Eu te amo, Vo

Hopefully this will be the last downer post for a long while, okay?

The last two weeks have taken about 3 months to pass by.

Or so it feels.

You know how I told you about my grandpa passing away a couple Fridays ago?

Well, a few days later (Monday), Camillo had to rush to Brasil to see his grandma who had been admitted to ICU with severe stomach pain and internal bleeding.

Since I was a bit tied up (literally at the funeral home) when Camillo called to tell me he had to catch a plane 2 hours later, I couldn't go with him right away.

It was kind of a breaking point as I stood in the funeral home, holding my crying grandma, seeing my grandpa in his open casket, and getting a call that my husband was flying 14 hours away because the sweet lady that raised him was on her death bed.

I stayed with my grandma until Wednesday before I flew to Brasil.

My grandma needed me, but she wouldn't be alone.

This was going to be a huge turning point in Camillo's life and in our marriage - 

I had to go.

I flew to LA with no more than a reserved seat from there to Sao Paulo.

Thankfully, that was enough.

Camillo met me at the airport and it was such a huge relief to see him.

We went straight to his sister's house to pick her up on the way to the hospital.

Trouble is, as we walked through the door, Caroline was on the phone with the nurse who had called to tell her Grandma Fefa had passed away just an hour before.

Even though I didn't get to see her before she died, I was with Camillo when he heard the news and for that I'm so thankful.

My trip wasn't even necessarily to visit Grandma, but to be there to support and comfort Camillo.

Since I didn't see her hooked up to all sorts of machines and pumps, I can remember her full of life.

 Maybe some of you might be a little weirded out by my openness about what we've been through the last couple weeks.

It took me a while before I was ready to tell you about it but I felt like I needed to.

Thanks for letting me talk it out.

Through this entire ordeal, we have felt an overwhelming peace.

Sure, there's been a moment or two where it seemed almost too much to bear, but Jesus held us up and kept us strong.

I know we couldn't have gotten through this without your prayers and God's grace.

We're finally home and slowly getting back into our daily lives.

When people ask how we're doing, it's hard to know how to answer.

Is it okay to say 'fine'?

Or are they looking for a long, depressing answer?

Everybody grieves a little differently and I'm so thankful that we have the peace of Jesus to fill us up.

Otherwise, the answer might not be 'fine'.

Thanks to those of you who knew what was going on and prayed hard for us.

xoxo

Joy