So, here you go, future versions of my children, in case you ever wonder:
I check on you slumbering sweetly in your beds every single night before I go to bed. I can’t resist having a look at your slumbering beauty and making sure you are breathing steadily before I can sleep.
I tell you how much I love your Dad to the point you get annoyed. But it’s true. As much as I adore you guys, I try to always put your Dad first, and I think you like seeing that.
I love to read with you at night. It gets tougher and tougher each year because everyone is on such different levels, but I love it as much as you do…and you’ve realized that I’ll read for longer if you play with my hair as we read.
I have a goal to play music each night after we tuck you in bed. Sometimes I’m good at it and sometimes I’m not.
I hang maps all over the place in hopes that you will please love traveling and adventure as much as I do. I want us to travel the world together.
I keep trying to get you to love Thai food as much as I do so I make it often. Even though you still turn your noses up at it I’m convinced that if I keep trying some day you’ll fall in love.
Not much makes me happier than walking into your room and finding you kneeling in prayer or reading your scriptures…unasked.
I try to somehow weave my testimony into all that I tell you. I want you to know, more than anything else, that I love my Savior and that I’m trying to be like Him.
You never tire of begging for a dog and I hope you get one when you leave my house.
I get very huffy when I’m mad. And I slam doors.
I always tell you I’m sorry when I cool down after getting mad. And I really am.
I love beauty. I point it out every chance I get. I hope some day you will love it as much as I do.
I dance to music with you (especially when we’re trying to clean up dinner or do jobs on Saturdays) and you love it.
I steal you away from school whenever I can and take you, individually, to lunch.
I have no problem pulling you out of school for a trip, or lunch, or family stuff…I love the motto,”Don’t ever let schooling interfere with your education.”
Having said that, your Dad and I totally stress doing your very best at school. Who knows maybe we will have a child go to college and I secretly hope its to BYU because I didn’t get to experience it.
I have “Fasting Club” with you on Fast Sundays before dinner to try to get you more excited about Fast Sunday and I love to hear what spiritual things you’ve learned or noticed in the last month.
I come to each of your classes and volunteer and I love to be in your classrooms with you.
I used to have a goal to always come in and say prayers with each of you every single night. And I was good at it. But lately I’ve pulled back a little bit (at least on you older kids) because I want you to make it a habit on your own. It’s sad for me but I know it’s good for you. When we do say prayers together, though, we always link our arms together. I love hearing your prayers.
I get plenty of sleep. And sometimes you suffer because of it when it makes me grumpy. I’m sorry.
I wish you didn’t have to go to school and that we could just hang out all day. Just me and you and Dad. Really. But I’m sure you wouldn’t love it since when we ever have a day like that I make you clean out a cabinet or closet or two.
But, most importantly, I love you so much that sometimes my heart feels like it just may burst outside of me when I look at you….even when you have messy faces and sassy attitudes. (Although the attitude thing and things like dumping sand out of your shoes on the freshly mopped kitchen floor sure throw me for a loop … but I always forgive you.)
Love, Mom
