Dear Hayden,

Recently, everything is a phone for you! The remote controls, your cup, your small books, and especially phones!!! You hold them up to your ear and say, “Hello!” about a hundred times! You sound like a person checking to see if the person you are speaking to is still on the other end!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

This short article was published in our church newsletter this month. It states exactly what I love about being part of a church family. You are a kid of this covenant, and I am so grateful for our church family because of the many ways they help us raise you. I just wanted to make sure you have these words so you can remember this in the raising of your own kiddos.

Love you,
Mama

They say it takes a village to raise a child. I agree. I’m so glad, too, because it means I don’t have to do it alone. It is with great joy that we partner with the Body of Christ in the raising up, investing in, and sending out of our own children. How Great is that?

People like you rocking my child to sleep in the nursery…
People like you singing and dancing with my child at Vacation Bible School…
People like you demonstrating for my child a heart, mind and body for worship…
People like you helping my child find her place to serve…
People like you desiring for my child to be filled with the Holy Spirit…
People like you mentoring my child through adolescence when I suddenly won’t have a clue…
People like you becoming life-long friends with my child…
People like you modeling healthy marriages and the commitment to restoration of unhealthy marriages…
People like you committing to be family with my child…
People like you partnering with my child in mission…
People like you walking with my child through the deaths of her parents…

…people like you.

I’m so grateful for people like you. You are the Body of Christ.

Dear Hayden,

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and saw you and your friends playing outside. You were the only one without a bicycle or tricycle, so Grandpa decided to do something about that!

Here is a picture of you on your new trike!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

You wake up from your nap every day with the CRAZIEST hair! Some people have to use a lot of hair products to get this look, but you come by it naturally!

Love you,
Mama

Bed Head

Dear Hayden,

You love the park! We go there a lot, and today I actually remembered the camera!

Love you,
Mama

On the Swing!

Elijah on the Swing!

Driving on the Play Equipment!

Slide

Slide

Dear Hayden,

Today while Elijah was here, you wanted to get in the laundry basket. Then it wasn’t enough that you were in it, you had to have Elijah in it with you! I had to steal a picture!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

Your dad and you have started a vegetable garden! It is something special that the two of you do together. Today I took some pictures of you as you planted the seeds together.

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

We are slowly but surely working on your new room! We haven’t painted it yet, but we are getting it decorated with all your purple accessories! I sewed you a bird mobile and we have been collecting various purple treasures so that once we paint it purple, you will be in a purple paradise! You still have a lot of pink stuff from your first room, but it all ties together nicely!

Love you
Mama

Bird Mobile

Purple Hippo from Aunt Lisa and Bow Rack

Mama’s Purse Picture

Growth Chart and Bookshelf

Changing Area

Dear Hayden,

You are becoming quite a talker! You started with “What’s that?” and “Who’s that?” but now you say a bunch of other things, too! Your favorites are Mama, Dad, up, water and keys. It’s amazing how each day you seem to learn a word or two. It’s neat to finally be able to hear a tiny bit about what you are thinking!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

By your standards, today was a pretty good day. You got to play with the beverage boxes we got for the party, you ate Hummus for lunch, you played with Elijah and you drew a picture with such passion that you got ink on your shirt. You are growing into a big girl so quickly!

Love you,
Mama

Beverage Boxes

You and Elijah

Inky Shirt