A Letter To Grace

 

My sweet Gracie.  I wrote this letter to you a while ago, and I'm glad I finally get to post it for you.  I cannot believe you are 5 already!!  It's so crazy!!  You're growing up so fast, and I am so proud of the loving and sweet little girl you are.

 

July 2011

 

Right after you turned 4 we came home from a nice summer vacation in Vermont, and prepared for preschool!!  You were so so so excited to finally get to go to school, and though you were scared and sad to leave me the first few days, you got used to it quickly and loved it so much!  You had wonderful teachers who helped you learn and grow so much.  Even better was having your friend Xoe from Primary in your class with you.

 

September 2011

 

You started bringing home homework and felt like such a big girl for having homework like Gwen did.  You loved to practice writing your letters and numbers, your name, and learning all the sounds letters can make.  You also had a blast when your friend Xoe started coming home with us every Friday after school for a couple of hours.  You were also very excited when Halloween came around and you got to wear your Belle costume to school.

 

November 2011

 

We saw such a change in you in those first few months of school.  You loved to learn, and you loved to go to school.  You were so proud of the artwork you brought home, and proudly sang all the songs that you learned to us.  You got to fly on a plane for the 3rd time ever when we went to Vermont for Christmas.  You had so much fun playing in the snow-sledding, snowball fights, and snow angels.  That was something you had really missed while living in Oklahoma.

 

January 2012

 

The next few months were lots of fun but busy.  You did lots of fun activities at school, made lots of cute art projects, and enjoyed doing stuff with us at home.  We had lots of sleepovers, movie parties, and other little things to keep busy during the cold months.  It really helped having friends live right down the street from us.  You loved to play with them.  You did lots of funny things that made us laugh and continued to be our little snuggle buddy.

 

March 2012

In the next few months we experienced what it was like for one of our kids to cut their own hair.  You did this several times over the next few months, and we are still not sure why, but it was pretty funny.  We spent Easter together as a family that year and we had so much fun.  It was really exciting when Grandma Congdon came to visit in April and we got to do lots of fun things with her.  We also started to prepare to move.  Through it all you continued to shine at school and at home.

 

May 2012



 In May you finished preschool and participated in a wonderful preschool graduation.  You sang so beautifully and remembered the words so well.  We were so proud of you and all that you had accomplished, and I even cried when you walked up to receive your preschool graduation certificate.  I couldn't help crying-you were so grown up and completing another step in life, and you were so proud and happy that I couldn't help but feel the same.  A few days later Aunt Mimi came to stay with us for a while, and a week later we moved to Texas.  You were sad to move away from all the friends you had made the past year, but you were so excited to move to a new house and meet new people and make new friends.

 

 July 2012

 

A few weeks after we moved we went on a huge vacation.  We went to the Carlsbad Caverns, the Grand Canyon, visited with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Sessions in St. George Utah, went to Zion National Park, then to Wyoming to see Uncle Quinn, Aunt Diana and your cousins (and even Uncle Matt and Aunt Jamie), and finally to Idaho to spend time with our friends the Butikofers and Uncle Matt and Aunt Jamie.  It was a long trip but you enjoyed all the things we did so much, and you loved seeing all your Aunts and Uncles and cousins again.  It was a great experience for you.

 

This past year was chaotic and hectic, and while you had a hard time adjusting to things sometimes, your bravery, love and friendliness to others continued to grow and shine.

 

Your love for learning and joy for school has grown so much this past year, and the depth of compassion and understanding you have towards others continues to amaze us.  Your sweet spirit and your testimony touch our hearts and fill us with joy each and every day.

 

You are so willing to help out everyone, and go along with any game and activity so happily.  You are such a smart girl, and catch onto things very quickly.  Your smile cheers up everyone, and your hugs brighten up our days.  You are a wonderful girl Gracie-we are so very blessed to have you as a daughter and we thank Heavenly Father for you every day.  We love you so very very much sweetie-thanks for being a special, important, and fabulous part of our eternal family!!

 

Love Beyond End,

Mommy