To Our Precious 2 Year Old....

Dear Charley Bear,

I'm not quite sure where to start.  My heart is feeling so many different emotions today and its hard to sort through them all.  I guess that an obvious place to begin would be by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  Today marks 2 whole years since the very best day of my entire life --May 14, 2010, the day that I saw your perfect little face for the first time. 

On the 14th of every month I wrote you a letter to track your accomplishments and to capture memories of your childhood.  Each letter was accompanied by a picture to show us just how quickly you were changing.  We celebrated twelve months of 14ths together before we had to say goodbye.  After you went to be with Jesus in Heaven, I continued to write you on the 14th...but as the months passed the letters stopped.  I didn't foget about you baby girl, it just got to be too hard.  I wanted nothing more than to take your picture on those days, to squeeze you tight and to smother you with kisses, but instead I was sending kisses to the sky and hoping that you could feel them.  The last year of 14ths has been hard, but none as hard as today.

I daydream about what you would be like as a 2 year old.  Would you be running circles around us?  Would you be a chatter box like your mama?  A goofball like your daddy? What would your favorite book be?  Or your favorite food?  I can only imagine what that crazy head of hair of yours would be like!  It hurts that there are so many questions that we will never have the answers to. 

And while I may feel sad...today is really a day about celebrating you.  I'm not sure what your daddy and I will do in your honor...maybe have a special dinner, maybe we'll send you some balloons, maybe we'll just snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie.  Who knows.  But it goes without saying that no matter what, our minds and hearts will be dedicated to you.  Last night we even made you some yummy birthday cupcakes (daddy worked so hard!)...I'm sure that you would have loved them!

Charlotte's 'Cute as a Button' birthday party 2011

 Family picture at Charlotte's party.  

She was one worn out little girl but still as happy as could be!

We love you so much Charlotte Delene!  Its no use trying to put it into words...but I know that you can feel it pouring from our hearts. Mommy and Daddy are blowing extra special birthday kisses to you today and missing you like crazy.

Happy second birthday to our little Bear in Heaven.  

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX, Mommy and Daddy (and your crazy puppies too!)