Happy Birthday Madelyn!

Today is Madelyn's first birthday!  Wow!  As part of her birthday celebration, I decided I should write her a letter.  She is an amazing little girl and I hope this letter can be a special keepsake for us.  I hope you find encouragement through it as well.


Dear Madelyn, Daddy’s little girl,

I can’t believe you are turning 1 today. We are so blessed to have you in our family.

Your Mommy picked the name Madelyn and it fits you perfectly. It’s so cute and so are you! I really wanted your middle name to be Joy because I had a feeling you were going to bring so much joy to our lives. But, I had no idea it would as much as this! Your beautiful smile, your adorable giggles, and your sweet personality have brought us amazing joy every day this year.

You have also taught me to experience a new kind of love. I never knew how much a daddy could love his little girl until I met you. I love you just because you’re you and nothing is ever going to change that.

Your Mommy and I pray for you every day. We pray that you’ll keep growing strong. We pray that one day you will understand the love that God has for you and that you will ask Him to come into your life. We even pray for your future husband, that God would be preparing him to take care of you one day...one day…in like 40 years!

I love seeing you when you wake up in the morning all full of smiles. I love seeing you throughout the day as you observe and explore everything around you. I love holding and dancing with you as you wind down and get ready for bed. Sometimes I wish the rest of the world would just stop so I could just hold you all day long.

Your Mommy and I have also learned to love each other more because of you. Besides our love for God and each other, there is nothing that compares to the love we have for you. And we want to be the best examples that we can for you. As you grow up, we want you to know that we are always here for you and you can talk to us about anything. We’ll mess up, so you better be ready for that. But, we will always try to do our best to take care of you and teach you in a way that honors God.

Happy Birthday Madelyn! Your Mommy and I love you more than you can imagine!

Daddy