A Letter To Claire
When I sat down to write Claire's 2008 Christmas Letter from me I read the one I wrote for her last year. It is my desire to write her letters as she grows up to share with her what she means to me and how much joy she brings to my life. I also want to communicate to her not just my dreams, but the desires that her Heavenly Father has for her. I plan to give them to her throughout the years and then to give them to her as a collection when she is grown.
I decided to share the 2007 Christmas letter and perhaps other letters in the future.
Dearest Claire,
It seems like only a few days ago that we brought you home when you were ten days old. Today is your first Christmas and also the day you turn eight months old. This is the day we celebrate the gift of God’s Son and the salvation we have through Him, but it is also the first time you, me and mommy are celebrating Christmas as a family. I have always heard that children make Christmas special. This year you have made it extra special for mommy and me.
Claire, I could never express to you the joy that filled my heart the moment I first saw you. Mommy and I were filled with emotions that we had never felt before and never could have imagined we could feel. In fact we had almost lost hope that we would ever know what it was like to have a child of our very own.
When they carried you into the room you were the most beautiful little baby girl I had ever seen. We had been told you were gorgeous by several people who saw you before we were able to see you. You certainly were as gorgeous as they said. We could have asked to see a picture but we wanted to see you in person the first time. Over the past eight months your beauty has become more evident because it is not only a beauty that can be seen with the eyes but also an inner beauty that is experienced through your sweet personality. Every time you smile at us you warm our hearts and fill us with happiness. Every time you reach for us it makes us feel loved and that you feel secure in our arms. Every time you look around the room to see where we are it makes us feel special because you are content when you know we are with you.
You make every moment of each day special. I love to see you look up at me with a big smile when I walk in your bedroom in the morning to take you out of your crib. I love feeding you breakfast in the morning and starting my day with you and mommy. I love coming home from work and seeing you get excited because Da-Da is home. I love hugging and kissing you as we get ready to put you to bed at night. I love praying for you as mommy and I get ready to lay you in your crib. You make every moment I spend with you and mommy very special! I look forward to spending the rest of my life watching you grow and experience new things.
Just after we brought you home I began thinking about all the life experiences we will share together. I thought about watching you perform at the Preschool Show-off nights. I thought about handing you your kindergarten diploma as I handed diplomas to the graduating Kindergarten class of 2007. I thought about how soon time will pass and one day you will graduate from high school and go off to college. It seems like only yesterday that I had handed the Senior Class of 2007 their K-5 diplomas and now I was handing some of those same students their high school diploma. I never want to forget how fast time passes by so that I can enjoy the times we have together before you are ready to leave home and experience life as an adult.
Over these eight months I have seen you grow from a baby that was so small and fragile to a baby who can crawl anywhere she wants to go. I watched as you discovered your fingers and that you could use your hands to reach for things. I watched as you grabbed things and then didn’t know how to turn those things loose. I watched as you began to understand how to hold things and then let them go. I watched as you began to scoot your body across the floor and began attempting to crawl. You would get up on all fours and then push yourself forward until you fell face forward on the floor. You kept trying until before long you were on your way! Now mommy and I have an even bigger job trying to protect you from going places you should not go and doing things that might cause you to get hurt. It has also been fun watching you begin to eat new foods. You have done great trying new foods. This past week you have begun to feed yourself puffs while you sit in a high chair. You are always so smart and pick up new things so easily.
I found the book that I am placing this letter to you in during our annual thanksgiving trip to the coast. I have heard this song many times. It now has an even greater meaning to me when I hear it.
My dearest Claire, it is my prayer that you will find your wings! As you grow up I want you to read and re-read the words to this song. I want you to listen to it often. I want you to slowly begin to understand the message of the song until you come to a complete understanding of all it means. Your mother and I realize that you are a special gift from God. We will always be grateful to God and to your birthmother for allowing you to be part of our lives. It is our desire that God will give us wisdom to direct and protect you while you are in our home. It is also our desire to prepare you for what God has prepared for your future. When the time comes to let you go we want to watch you achieve all that God has for you to achieve, to experience all that God wants you to experience, to enjoy all the good things God has for you to enjoy. We simply want to watch you soar once you have found your wings.
Before you ever came into our home we loved you. From the moment your birthmother chose us to be your parents we began to pray for God’s will to be accomplished in your life. We have continued to pray for that each day of your life and will continue to do so as long as we have life. And every day our love for you grows even stronger! Never forget that we love you!
