Letter to Kynlee

Dear Kynlee,

First of all and most importantly, HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!!! :) I thought for your special day I would write you a letter. Don't get me wrong we bought you plenty of gifts, but I thought this would be something you would treasure for years to come. Not that you won't treasure your new carseat for the next few years, but you get the idea! :)

I can't even think of what to tell you, I guess I should start from the beginning. Before you were growing inside of me, we prayed for you. Not just us, your parents, but lots of people! I think that is a pretty good start to life! :) All 37 weeks that you grew inside me, we prayed that you would come out healthy and screaming! :) And that is exactly what happened on March 3, 2010... We were able to have 2 of my favorite doctors in the room getting you out of me, Dr. Bradley and Dr. Rhonda wanted to be the first to meet you! I was so happy they were there! Then your daddy stood by my head and as I cried through the whole thing, he told me it would be okay! :) And grandma Karin was there too! She had MANY cameras on her neck, she looked like a tourist! :) When you came out, I said, "She needs to cry!" And that second you did!!! I was so excited that the happy tears came flowing!!! Everyone was crying! :) You were the prettiest girl I had ever seen, and right away grandma Karin said, "Are you gonna tell us the name now?" And I looked at your daddy and he said yes! So I told everyone in the room that your name was Kynlee Jacalyn!

You should know where your name came from. You see you were Karsyn for a long time before, then two weeks before you were born mommy created this name for you. Daddy loved it and we decided it would be perfect! :) We wanted you to have a name that started with "K", and the Lee comes from your daddys middle name, your grandpa Tim's middle name, your grandpa Jim's middle name, and your godmother Emy's middle name! :) Then your middle name, Jacalyn is from your mommy's mom who passed away when I was a little girl. I am sad every day that you are not going to be able to know her here on earth, but I see her spirit in you already! :) (this could mean trouble!)

Anyhow, enough of the beginning! Its been a year and oh my how you have changed our lives!!! :) Always for the better! You have traveled to 7 states already! We are busy people and you do a great job of keeping up with us! :) You have taught your daddy that sometimes we have to plan a little bit and can't always leave last minute. Remind me someday to tell you about the Labor Day trip to Fargo without a change of clothes, you had pooped all over yourself by Jamestown so we had to take a naked baby into Target to get a new outfit! :)

I know that we, as parents, haven't always made the right decisions and trust me this will continue! But we are learning right along with you, everyday is a lesson. Just know that everything we do, is out of love. We will make mistakes as parents, everyone does, but at this point we don't know all the "right" answers, we just do what feels right!

As you grow, I will always try to tell you how beautiful you are inside and out. I know this is important for you because I was a little girl once too. Junior high is not a friendly time. I tell you everyday how pretty you are and I always hope you feel that too. Even when people don't tell you that, please remember that beauty comes from within. I know people who are "pretty" on the outside but the inside are rotten to the core, this makes them very ugly!

Always know you are bigger than the problems that come in your path. Always keep in touch with your grandparents and great grandparents because they hold the key to your past and will always be a wealth of knowledge for you! :)

I know one day will come when I am not your best friend anymore, however you will come around and have me back again! :) Trust me it took me a while to realize how very smart your grandma Karin was! Not only is she an amazing grandma, she is a wonderful mom and an even better best friend to me! :) During the time when I am not your favorite person, I will still love you more than you know and always want the absolute best for you! :) Sometimes mommy really does know best! You can always talk to your dad and I about anything, we may not like what we hear, but we will listen.

Its hard to believe that a year has passed....you have changed us for the better! Thank you for all the hugs and kisses, that makes our day! We pray for you everyday and thank God that you have blessed our lives. You are so very special to us! :)

I better close this letter and get your breakfast ready, we will make today a special day for you! As you make everyday special for us.

We love you with all our hearts and then some, have a wonderful birthday,

Mommy (daddy too, he just didn't do the typing!) :)