Saturday, July 18, 2015

All About Arielle

This is going to be a long post. Read at your own risk.
 
First, some things we either discovered or learned about Arielle in the process of packing up for her big move to Oregon.
 
Earlier this week Arielle asked if I thought it would be o.k. for her to wash a pink blanket. Turns out it was one of my favorite pink blankets - given to us at our wedding 31 years ago. I had been looking for it. It is one of Arielle's favorites too. I told her I'd been looking for another favorite - the last quilt Mildred made me. Mildred was a saint we met in Hardin, MT.  I have another from her as well - but this last one was priceless. I described how it was pieced together from scraps of other projects - some being dresses I can remember Mildred wearing. I told her I KNEW it was in Japan and that I'd never have gotten rid of it  - but I couldn't find it since moving to CA. Can you guess? It is Arielle's all-time favorite quilt too. It's fun and comforting. We've washed it and I am debating with myself if it should go into storage or if I should let Arielle take it to college and store it for me. It's over 20 years  25 years old now - and it's been well-loved and used. It's starting to wear thin in places....not sure what I'll decide. We learned Arielle has my love of snuggly blankets! She's taking the pink one to college.

At nine years old Arielle created the following check list. She found it while packing. It's priceless for the glimpse it gives into not only Arielle's personality, but our family life in that season. We had no clue she loves lists and checking things off. No clue at all she had taken it upon herself to create a bed-time check list and LOVED her routine.  Now I know why it was so easy to put her to bed - she LOVED checking off her boxes each day.

For Stacia:
1. Bottle
2. Mary Did You Know (guarantee to put Stacia to sleep)

For Me:
1. water filled
2. Stacia asleep
3. Teeth brushed
4. PJ's on
5. Watch Set
6. Hank the Cowdog on
Alas, we also discovered she has Michael's love of random cords and such - a whole drawerful


 Today, we packed. Arielle will move in the upcoming week. I was busy packing in another part of the house and asked Zander to grab some photos.

 
This one fell off the shelf during the Quake and has internal injuries
 
 
Stacia made Arielle's hat. 

Prayer appreciated for the week ahead. It's hard each time a child leaves home, but Arielle's departure signals a shift in our family. The Babies, or "Four Young Ones," -as we try to remember to call them - are starting to leave home. This will be the first time in 28 years that any of our children have had their own room while under our roof.  It will be the first time for Stacia or Arielle to have their own room.  It's a very good thing - but it's a hard thing.  Of course, we are avoiding the implications of Stacia having her own room by moving into a trailer where all 3 will have their own "cubby."

Arielle's last Saturday at home began with a girls' breakfast out and ended with the girls watching an Episode of Andy Griffith.

We'll miss Ms. Arielle and the color she brings to our home.  She  is a beautiful young woman of God.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Arielle has always had a special part in my heart because she is a constant reminder that life goes on....... I cannot forget my brother, Bill, when looking at or thinking about Arielle. What a day her birth was....... Bill came back to the Lord, Bill met Jesus in Heaven and Arielle entered this world to be such a blessing to all of us. God Be With you Arielle. God be with all you Goecker's as life proceeds............. love/prayers - Mom & G'Ma T.

Laura said...

Poignant post.