President's Day Visit With Great Grandma

Last night, little Jonathan slept near us. He began to cry. In a sleepy haze I asked Jonathan why he was crying and if he had had a nightmare. (He has been averaging one or two a night since the surgery.) "No, Mama. I want to stay on off." He repeated this to me several times. "I don't understand. What is 'off.'" I queried. This morning as we talked he mentioned, "I don't want to go to heaven. I want to stay down here on 'off' (earth)." Rebekah was shocked. "Jon, heaven is a very nice place!" We loaded up the car and Hannah's picnic lunch and headed north to South Salt Lake to visit with Great Grandma Edith. We detoured slightly to help Uncle Mike buy an Easter and baptism dresses for his daughter, Jane. Great Grandma Edith had a smile and patience for wild and wily little folks. Jonathan undid her knitting. Susannah sprinkled white bread crumbs all over her couch and floor. Rebekah sprayed Grandma's Gardenia Lily Body Spray on and Hannah was distracted by Polyanna playing on television and forgot to visit, and yet Great Grandma loved us still. Great Grandma mentioned that in combining Lincoln and Washington's birthdays into "President's Day" we were really slighted one holiday! The girls enjoyed the vacation from school (and piano and chores). Grandma Edith shared ice-cream "drumsticks" and a knowledge of knitting. She gave each of the girls a knitted rainbow washcloth and then said,"now you have new cloths, you promise to help wash the dishes!" Jonathan ran up and asked if he got one too. Such a helper! We stopped by Aunt Amy's house on the way home and discussed plans for Spring and played with cousins Owen, Alex and their dog Milo. At home, Family Home Evening activity included washing dishes (Hannah thought we were joking at first. This was NOT her favorite activity). Orange sherbet, a lesson on Twenty-five Successful Habits by Dad, scriptures, songs, and family prayer ended a relaxing day. In bed this evening, Rebekah cried for a long time. "Why are you crying, Rebekah?" "Because I miss Great Grandpa Clayton soo much!" "Why couldn't he have stayed!..." She sobbed. Sweet Rebekah and another talk about heaven. "Still, I didn't want him to go!" Jonathan knows exactly what it feel like to NOT want to go to heaven.