Hey Grammy

2/22/20

Hey Grammy, I miss you. It’s my birthday, double digits! 1 O! I’m so happy. When I come over again we should do some more baking! I remember that time we made those spider chocolate balls, there is a photo of us standing at the kitchen counter, me on the stool and you next to me. your red-rimmed smile larger-than-life looking at the camera, a chocolate donut pinched between your thumb and index finger, 4 curled pretzel bits stuck into each side of the chocolaty treat, my goofy smile aimed in the same direction, chocolate around my lip corners, I was 7 or 6, I don't remember. HOWEVER, I do remember shaking up the eyeball sprinkles and poking them onto the sugar spider and the smeared chocolate frosting on the counter! Thank you for always having pudding, jello and cakes to make when I come over! Love you!

-Zia

3/14/20

Hey grammy, today they sent us home for 2 weeks because of this thing called covid-19, mom and dad are watching the news a lot more and it’s kinda weird, cause we never watch the news. So over this 2 week break I am going to come and see you a lot and I am going to hangout with my friends a lot! I can’t wait to learn how to sew a blanket! Thank you for teaching me to sew! Over and out, Love you!

-Zia

5/29/20

Hey grammy. It’s been over 2 weeks and we haven’t gone back to school. They had us pick up computers (yess I have my own COMPUTER now) from the school and now we use them to get on Zoom meetings and we do class there on the computer, kinda weird. I also haven’t gotten to see my friends a lot and you either. I get to see my friends over the Zoom thing, mom says we can do a Zoom meeting with you and grampa, and Hunter and Hanna, I will be looking forward to that this week! Thank you for taking care of Hunter and Hanna! Bye bye, Love you!

-Zia

7/2/20

Hey grammy! It’s summer now AND I’m almost a 5th grader! I am so excited! On a different note, they didn’t do Lake Fair this year, mom said it’s because of COVID. We also have to wear weird masks when we go out, it’s hard to breathe, but mom says we need to wear them. I got to see Lia last week, we couldn’t hug though, and we had to be outside. Mom says that we might be able to see you soon, but we have to stay 6 feet apart, wear our masks and be outside. She also said might because you and grandpa could get sick with COVID-19 

The news said it has killed 105,000 people, which is really sad. Thank you grammy for being patient while we figure stuff out! Over and out, Love you!

-Zia

8/28/20 

Hi grammy. School will start again soon in a week, I’m a 5th grader! We still are going to be on Zoom though. Tough luck I guess. I was going through the brown shelf by the back doors  with mom and found the tea set you gave me, so that we could use my own tea cups for our tea parties. I miss those, they were fun. Anyway, the tea set, I really like the box, it’s so pretty, your favorite color is red, the box is shiny, red and round and has a red ribbon tied in a bow. I remember when I opened the box it made a styrofoam screech sound. My favorite piece is the milk pour-er thing, and the blue flower designs on it. Thank you for the blue tea set! Talk to you later alligator! Love you!

-Zia

11/3/20

Hey grammy! Halloween walking around the loop with grandpa, Hanna and Hunter and my mom and dad and Justus was fun, I didn’t get nearly as much candy as I did last year but it was fun! I am excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you and mom always make the best food! Thank you for alway cooking at Christmas and Thanksgiving! Bye for now, love you!

-Zia

1/3/21

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Happy new year grammy! Hopefully it’s better than 2020! Mom said that you always stick to your new year's resolutions, HOW? Thank you for sticking to your resolutions, not many people can do that! Bye bye!  Love you!

-zia

2/27/21

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMMY! You're so olddddd! I can’t wait to be that old! GUESS WHAT GRAMMY! Mom said that I can go back to school on April 19th! I won’t be in Matt’s class, but I’ll be in Michael’s with Lia! At my school we call our teachers by their first name, I didn’t know that at other schools they call their teachers Mrs. Ms. and Mr. That's kinda weird. Thank you grammy for having birthdays so we can celebrate and eat cake! Love you!

-Zia

5/3/21

Grammy, I’m sorry that Great grammy passed, she’s in heaven now and is better. She lived a good long time, 98 years is pretty long, so we should be happy that she lived so long and not be so sad that she’s gone, because we got so much time with her! I love you  so sososososososo much and I can always give hugs! Thank you for being so strong! I love you!

