Why did Papa have to go to Heaven?

So here we are...September...nearly 6 months without our beloved Papa Strom here on earth with us.

The girls took the news of Papa passing very well. Isabella had been at Great Grandpa Rowe's funeral just a month or so before Papa Strom's passing, so I think that helped her to understand everything. Even with Gpa Rowe, she exhibited a great maturity and faith about the whole matter. When we told her, she said to Bryan, "Don't be said, Daddy, you will get to see him in Heaven again".

When we told her about Papa Strom, her response was, "No more Papa at the house anymore, just a Grandma and a Dutchy" and off she went to play.

Despite the fact that we knew she wouldn't really 'understand' we did take the time to tell Veronica, and she took that well and went off to play.

The funeral services went well too. At both the prayer service and funeral Isabella took the time to wipe tears from Grandma's cheeks.
The girls were very comfortable seeing Papa in his casket. He looked good, like he was just sleeping. They were used to seeing him sleeping, so that made it easy, I think. At the visitation they hung out by the casket and enjoyed looking at the flowers. Veronica blew Papa a kiss before she went to go get some dinner. In all honesty, it was very easy. Isabella has a very mature understanding of God and heaven and so she knew her Papa was in a good place and that his body didn't hurt anymore.

At Papa's burial in May, we all let off balloons to Papa in heaven, a suggestion from my dear friend, Tami.

Months have passed and Papa is still asked about regularly and talked about often. I don't hide tears from the girls and so Isabella knows that sometimes Mommy just misses her Dad a whole lot. She will ask me if I am sad because Papa died and I tell her yes, but that I am thankful that he is healed in God's loving embrace.

In the early weeks, Veronica asked where Papa was each time we went to Grandma's. Sometimes she would say "Papa at the hospital, my Papa sick" or ask if he was still at the hospital. Those questions have now turned into, "Why did Papa have to go to Heaven?".
This past week she has asked about Papa a lot and has told me in a rather frustrated voice, "I miss him, I just waaaaaaaaaant him!". She than asked me if his tummy was all better. I told her it was but that he would still need to stay in heaven...she wasn't totally jiggy with that:) I than asked her what was her favorite thing about Papa and she said, "M favorite thing about Papa was he feed me chocolate at the table"...LOVE IT!!!!!

Veronica also says, "There Papa's service, we send him balloons upa heaven, Papa not sick anymore" almost every time we pass by the funeral home. The balloon idea was fantastic...it's something she correlates to Papa in heaven.

Isabella was taking pictures while we were driving this summer and she pointed the camera up at the sky and said, "Smile Papa, smile"! LOVE IT!!!

And so our Papa is no longer here on earth and that is not always easy. But we carry on and we remember him and do what we can to help the girls feel close to him and remember all the special times they shared with him!

WE LOVE YOU PAPA! Papa is the best....yeahhhhhhh Papa!