"Catch the balloons!"

"Catch Pap-Pap!"

Cort was playing at a friend's house today so Elizabeth and I had a little girl time.  We went and had her hair washed, trimmed and blow dried.  Then we decided to stop for a cookie and a drink.  Afterwards I wanted to stop at a store that I have been procrastinating visiting for months.  It is a store that sells mostly Religious items in our area.  With Cort's Communion fast approaching there are a few items I am looking for. 

As Elizabeth and I left the store she saw three balloons floating up into the sky.  Clearly someone had recently lost their balloons.  As I put her into the car she said quite matter-of-factly, "It is okay, Pap-Pap will get them.  He's in heaven, ya know?"  I had to smile.  It makes me very happy that sixteen months after my dad's passing the kids still talk of him often.  I mentioned the store earlier because as I was browsing around there was a plaque in the store that made me tear up, talking about dads and how perfect they are, about how you can understand God's love a little, when you have a dad like mine.  It was just perfect timing for those balloons to go up into the air, and Elizabeth to mention my dad.

Of course this is Elizabeth so naturally that is not the end of the story...

As we pulled out of the parking lot Elizabeth was still watching the balloons go higher and higher.  I asked her if she could see Pap-pap reaching for them.  She informed me that the balloons would have to go above the clouds for him to get them because he is flying above the clouds.  "Oh", I said.  Several miles down the road Elizabeth jumps and says "whoa, that scared me."  I asked, "What scared you?"  She replied "Pap-pap, he is flying next to the car.  Now he is behind us.  He is being very silly."

And that was how our afternoon of girl time turned out to include Pap-Pap.  I certainly didn't mind the company.