Our oldest daughter was born the day before Thanksgiving, November 21, 2007. In honor of her fifth birthday today, I’m sharing her birth story, transcribed from her baby album. Dear Ru, When Mommy went to the Dr. on November 21, 2007, I sure wasn’t expecting to be holding you by the end of the day. Everything had been…
Dear Children of Mine, For your future entertainment, I continue to collect and compile some of the funny and random things you say and do. Some quotes are from Facebook, some memories are jotted down here as I remember them. My oh my, you come up with some creative uses of the English language! Two…
Dear Me, I’ve been wondering—if I really could send a letter back in time to you, what is it you most need to hear? I could tell you about the adorable curly-haired children you’d have, but you could probably guess what they’d look like (hint: just look at your baby pictures). I could tell you…
in honor of our second daughter’s third birthday I’m posting her birth story… originally written September & October, 2009 Dear Mary Kate, During your first week of life, your daddy commented on how quickly one adjusts to a “new normal.” And when your Grandma kissed you goodbye when you were two weeks and two days…
Dearest, Ten years ago today, we walked down the aisle together for the first time. I’ll never forget the way you looked at me, standing there across the stage at your sister’s wedding. Thick as the emotions were, there was no way I could help that big smile from flooding my face as we walked…
Dear Ruth and Mary, You may be farmer’s daughters, but you’re still little girls. And when the rain came yesterday afternoon, you shouted, “Yay! Rain for Daddy’s fields!” You are always ready to welcome everything as a gift. Even if it’s rain on Daddy’s hay that was almost dry enough to bale. I stopped your…
Dearest, We always said we’d learn to dance when we got married. But first there was a broken leg to prevent it, then there was always a baby belly or a baby in the way. We keep saying we’ll take dancing lessons when they’re older, laughing that by the time we get around to it…
Dear Daddy, I never thought I’d marry a man like my daddy. We were too much alike, you and me. Clashing more often because of our similarities than because of anything other than just me being an emotional teenage girl. But every year that passes, I see more and more resemblance between you and the…
Dearest, Did you know what you were getting into, my love, when you married a writer? Did you know it would mean oft coming home to dishes only half finished because inspiration struck in the midst of the soap suds? Did you know how often I’d nearly burn your dinner—or forget to get it started…
Dear Mary Kate, Your daddy and I insisted on everyone napping Sunday afternoon. Then, we promised, then we could all plant flowers outside. We left the front door open (yay for screen door weather!) and knew you’d wander out whenever you woke up. We were working right by your bedroom window, not too quietly, at…
Dear Ru and Mary, We hesitated, at least momentarily, to take you to a ballet. Somehow we knew it would mean endless twirling around the house and the necessary creation of tutus. And of course, I recalled my childhood fascination with ballet and my fruitless attempt at taking lessons (your mother isn’t coordinated—one week at…
Dearest, A few moments of reflection, and I’m right back there…six years ago. Valentine’s Day landed on a Tuesday then, too. And I’d just finally—on February 9, to be exact—used my free ticket voucher to get a ticket to come see you. I was arriving the day before Valentine’s Day. And we were both learning…
The End.
The End.