-Zia

6/23/21

Hey grammy! School just ended yesterday, we had to do 4 extra days to make up for snow days so that’s why June 22nd and not 18th! Thank you for taking me to menchies yesterday! We should make that a tradition! Like at the end of 6th grade and then 7th and then 8th, WOW only 3 years until I’m in highschool!

8/15/21

Hey grammy! Lia isn’t going to the same middle school as me, she’s going to CSI at marshall, it’s some kind of special program, though it says you have to do a lot of work so I don’t want to do that. I’m going to Washington, I’m scared 1% but 99% excited. Mom is going to let me dye the ends of my hair turquoise blue for the beginning of school! I GET TO RIDE THE BUS TO SCHOOL! Thank you for knitting me cool hats, like that minion one! Love you! 

-Zia

10/6/21

Hey grammy! Middle school is interesting, I have P.E. It's much different than It was in Elementary. We play a game called S.D.S (sudden death soccer) idk why it’s called that it’s just soccer, but I don’t like it. We also have to do a bunch of different workouts that have weird acronyms as names like 5M.O.M. minute of marination, we do 5- 1 minute long exercises, and marination because we marinate in our sweat because we should be working so hard that we sweat. AND not to mention, we have to do this wearing masks. I signed up for choir in the beginning, but then I realized a week into school that they have art, so I had to go to the office to my counselor to ask if I could switch, so now I’m doing art. My first period is a class called creative writing and I get to write fun stories, because it's spooky month we are writing murder mysteries, I made a friend named Kristine and she’s REALLY good at writing, I love reading her stories. Thank you grammy for watching Avatar with me! I can’t wait to watch the 2nd one when in comes out in 2 years with you! Love you!

-Zia

1/17/22

Hey grammy! Sorry I haven’t been over as much as Justus, I have A LOT of new friends at my new school and they keep me busy! I heard from my friend maddy who has an older brother who went to washington before COVID that they have spring plays! I hope they have one, I will definitely be auditioning! Mom said you were in all the plays when you were in highschool, I want to know more! Thank you for giving me the acting genes! Love you!

-Zia

2/27/22 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMMY! I know you haven’t been feeling the best, mom told me the doctors found something at the bottom of your heart, but it’s small and can go away, so that’s good, AND we will have lots of chocolate cake and treats when me and mom and dad and Justus come over! Thank you for loving sweets and chocolate like me! Love you!

-Zia

4/24/22

Hey grammy! I know you can’t read this so I’ll ask grandpa to read it to you. I’m sorry your right eye is blurry, you get a cool pink cheetah print pad to put in your glasses to cover your eye tho! It look pretty slay. I know it was pretty hard going down the stairs with the whole sub par vision thing, BUT the doctors are working on it and they will make you better! Thank you for going downstairs with me and Hanna! Love you!

-Zia

6/16/22

Hey grammy! Today mama told me the doctors said  you have lung cancer, we all went and saw you in the hospital. Hunter and Hanna couldn’t they were to young to come into that part of the hospital. I was scared and I didn’t talk to you and I am sorry, they say that hearing is the last thing to go soI hope you heard me say I love you. Mama has been spending every day with you since you got into the hospital, 9pm to 12am she gets really tired, but aleast she’s keeping you company. I hope she showed you the video from my play, I was only a extra, but you told me the story about when you were an extra and stole the show because you were that good! That story inspires me. Thank you for holding on so long. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

-Zia

6/20/22

Hey Grammy, I wrote a poem yesterday, it’s about you and mama. I’m going to read my poem at my classes’ poetry slam tomarrow, I’m really excited. I will write to you about how it went!

Thank you grammy for being so kind and compassionate to everyone regardless of how they have treated you, family is family. I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH!

-Zia

6/22/22

Hey grammy, I love you. I read my poem yesterday, I cried when I was finishing and my class was staring at me but it was okay because my friends Ja’lia and Maddy gave me a big big hug. I rode the bus home. I was sitting on my bed and mama came in, she held me and told me that you had passed, I don’t know why, I didn’t cry. when my mom left and my dad came in m shoulder was soaked, but not a tear was mine. You passed during my last day of sixth grade, while I was having fun, running around and joking with my friends you died. I feel so guilty, is that why? Thank you for living life so fully, I love you grammy.

