I Promise...

Lilly, I promise...

to love you unconditionally.

to try not to let your wobbly neck go backwards when you're an infant. Really nervous about this!

to pray for you every night.

to smother you with hugs and kisses.

to cherish every smile.

to never leave you without telling you "i love you".

to sing you to sleep with my own made up versions of lullabyes.

to read and snuggle with you for as long as you'll let me.

to teach you to love the Lord as much as mommy and daddy do.

to not be too sad if you have brown hair like daddy. Don't worry, we'll highlight it when you're older. (only kidding.)

to let you experiment with your own sense of style. However I do have a set of non-negotiables:
1. no socks and sandals
2. no orange and black, red and green, brown and black, or navy and black combinations...ever.
3. no onesies, tshirts, or outfits with the words brat, spoiled, drama queen, school messages, or any negative cutesy sayings on them. This includes ANYTHING with "licious" added to the end of it.
4. no cartoon/character outfits
5. dress for the season. no summery lookin outfits in the winter, sorry.


to give you boundaries and enforce them.

to be your friend, but not your best friend.

to never tell you that you're too emotional.

not to spoil you.

to take a fair share of adorable and embarrassing photos of you and display them PROUDLY at your graduation open house.

to let you be a total daddy's girl

to instill in you the truth that McDonald's has the BEST fountain cokes (this has been passed down through many generations of Hayden's).

to sing and dance around the living room blaring Disney and/or show tunes with you.

to take you to a loving and caring church and encourage you to get very involved and make lots of friends, even if they don't go to your school.

to let you make mistakes.

to not make you feel guilty for them, but help you learn from them.


to show you the wonder of a BRAND NEW box of crayons and how amazing it is to use one for the first time.

to encourage you to try new things.

to take you camping and let you be utterly filthy for an entire weekend.

to show you how to make a pudgie pie.

to cheer you on in sports (even if you're terribly uncoordinated, like me).

to listen to you when you're friends are being mean.

to buy you a beautiful dress every Easter .

to discipline you using love and logic.

to help you rip up pictures and burn mementos of a boyfriend who breaks your heart.

to show you how to bargain shop!!

to not let Scott hold a gun when a date picks you up.

to be stalkerish when you're in high school. I'll know your friends, their parents, their neighbors, you won't be able to escape me...sorry.

most of all...

I promise to do my best to raise you to become a loving, honorable, empathetic, respectful, encouraging, child of God; who knows how to laugh at herself, light up a room, and command respect from peers. A girl who has strong morals and a love of life.

I promise to always be there and always to love.