an open letter to my baby-daddy-to-be.

darling,

let's make sure our children know we planned for them. we prayed for them. we thought about them years before they came to us. we made choices long before we met each other that would benefit them.

we should be sure and hold them as much as we can when they're little. we can rock them to sleep and hold their little hands while we read them Madeleine books.

let's teach them big words. more importantly, kind words. let's encourage them to share and compromise. let's help them be gracious and patient.

let's make sure they know they can be anything they want. let's help them to love their choices and learn from their mistakes.

let's teach them to be independent and free-thinking. let's push them to ask questions and seek answers.

let's help them to accept the things they cannot change.

let's teach them to save and be smart about money. let's teach them money isn't everything.

i hope they learn to love and accept themselves and others. i hope they value opinions that are different from theirs, and know they can grow from hearing different perspectives.

i hope they know that our way isn't the right way. it's simply our way. it works for us.

i want them to live their own truth. let's teach them to respect the truth's of others.

let's be sure they know our family is our priority. let's tell them how much we love each other. let's show them how much we love each other by always putting one another first.

let's tell them everyday that we waited and longed for them.

let's be sure they know they are children of our heavenly father, on loan to us for an earthly existence. we'll tell them our #1 goal is to get them back to him.

we won't be perfect parents. we'll mess up. we might yell. we'll lose it at times.

i'll probably teach them their first swear word and will likely forget i promised cupcakes for a classroom party.

i will probably embarrass them in an failed attempt to be a "cool mom," and you'll probably say something ridiculous to their 3rd grade teacher during an open house.

but whatever.

they'll know that they are ours, and we are theirs. celestially involved thanks to a sealing power and a choice we made long ago to be a forever family.

xoxo