We will be rejoicing as you come to know the Lord as your Saviour, as you grow to love Him as your Lord, as you cling to Him as your dearest friend and as you serve Him enthusiastically.
With all my love,
Daddy
Christmas 2007
I decided to share the 2007 Christmas letter and perhaps other letters in the future.
A Letter From Daddy
Dearest Claire,
It seems like only a few days ago that we brought you home when you were ten days old. Today is your first Christmas and also the day you turn eight months old. This is the day we celebrate the gift of God’s Son and the salvation we have through Him, but it is also the first time you, me and mommy are celebrating Christmas as a family. I have always heard that children make Christmas special. This year you have made it extra special for mommy and me.
Claire, I could never express to you the joy that filled my heart the moment I first saw you. Mommy and I were filled with emotions that we had never felt before and never could have imagined we could feel. In fact we had almost lost hope that we would ever know what it was like to have a child of our very own.
When they carried you into the room you were the most beautiful little baby girl I had ever seen. We had been told you were gorgeous by several people who saw you before we were able to see you. You certainly were as gorgeous as they said. We could have asked to see a picture but we wanted to see you in person the first time. Over the past eight months your beauty has become more evident because it is not only a beauty that can be seen with the eyes but also an inner beauty that is experienced through your sweet personality. Every time you smile at us you warm our hearts and fill us with happiness. Every time you reach for us it makes us feel loved and that you feel secure in our arms. Every time you look around the room to see where we are it makes us feel special because you are content when you know we are with you.
You make every moment of each day special. I love to see you look up at me with a big smile when I walk in your bedroom in the morning to take you out of your crib. I love feeding you breakfast in the morning and starting my day with you and mommy. I love coming home from work and seeing you get excited because Da-Da is home. I love hugging and kissing you as we get ready to put you to bed at night. I love praying for you as mommy and I get ready to lay you in your crib. You make every moment I spend with you and mommy very special! I look forward to spending the rest of my life watching you grow and experience new things.
Just after we brought you home I began thinking about all the life experiences we will share together. I thought about watching you perform at the Preschool Show-off nights. I thought about handing you your kindergarten diploma as I handed diplomas to the graduating Kindergarten class of 2007. I thought about how soon time will pass and one day you will graduate from high school and go off to college. It seems like only yesterday that I had handed the Senior Class of 2007 their K-5 diplomas and now I was handing some of those same students their high school diploma. I never want to forget how fast time passes by so that I can enjoy the times we have together before you are ready to leave home and experience life as an adult.
Over these eight months I have seen you grow from a baby that was so small and fragile to a baby who can crawl anywhere she wants to go. I watched as you discovered your fingers and that you could use your hands to reach for things. I watched as you grabbed things and then didn’t know how to turn those things loose. I watched as you began to understand how to hold things and then let them go. I watched as you began to scoot your body across the floor and began attempting to crawl. You would get up on all fours and then push yourself forward until you fell face forward on the floor. You kept trying until before long you were on your way! Now mommy and I have an even bigger job trying to protect you from going places you should not go and doing things that might cause you to get hurt. It has also been fun watching you begin to eat new foods. You have done great trying new foods. This past week you have begun to feed yourself puffs while you sit in a high chair. You are always so smart and pick up new things so easily.
I found the book that I am placing this letter to you in during our annual thanksgiving trip to the coast. I have heard this song many times. It now has an even greater meaning to me when I hear it.
My dearest Claire, it is my prayer that you will find your wings! As you grow up I want you to read and re-read the words to this song. I want you to listen to it often. I want you to slowly begin to understand the message of the song until you come to a complete understanding of all it means. Your mother and I realize that you are a special gift from God. We will always be grateful to God and to your birthmother for allowing you to be part of our lives. It is our desire that God will give us wisdom to direct and protect you while you are in our home. It is also our desire to prepare you for what God has prepared for your future. When the time comes to let you go we want to watch you achieve all that God has for you to achieve, to experience all that God wants you to experience, to enjoy all the good things God has for you to enjoy. We simply want to watch you soar once you have found your wings.
Before you ever came into our home we loved you. From the moment your birthmother chose us to be your parents we began to pray for God’s will to be accomplished in your life. We have continued to pray for that each day of your life and will continue to do so as long as we have life. And every day our love for you grows even stronger! Never forget that we love you!
We will be rejoicing as you come to know the Lord as your Saviour, as you grow to love Him as your Lord, as you cling to Him as your dearest friend and as you serve Him enthusiastically.
With all my love,
Daddy
Christmas 2007
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