A letter to Ayla this Father's Day. {The longest post ever.}

{Because we're going to be out of town for Father's Day.}

Dear Ayla,

I have thought a lot about what I would write on this  blog about your daddy.  I had so many great ideas.  I could brag about how handsome he is and how funny he is and how great of a daddy he is to you and how great of a husband he is to me.  But that's not something that I need to tell you.  I know that you can feel it.

You are a very lucky little girl.  You have what a lot of kids don't have and that is a daddy who stays home with you.  You get to wake up and eat cereal with your daddy everyday.  Your daddy watches the Disney channel with you every day.  Your daddy takes the time to put your crazy hair into a pony tail {which you destroy} every day.  Your daddy makes sure that you get snacks and mac-n-cheese or noodles and milk whenever you're hungry.  He plays games with you.  He laughs with you.  He is always there for you.

Do you want to know why you're extra, extra lucky?  You are an extra lucky little girl because your daddy chose to love you.  See, your daddy met mommy when you were just a baby.  You could hardly even talk!  Mommy was worried about introducing the two of you because I wanted to be sure that he was a good one.  I didn't want to introduce you, decide that he wasn't right for our family {or have him decide we weren't right for him!}, and then have him be gone.  It's a tricky situation being a single lady with a baby.  Dating isn't just casual anymore.  Not only did someone that I was going to date need to be good for me, but they needed to be good for you.  I knew from the beginning that he was a good guy, but he turned out to be the best guy.  For me and for you.

Your daddy and I fell in love.  I was head-over-heels.  And Ayla, you were too.  You have loved Kyle from the beginning.  You started calling him Tyle {You couldn't make the K sound} and then Ty-ty, then Ky-ky, then Kylo, and finally you could say Kyle.  He eventually became "Daddy Ky-ky" and after we were married, you called him daddy.  I let you go at your own pace with him.  I didn't force a relationship.  Your daddy Ky-ky just swept in and loved you from the start.  He chose me and he chose you.  Someday when you are grown you will understand how huge that decision was.  You will understand that loving a child that isn't yours is not always easy.  For your daddy, it was easy.  He has never once made me feel bad about having a child or been sorry that we have never had the normal child-less dating or married phase.  You know, doing whatever we want, whenever we want.  He chose you to be his daughter and he has never looked back.  You are such a lucky girl.

Your daddy and I were to be married on September 8th, 2012.  We we going to be sealed for time and all eternity.  I only had one issue.  I couldn't bear the thought of not being sealed to you.  I just couldn't think about that.  With a lot of prayer and fasting on my part and your extended families part, we got the blessing to have you sealed to us.  Your biological daddy wrote a letter giving us his permission.  He loves you very much and he gave you an amazing gift that I will always be grateful for.  Your daddy Joseph gave us his blessing to be sealed as a family.

On September 8th, 2012 you came to the Temple with daddy and I.  We were sealed as a family.  I will never forget your sweet little face, you seemed so nervous about all eyes on you.  And your beautiful white dress.  I will never forget that the first thing you said to us was that you were hungry.  I love that you remember that day too.  You remember almost every detail from the Temple.  I love to ask you about it and have you show me how we had our hands together and hear you say, "We were sealed as a family, mom!"

We are so lucky to be sealed to the best daddy in the world.  He really is the best.  But I don't have to tell you that.  Like I said, I know that you can feel it.  As a mommy, nothing could ever make my heart happier than the love between you and your daddy.  The daddy that chose you.

Love, Your Mommy

**********

Last Sunday Ayla's Sunday school teacher asked Ayla questions about Kyle.  They wrote down her answers.  This is so awesome because these ladies don't even know Kyle.  The answers came straight from Ayla.  She sure knows him well! {Reading this makes me cry.  Her daddy makes her heart feel real happy!}

Pictures say a thousand words right?  Now look at these pictures {SO. MANY. PICTURES.} and tell me that they don't have the sweetest relationship you've ever seen!  These two make my heart feel real happy.

This is Ayla approx. two months before she met Kyle.  She was just a tiny thing.

March 2011

 

06/12/2013

Can't you just feel the love from these pictures?  Best.  Daddy.  Ever.

Happy Father's Day Kyle!

{I can't wait to make more babies with you!}

And as a bonus... He's a video of baby Ayla coming home and asking to see Kyle.  :)  That little voice!  November 2nd, 2011.