Here's to 2009

***NOTE to Sweet Blogger Friends...

Please forgive me for this ultra mushy personal

note to Walker & Hadlee, but as I often

say...they are for the most part the reason

I blog (obviously!). I follow a certain blog and I
LOVE how she writes sweet notes to her little boy

on it from time to time. Oh, and Happy New Year...

more on celebrating that SOON!***

Dear Walker & Hadlee,

What a year 2008 was! There are too many wonderful things to mention right here and now. Walker, one highlight I can't overlook is your AWESOME start to kindergarten & Hadlee, your FUN start in gymnastics! Both of these things I will never forget. Walk-Man, I also won't forget your love of life & you playing soccer and t-ball. And Haddie Girl, hearing you learn to talk and seeing your little Miss Priss personality emerge has been amazing! There is so much more. We've had our 'moments' but for the greatest part of this year, it has been nothing but wonderful.

My hope for 2009 for the two of you is the same hope I have for your entire lives. May you ALWAYS love Jesus. Your little loves for Him right now has to be the GREATEST thing a Mommy can experience. My prayer above all else is that this love will continue to grow and grow for your entire lives. You might doubt God from time to time and that's okay. But I know FIRST HAND, without a doubt, when ALL else fails, GOD DOESN'T.

I also LOVE how you love your family...mommy, daddy, each other, your grandparents, your cousins, your friends...WOW! You know them all and you love them all. There is nothing like family & close friends...never forget that.

You both seem to have the kindest little hearts. I pray this never changes. Being nice to EVERYONE is something that Mommy believes in with all of her heart...not just sometimes, but all the time. I learned this early on in my own life.

Surround yourself with lots of friends & family and LOVE them. Yes, you will be let down from time to time by friends, by events, by activities...and you might even be lonely here and there. Charge on...move on...be strong! Your family & real friends and, most of all, your faith, will be there to get you through.

Give thanks...to God, to your family, to your friends. Be thankful. We have been given MUCH. We have MUCH to be thankful for...just look around. Even on our saddest day, we still have MUCH to give thanks about. There isn't a night that I don't sneak into your rooms and peak into that crib to say thank you Lord for my little girl & then tip toe across the hall and kiss my sweet little boy's cheek. Thankful for SO MUCH.

Have FUN!!! Enjoy life. Experience life. Go and absolutely SHINE in everything you do. Mommy & Daddy will do our bests to help you experience as much as you possibly can. Love makes the world go 'round...and FUN makes the going 'round even better!!!

In August of 2008, we went to a REAL photographer. Mommy & Daddy went in with the intention of capturing our little family TODAY as we are. We told the photographer we wanted one good family picture, one of the two of you, and one of us with EACH of you. Guess what?!? That's what we got...and when I look at these photos, I can see the LOVE, our LOVE for one another.

These pictures are priceless to me.

Walker Age Six & Hadlee Age Two

There is so much more I could say today as 2008 comes to an end. I started this blog with the intention of you reading it someday and enjoying it. I hope that will be the case. Perhaps you will never doubt my love for you because you'll have this to read and know that every single day of your life, your mommy & daddy have loved you. We are far from perfect, but we certainly try our hardest to be better because of the two of you.

Want to know something else?!? Your mommy & daddy love each other like no other. Sometimes we stop & look at the two of you and can't believe that you are ours. That makes us love each other all the more. The two of you are our greatest gifts of all time.

So here's to 2009...may we love, laugh, and live even more than we did in 2008!!!