HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Addison's 1st Valentine's Day Card

I have big hopes & dreams for Addison! One of my biggest hopes for her is that she will be a kind, warm, loving, person. I pray that she will never be a "mean girl".  Philip & I are committed to teach Addison about love & the importance of loving others. She won't be raised to be condemning or judgmental but to except others as they are.  We want to teach her how to find joy in loving & being kind to others.  Whether it's walking up to a random stranger in a store & giving them a gift card or inviting the "smelly" kid to sit at her lunch table, we will teach Addison how important it is to put others before herself. We will teach her to share & how to be a giver.   She will learn to be compassionate, respectful & thoughtful. We will teach Addison about Jesus & His love for us in any opportunity we have & Valentines Day is a fantastic opportunity. I want her to learn that the "I love you" enscribed on candy hearts means so much more than three words. That love is an action. We will teach her that loving other people is something to be celebrated every day in how you treat them, Valentine's Day is just an extra special day. We will teach her through our own actions towards each other, Addison & strangers. THIS is why Valentine's Day & every other holiday is going to be celebrated in my house. By seeing us get excited about these things & watching us give gifts of kindness, time, compassion, respect, and thoughtfulness to people it reinforces what we will be teaching her daily.  It gives her a reason to be excited about it. I will be one of those mom's that makes heart shaped pancakes & strings heart shaped garland across the fire place. I will tuck little "love notes" away that she will find that let her know all the reasons I love her.  I will make cupcakes for her class & we will spend time making valentines for EVERY student in her class. I pray that she gets excited about doing it. In turn I hope on any random day if a peer didn't have a snack at snack time that she would share. That she would tell me if somebody in her class didn't have lunch money & that she'd ask me for money to give to that kid. So yes, we will start these lessons at 5 months old & continue forever because I want her to know how incredibly special she is, what a gift she is. I want her to know how loved she is...that way if she is the kid that gets picked on or doesn't get a Valentine it won't matter to her because she knows how much Jesus, her Mum & Dad love her.

There is that crinkle face I love so much!