then it became clear.  It wasn't so much the story of her, but the story of her life before this fall.  It was the story of her memories of her Daddy.  She wanted to preserve that.

our scrapbook queen

G-Baby and I have a new hobby as she informed me tonight.  It's scrapbooking.  The gramma that put together 5 years worth yearbooks and swore there would never be a scrapbook of any kind in her life, spent hours helping her sweet girl find all the pictures that she wanted, ran the printer out of ink and listened to her talk about the importance.

This one blurred because of the dogs, but it was too perfect a moment to not include

She'd entrusted Grampa and I with helping her to preserve those memories.  Refusing to take home the left over supplies and telling mom "sorry... this is mine and Gramma's hobby". (Because let's be real I need more hobbies like hole in the head).  She had included us in such a special and sacred endeavor. That book will grow, it will expand to hold more precious memories.  And as she put it "they have to be picture's that mean something to me".  She looked through the photos on Facebook, in mine, mom's, dad's and grampas folders.  She went through with a critical eye and picked the ones that she found to be perfect.

We printed pictures until we ran out of ink.  She was truly on a mission.

The hours of the day quickly slipped by, we were so engrossed in her and laughter and love that surrounds her.  We danced, we ate, we created, we talked.  There was absolutely nothing more priceless.

She talked about her Daddy in heaven and being able to send him text messages, because in heaven you have everything you need so Daddy has a cell phone to get those messages.  We talked about her firm belief that he is around her all the time now, just like the air we breathe.  How that makes her happy.  Not all the conversations were happy, she told me how it made her sad that when he was alive he didn't spend more time with her.  It wasn't whining or with tears, but matter of fact.

That little angel is wise beyond her years.

Once Mommy arrived she found it hard to decide to leave.  Grampa had taken her to get her cell phone fixed today so she was busy catching up.  She had text messages to send and stuff to do.  It felt good to know she wasn't rushing out the door.  That she was finally comfortable being away from Mommy.  It's been a few months.  Although I completely understood her fear and why she wasn't willing to be away, it was heart warming to see that being pushed behind her.

She'd decided to leave a few toys here, she would need them when she comes over again.  She was not willing to leave her memory book though.  That was important.

As I helped her get in the car, bubbly and excited because her bubbie would soon be here she stopped, reached those sweet little arms up and gave me a huge hug.  Then in her grown up little girl way told me. "When Grampa has his surgery, I will be here.  But if I am not here call me.  I will come and take care of him, he needs me".

Me and My girl!

Yep, that angel melts me like butter.  And I needed a super strong dose of her.  The world feels better now, things are less stressful and rocky.