Grandma Sonia

Dear Sarah, Hannah, Julia & Joshua,
It has been a rough year and I'm sorry I have not updated letters to you on this blog. A year ago today, your sweet Grandma Sonia was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. It was very sad especially because a week previous your Grandpa Bill passed away. Daddy started a new job in Red Bluff so our house in Sacramento was mostly packed in boxes. However, we put our move on hold when we found out my mom, your grandma had cancer. I wanted to be close enough to drive to the bay area to help out during the week and on weekends not be 2 hours farther away in Red Bluff. Plus, all our friends and support group were in Sacramento. We were blessed with Mimi & Ashley who came over every week to babysit you so I could tend to my mom's needs. In February, Grandma Sonia had a dream that Jesus was standing at the end of her bed with black stuff coming out the right side of his mouth. She didn't like that dream. At that point, she was going to fight the cancer. But God had another plan. The next few months was a blur with many doctor's appointments, surgery that was unsuccessful, watching the one we love so much get so weak. On April 15, 2011 she went to heaven. Hours before she passed away, black stuff started pouring out of the right side of her mouth. It was really scary until I realized that Jesus already bore her pain when he revealed the dream to her. At that moment I had a sense of peace. I know you will always love & miss your grandma. When the doctors said there was nothing left but to have hospice care, I remember that she said my children were too young to remember her. I know being only 2 1/2 and 6 is a young age but I promised her you would remember. One day we will see her again in heaven.
I wish she could visit our new house in Red Bluff. She would be surprised to see me, a city girl turning country! Our new homeschool friend, Mary, gives us cow's milk each week. We have been having so much fun making homemade butter, whipped cream and yogurt with the raw milk. We are even getting chickens! I like our new home and especially our backyard. You are starting to adjust and are making friends at our new church and the homeschool programs we are in. All of you are growing so fast. The tooth fairy visited Sarah & Hannah so much this past year that she is probably broke! Joshua loves choo choo's and cars. He is fast at riding his bike. Julia is very sweet and careful. She says she wants to be a princess and a doctor when she grows up. (Julia sweetly sat by Grandma Sonia's bed and held her hand for hours that the hospice nurse told Julia she would make a great nurse or doctor someday). Hannah wants to be a singer & an actress. Sarah wants to be a baker and a singer. Joshua wants to be a firetruck man. I love you all very much.
Love,
Mommy