Dear Hayden,

Your two bottom front teeth are so wiggly! Today we painted a tooth fairy door and installed it in your room, because I think she will be passing through soon! It can’t be long before those teeth come out!

Love you,
Mama

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Dear H, O and B,

So far this summer, we have been absolute fish!! We swim AT LEAST once a day, almost every single day. You have been in lessons daily through the city and you are having a fantastic time! We’ve been swimming at Nana and Papa’s, Grandma and Jiddoh’s and the water park, too! Needless to say, you are totally enjoying it, and it is a great way to spend these hot summer days!

Love you,
Mama

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Dear H, O and B,

One week a year our church hosts Vacation Bible School. It runs from 8:30 until noon and everybody in our church family who is available is there to make it happen. The doors fly open on Monday morning, kids of all ages from all over (including you) flood in for a fantastic time! I absolutely love VBS week. I love it because we are all there together. I love it because Madison and Andrew come with us and stay with us for part of the week. I love it because the whole church family shows up, and while I’m working on registration and administrative tasks, people are loving you and teaching you and being Jesus in the flesh for you. It’s just totally humbling and amazing to me. I’m so grateful to be a part of it. You all had a fantastic week, and the music goes on and on — we’ll probably be listening to it until it’s time to pop in the Christmas music!

Love you,
Mama

Our VBS Family on Crazy Glasses Day:
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Crazy Hair Day:
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Awesome Miss Brenna in the Nursery:
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Slinging Buddies — not perfect use of the sling, but an A for effort!
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Dear Bennett,

Today you are eleven months old. You are growing out of the baby stage so quickly! You are nearly done with bottles — you don’t really care too much about them and you pay attention to everything — you don’t miss a moment! You have this really interesting teeter-booty-scoot-crawl going on — it gets you all over the house, really quickly without having to be on all fours! You crack me up because you look so silly when you are getting around! You have the most amazing laugh and you smile at just about everything. We’re counting down to one year old now — I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since you got here.

Love you,
Mama

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Dear Hayden,

Tonight we took you with us to Amanda and Kyle’s wedding! It was the first wedding you’ve attended that you were old enough to thoroughly enjoy! You were a little wiggly during the ceremony, but you watched each important part of the reception with very special attention! You danced and danced and danced until it was 11:15 and Dad and I decided we had to get you home! You had an absolute blast, and it was so fun to be there with you. I’ve already told you what I think about weddings — that you’ll go to so many of them, so you really have to just pick one think you’ll remember — for this wedding I have two — the first is watching you enjoy it so very much and the second is that PR explained to Amanda and Kyle that marriage is a promise to outserve — to constantly try to be better and better to the person to whom you are married. I love this idea — it’s brilliant and it works! Amanda and Kyle have been a very special part of our lives as they have spent a lot of time with us getting ready to be married, so this was a special night for all of us. We are all so very happy for them!

Love you,
Mama

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Dear Hayden,

Tonight, after three years at Peace Lutheran Preschool, you walked across the stage at graduation! We had a fun family dinner beforehand with Nana, Papa, Darryl and Andrea. This event was emotional for me because this means you are headed off to kindergarten, and your little years are making way for bigger ones. I have loved having little you with me so much, and I will miss you terribly when you head off to elementary school. I am so grateful to God that you are happy, healthy and more than ready for everything kindergarten will bring, though. I know you are going to have an amazing time at school and make memories that you will share with your children and your children’s children. We love you and we are so proud of who you are becoming!

Love you,
Mama

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Dear Bennett,

Today you are ten months old! You have such a fun, easy going personality! You are a BIG boy and you are such a cutie!

Love you,
Mama

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Dear Bennett,

Today, you decided to stand up so you could see ALL of the toys in the toy box! You are not crawling yet, but you do scoot around everywhere upright and you’ve gotten quite efficient at getting anywhere you want to go sitting up! You are a big boy, so maybe that’s easier!

Love you,
Mama

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Dear Owen,

Your most prized possession is Blankey. It goes almost everywhere you do — on car rides, to the backyard to play, to sleep, on vacation — everywhere. You always know where it is and it’s never very far away. Sometimes Blankey drags behind you, sometimes it gets tucked under your arm or worn like a cape or a scarf. You don’t like it very much when Blankey has to go in the washer and you wait very anxiously for it to be out and dry. I think when I reminisce about your childhood, Owen, I’ll think of Blankey, too.

Love you,
Mama

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Dear H, O and B,

We spent this weekend with our Dove Love friends. We had such an amazing time, as we always do, passing babies, connecting in conversation, building each other up, listening, and doing life. We’re creating memories that will last a lifetime for you, which seems fitting because these ladies have been my friends for a lifetime. It’s difficult to describe what it feels like to be with them, and all I can say is that in their presence, I feel like I’m home.

Love you,
Mama

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