I'll love you forever...

Happy 13th Birthday Hunter!!

This was the book they read to us at our Mother's Day party when you were in kindergarten - all of the mom's sitting in the circle with their kindergartner on their laps and not one of us had a dry eye... in fact the teacher almost didn't make it through the book. :) That was the day I knew how much I loved you and I would do anything in the world for you! That day I knew I would be your mom FOREVER! I think of this book a LOT when I think about you and how much I love you! I am so happy that I was picked to be your mom and it's a choice that I will never regret no matter how many gray hairs you give me!!

A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, "this kid is driving me CRAZY!"

But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

                                                 As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted to come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words. Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo!

But at night time, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

 

The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music. Sometimes the mother felt like she was in a zoo!

But at night time, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

 

That teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town. But sometimes on dark nights the mother got into her car and drove across town. If all the lights in her son's house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed. If that great big man was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick." So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song. She sang:            

I'll love you forever,  I'll like you for always...

 But she couldn't finish because she was too old and sick. The son went to his mother. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And he sang this song:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living my Mommy you'll be.

 

 

When the son came home that night, he stood for a long time at the top of the stairs. Then he went into the room where his very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while he rocked her he sang:

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

Happy 13th Birthday Hunter! We couldn't imagine life without you! Our prayer is that you grow up to be a man of God and that He will bless your life in more ways then you could ever imagine! You are so smart and have such a BIG loving heart and with that you can go so far in this world! You've been through so much and have come so far we pray that you will continue that path and overcome what the "world" thinks you should be!

We love you so much and want the very best that this life has to offer you! Never settle for anything less and always strive to put your best forward! You have a lot to offer so don't sell yourself or others short! Be proud of what you accomplish and put pride into everything you do no matter if it's big or small! Work hard for what you have and never take anything for granted! You have the opportunity to make your life whatever you want to - so remember every step you take now is that much closer to what your life will be in the future!

God brought us together as a family and I couldn't be more thankful for that! You have added joy and laughter to our family and given us a very BIG test in patience! :) Keegan and Triniti love you so much and look up to you as a role model! Always remember you have 4 little eyes watching you so close - always be a big brother they can be proud of and one they can be like! I know sometimes you get annoyed by them always wanting to play with you but it's only because you're their favorite person to play with!

I've said it from the day I first met you - you CAN be anything in this world that you want to be! There is never a dream that is TOO big - so dream BIG and go after it! I know you can do anything you put your mind to!

Today you are officially a teenager - you're that much closer to being a man!! I'm not ready for you to be this old... You're suppose to stay the 4 year old little boy that I first met FOREVER! You were the first one that ever called me mommy and made me realize the great depth of love that a mother could have for her child! I NEVER knew that kind of love until the very first time I heard you call me mommy! You've had my heart from day one and there is nothing that can take that away!

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

Mom