Remembrance

My mother-in-law, Debi Goodman, passed away about two and a half years ago.  On her birthday I like to have the girls make a birthday treat in her honor and talk about what they remember about her. 

I didn't really remind the girls about their Nana's birthday coming up, but we have a family calendar with pictures corresponding to the family birthdays that month, so they knew it was coming.  When Anna got home from school that day, I told her what we were going to be doing.  She got excited and pulled something out of her backpack.  She said it was a Valentine's and birthday card for Nana that she'd made at school that day.

The front

 

The back, which reads "Dear Nana Happy Birthday  I mic [miss] you so much love Anna
Happy Valentine's day Nana love Anna"

So I look at this, and of course I start tearing up a little, but I'm trying to hide it because Anna is perfectly happy that she's made a card for Nana, and there's no need for me to drag down the mood.  Lizzie asks if we're going to take it to the cemetery, but Anna decides not to because it's raining, and that would ruin the card.  So we stick it up on the fridge, because we know Nana will be able to see it.

The girls and I made chocolate chip iced brownies.  While mixing up the batter, we talked about things we remembered about Nana.  I actually did not cry (I'll admit, I'm usually a crier in these situations, if you didn't know that already), although at one point Anna gave me a penetrating stare and asked me if I was.  She seemed genuinely surprised I was not :) 

Lizzie doesn't really remember anything about Nana because she wasn't even two years old (although she likes to say she does and then proceeds to talk about Disney World, which she also doesn't really remember). But Anna remembers some things.  She said she remembers having a sleepover at Nana's with her cousins Karli and Jaedyn, and helping Nana make cupcakes for Jaedyn's birthday.  I remember that sleepover, and it was the night before Jaedyn's birthday party, and I am so glad she has a happy memory like that to hold onto.

The only pic I can find of Nana with both girls, Nov 2008