-Zia

6/28/22

Hey grammy. Today is your funeral, I’m sorry I didn’t come to your hail mary. I am in a acting camp and they had auditions that day and I couldn’t come to Granview. I think I’ll quit anyway. Your coffin is beautiful and I’m glad you get to be buried in something just as beautiful as you. Everyone is here, all your sisters and brother, so many people I don’t know but know you and grandpa, you were their light, espesially mine. I’m sorry you didn’t get to come to vannessa’s wedding or get to meet my baby cousin, your new grand daughter, Imogen. I’m sorry we don’t get to go to menchies any more. Thank you for being a light. I love you.

-Zia

8/10/22

Hey grammy. I’m going into 7th grade, I’m excited to see all my friends again, but now I’m crying a lot, because, I never get to complain about boy problems with you, I never got to tell you officially that I have a girlfriend, I never got to officially come out to you, I will never get to show you my prom dress, I will never get to tell you I’m engaged or have you at my wedding, we’ll never have another tea party, and I’ll never get to show you the horse I get, or how good I am at cantering, or my favorite song I can play on the piano. I’m sorry, I am so sorry. Thank you grammy for always knowing exactly what to get for loving me so much. I love you.

-Zia

12/25/22 

Hey grammy. It’s my first christmas without you, I remember you shushing me and Hanna at 6 in the morning last Christmas when I showed her the snow outside the window, “go back to sleep, no one’s awake yet, we have to wait to go down,”

Fineee I whisper back and I coax Hanna back into bed.

This Christmas is really weird, you wern’t in the kitchen last night, just my mom and I. Again tonight it will only be me my mom and dad, justus, Hunter and Uncle are playing Fortnite upstairs. I know Hunter misses you a lot, Hanna might be to little to know why you are gone and what has happened. Thank you for taking good care of my cousins. I love you.

-Zia

2/22/23

Hey grammy. It’s my 13th birthday, I’m officially a teenager! I still cry the same amount, if not more, but that’s ok. It’s just life. I’m having lots of fun on my birthday, I planned a party at my house and then we will meet some people at the skating rink. Thank you for making me the human I am today. I love you.

-Zia

8/4/23

Hey grammy. My girlfriend broke up with me, I am really sad and not doing well. I wish you were here, some times when I walk into the house I can still see you crocheting on the dabenport- the sofa, why did you call it the dabenport I’ll never know. Did you have any other boyfriends besides grandpa? Thank you for being a rock for people. I love you.

-Zia

9/30/23

Hey grammy. School really sucks, I’m not really good at math at all, I feel really insecure and I really miss you and need you to be here right now. Thank you for giving me twirly girl dresses. I love you.

-Zia

11/5/23

Hey grammy, GUESS WHAT! I’m going to Lia’s school, I joined 5 days ago, I dissected a fish 3 days ago and I oficially love CSI. There is this cute boy in my class so that is exciting, and random girls in the hallway call me PRETTY! This is a huge difference from WMS, and I’m with Lia my bestie for 9 years! 

12/25/23

Hey grammy, I think this Christmas is worse than last year, I couldn’t go down stairs to the family room without you, it felt so wrong. I cried so much my eyes were blurry after I wiped the tears away. I really don’t like this and I miss you so much, Hanna Misses you too.

7/30/24

Hey grammy, it’s been a long time, I still think about you when I pass ToysRus. and when I see your red fuzzy hat and your red coat In the closet at your house. I remember getting in the shiny black jaguar with a flat of spooner berries, and making rhubarb-strawberry pie with the neighbor’s rhubarb. And when I hear a sad song it puts me in a mood and I miss you even more. I feel terrible because I can’t conjure a memory of you on demand, like I used to, you’re fading like fabric fringe and the stray strings that pull off, I feel guilty for not spending as much time as I could with you these past years, instead I spent more collective hours with my friends. I am sorry grammy, I am so sorry. I love you so sososososososososososososo much!

-Zia