The following is a tribute written by Joella's grandmother, Karna Binkley. This was read at Joella's funeral.
There are a lot of things that I don’t understand, and I’m only beginning to get a glimpse of the sovereignty of God and just how much He is in control. But this one thing I do know, we are incredibly blessed to have been given the gift of Joella Grace.
Joella took us by surprise from the very start, weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs. 9 ounces. She seemed to know her time was short and that she needed to be on the fast track, when at the age of a couple of weeks, I was privileged to witness her rolling over for the first time. Then she sat at 5 months, crawled at 6 months, stood at 8 months, and walked at 9 months. And again, I was privileged to watch her take her first step.
Joella’s middle name was given in honor of her Great Grandma Grace Binkley, and at the age of 7 weeks, Joella got to meet her Great Grandma Grace just 2 weeks before her great grandma went to be with the LORD. We placed her in bed next to Grace and they both broke out in amazing smiles. They were the perfect picture of how life had come full circle --- new life and helplessness in Joella and the end of life and helplessness in Great Grandma Grace.
Joella’s smile was one of her most striking features. She could light up a room with it and melt your heart all in the same moment, and she definitely used it to her advantage. Truly, I’ve never seen anything so cute in all my life, and we were blessed with many of those smiles even in the last few days of her life.
Joella loved music (and knowing her Mommy and Daddy, how could she not) and she exhibited a foot-stomping rhythm every time music was played. She loved for Mommy or Daddy to hold her and dance while they listened to music. Her favorite song was “How Great is our God” and she often sang, “Greata God, Greata God.”
The urge to climb was almost irresistible in Joella and she was constantly climbing into chairs, booster seats, her high chair, on the couch --- the problem was she seldom would willingly sit down on her bottom, much to the concern of her parents and grandparents. Once she climbed out of her crib and locked the door to her bedroom at naptime. Thankfully, she was incredibly stable on her feet and seldom had a fall. When she did fall, she would “shake it off” and go right back to climbing.
Joella loved watching “Veggie Tales” and “Thomas the Tank Engine,” and in the hospital, “Charlotte’s Web.” Joella was just as at home playing with baby dolls and her new kitchen as playing with cars and trains, and she became an excellent playmate for her big brother Cameron. Cameron loved his little sister and was very concerned for her to get better, showering Joella with gentle kisses in the few moments they had together at home in the last couple of weeks. Of course, they had their moments as every brother/sister combo does, but they were always quick to apologize and forgive each other. Cameron would say, “No, Cameron. Don’t hit sister. Say ‘sorry.’ Give hug.” And Joella would often pray for her “Brubbah.”
Along with Mommy as Mary and Daddy as Joseph, Joella had the sweet privilege of playing the role of the baby Jesus in a Heartland Christmas drama. She touched our hearts, helping us to imagine what it was like to see our Savior as a baby as she happily played with the gifts the Wise Men brought. No one ever imagined that she would soon meet Jesus face to face.
We had many “déjà vu” moments also as we watched Joella make some expression or mannerism that totally reminded us, her B-Nana and Papa B, of her Mommy Kerry, our firstborn, and how Kerry looked when she was very young. In fact, at Joella’s 2-year checkup, her height and weight were exactly what Kerry’s were at 2 years of age.
Joella had a special affection for her Papas --- Papa B and ‘Peka Papa --- and with a look of concern on her face would ask, “Where Papa?” or “Where Papa go?” whenever they would leave a room or be where she couldn’t see them.
And speaking of “seeing,” the addition of her little pink eyeglasses at the age of 17 months only added to the cuteness with the magnification of her beautiful eyes. We thought that with the improvement in her depth perception, she might show a little more caution in her climbing escapades, but that was not the case. She would fearlessly try to scale anything in her path. She seemed to know she was going “up” soon.
It was always great fun to share a meal with Joella. She was always a great eater and would try many more foods than her older sibling. Many times during the midst of a meal, Joella would make the announcement, “I pooped! Check!” The steroids Joella was taking in those last couple of weeks did seem to increase her appetite, and we heard her say, “I’m hun-gy,” many times. She especially liked guacamole, which she called “guac,” and actually that was the only thing that motivated her to walk about 12 steps one time with Mommy holding her hand, while she was home between hospital stays.
Joella loved to have books read to her and this became so precious while she was in the hospital and so sick, because she could do little else. Joella also loved stuffed animals and when visiting her ‘Peka Papa and Nana, she would always make a beeline for the bedroom where they were stashed and come out with her arms full of furry friends. Live animals, however, were not an encounter that Joella enjoyed.
Back in the summer, God blessed us with a sweet time to have all of our grandchildren together --- Cameron, Addy, Joella and Lexi --- and Joella loved interacting with her cousins, playing in the sandbox, the wading pool, chalk drawing on the driveway, and the competition for who would get to sit in the little rocking chair that her Mommy Kerry sat in as a child.
Our entire family was so blessed by Joella --- Great Nana and Great Papa Conrad, Great Nana and Great Papa Bliss (who had snapped hundreds of pictures of Joella), ‘Peka Papa and ‘Peka Nana, B-Nana and Papa B, Aunt Tonya and Uncle Daniel, and Uncle Bia, who was a frequent babysitter for Joella and Cameron. So many great aunts and great uncles and cousins have also been blessed by the gift of Joella Grace.
The LORD gave both me and Joella’s ‘Peka Nana some very sweet cuddle times with Joella when she was sick. Many times in these last few weeks, Joella fell asleep in my arms, clutching her bunny and sucking her favorite thumb. Her bunny, or “Buh” as Joella called it, brought her great comfort. She had even started calling the bunny, “Ah-buh,” and what a comfort it is to all of us to know she is now in the arms of her Abba (Daddy) in heaven. Joella often combined a lot of words into a shortened form, so when she was asking for “Munny,” she wanted Mommy to give her the bunny.
Joella had become a great helper and seemed to enjoy picking up toys and little pieces of trash which she found, singing, “Pick up, pick up” as she “worked.” She also enjoyed helping to set the table. Joella would often say, “Hold you,” when she wanted Kerry to pick her up and she loved to be included in everything Kerry was doing, standing on a chair next to Mommy preparing dinner or washing dishes. And God in His infinite grace gave Kerry hour after hour of precious time with Joella while she was in the hospital these last few weeks --- so many precious moments --- so many precious memories Kerry so eloquently described in their blog. They bonded and connected with each other so beautifully.
Daddy Joel would often pick Joella up to comfort her when she was sad or hurt and would always say, “I gotcha.” This became one of the sweet things Joella would say whenever she was held. Joel had one of those special relationships that only a daddy can have with his little girl. She was and is a priceless treasure to him and he has been faithful to be a godly example before her.
What more can I say, my heart is breaking, but I have been blessed, so blessed by Joella. How I loved that precious baby. But God’s ways are not our ways…and He will be glorified in this. And when I awoke on Monday morning after Joella’s death on Sunday, I looked outside and it was so beautiful and peaceful with a blanket of newly fallen snow clinging to every little tree branch --- so calm, absolutely no wind. And it seemed to me that this beautiful sight was God’s response to Joella.
So please, please, please continue to pray for us and especially for her Mommy and Daddy and big brother Cameron, for our loss is very great, but our God is greater still, and His amazing grace is what is needed to sustain us through every single moment of every single day, and we will continue to experience that “peace that passes all understanding,” and be able to say with confidence, “It is well with my soul.”
B-Nana
