My Little Man

**Kyle wrote this about two months ago and asked me to add some pictures to it and post it. My apologies to Kyle for taking so long. This letter turned me into a pile of mush on the floor. I praise God each and every day for the loving husband and father that Kyle is. I am so, so very blessed. -Lindsay**

Jackson,

Well little man, I can't believe it's been a little over a year since you changed our lives. I've been wanting to post this blog for a long time but your mommy is doing such a great job with this whole blog thing that I never got around to doing it. I just wanted to write you a quick note so that we'll both remember some of the things that I was thinking at this point in your life.

I will always remember the day you were born as vividly as I remember anything else in my life. Mommy and I walked down that hallway at the hospital that morning and I remember the sheer joy that I felt as I thought about how our lives were going to change that day. Our lives had changed so much since we found out that Mommy was pregnant with you. We both finished graduate school, moved 5 hours away, started a new job, and joined a new church. Our entire life had been turned upside down (in a good way) but the one thing we were looking forward to through it all was welcoming you to our family. A little after 5pm that day you breathed your first breath and I was there to see it all. It will definitely go down as one of the greatest moments in my life. They handed you to me a few minutes after you were born and I looked at you and said, "We're going to have so much fun!"

The weeks and months have flown by much quicker than I ever dreamed they would. Even though the first year has gone by so quickly, we have had so much fun together as a family. It's been extremely tough to be so far away from your grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc., but God has allowed all three of us to begin building our lives together as a family. We've taken you so many places that we sometimes question if we have lost our minds (ask your mom about the Perry's experience...she'll know what you're talking about). You are such a great little boy that you have made it easy for us to enjoy some of the great things in the Houston area.

You have such an adventurous personality that really is contagious. I have always been so jealous of Mommy getting to wake you up each morning during the week because the smile you have on your face in the morning is unbelievable. It's almost as if you're saying, "Good morning....it's time to play!" I so look forward to Saturday and Sunday morning when I can get you out of your bed, feed you breakfast, get you ready for church, and see your joy in the everyday things I miss when I'm at work.

I know God has something so amazing planned for your life that none of us can even comprehend right now. I am always praying that God will give me the wisdom to know how to guide you toward the path He has for you. Mommy doesn't even know this but I listen to a song almost everyday on the bus ride to work that constantly reminds me of the responsibility God has given me to be the spiritual leader in your life until you become an adult. The name of the song is "I Want to Be Just Like You" by Phillips, Craig and Dean. It's a song your Paw Paw Denny sang in church when I was growing up. It's a song that gives me strength to push through a tough day because I know I'll get to go home at the end of the day and walk in the door to see you and Mommy playing, reading a book together, or a multitude of other activities. The chorus goes like this:

Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

I know I am not a perfect dad and hope you know that I never will be. However, I can promise you that I will always love you unconditionally and will strive to demonstrate a tiny example of the love that God has for you. Thank you being such a loving son (even though you're only 1) and bringing so much joy to our lives. I can't wait for all of the exciting things that we'll get to do in the future but I'm in no hurry to get there. We're going to try to remember to enjoy each stage of your life and not push toward the next because it only lasts for a season. Happy Birthday again.....I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next 12 months!

Love,
Daddy