A tearful ride home with an almost 4 year old...talking about Heaven..

You just never know what kind of conversation will spark up with Boston, especially when we are driving in the car. Each day after preschool I look over the newsletter that is sent home, and we go over the questions that the teachers suggests that we ask. One of the questions today was "Where did Jesus say he was going?" Boston answered "Heaven..to be with Papa", which was the correct answer! I immediately began to well up with tears. It just breaks my heart that a 4 year old (I have a hard time calling him a 3 year old since he is so close to turning 4!) has already lost a grandparent. I have been so Blessed to have both sets of my grandparents a huge part of my life still. I even had a great grandparent until a little over a year ago! So the next question out of Boston's mouth is "Mommy, do you know anybody in Heaven?".. with tears in my eyes and a quiver in my voice, I begin to tell him about my Great- Grandma Ellen. My grandma Ellen was the first person that I was close to that ever passed away. We were very close. She lived in Colman, so was always a part of my birthday parties, the Holiday get-togethers and all of my high school activies. I was the oldest grandchild, so was fortunate enough to have her in attendance at almost all of my home sports activities. She always sat on the same bleacher with the other widowed ladies. I was proud to have her there. I remember "pretending" I was too sick to go to school when I was in gradeschool, JUST so that I could spend the day at Grandma Ellen's house. She would let me play, and color, and have snacks, but towards the end of the day, when my mom would be coming to pick me up, I remember having to "settle down" to act somewhat ill! I will never forget the day I got the phone call that she had passed away. I remember exactly where I was..I remember the exact words that my mom said, and I remember immediately grabbing my things and getting in my car and driving home. It just didn't seem real. I felt like it was a bad dream. Why did God do this to me? I NEEDED my grandma! Now that I look back I realize that it was the perfect way to go for her. She was 89 years old, had always lived on her own and had never had to be moved to a nursing home. She had said every Christmas for years..." This might be my last Christmas"..so I knew that she was ready to go, and that she was ok with leaving this earth. She was a Christian woman, so I know that she went to Heaven to be with Jesus, right where she always longed to be. I think my grandma played a huge part of my faith. She was in church every Sunday, and always sat in the same pew. She encouraged me to meet her there even after I had moved out of Colman. A week before she passed away I DID meet her at church. Just the two of us. We even went to lunch afterwards at the local cafe in town. I remember walking her up to her apartment and telling her I loved her before I headed back to Sioux Falls. My grandma, Ellen M. Nelson, passed away on October 23, 2003. She was 89 years old. I miss her so much.

My Grandma Ellen's Life...in pictures..








My Grandma Ellen (right) and her brother Olney.

My grandma Ellen (left) and her sister Lillian

My Grandma Ellen and her husband Cliff Nelson Sr.

My Grandma started writing in a diary in 1932. Her grandfather, Ludvid Moe, inspired her to start keeping a diary. Ludvid wrote daily in Norwegian, and my grandma remembered him reading to his grandchildren from his diaries. This picture was taken for a newspaper article. In the article she is quoted as saying "she hopes one of her granddaughters will continue with the tradition that she started as a young girl". Well grandma, I have a few spiratic journals/diaries over the years, but hopefully this blog counts :)

My grandma and I on a trip to California

My Grandma showing off the sweatshirt we gave her as a gift! It said "Special Grandma!"

A 4 Generation picture. My sister, my mom, my Grandma LaVonne, myself, and my Great-Grandma Ellen.