Dear Kaylee,
It’s Monday and I didn’t see you this morning. Your mommy is on summer break from school now. I attended the graduations for her middle school and high school. They were very inspiring to see all the kids your mommy teaches move forward and for me to see all the seniors on our basketball team graduate, too. Your mommy was chosen by the students to be the speaker at graduation and she did very well. Some of her phrases sounded strangely familiar…
So, here’s the scoop. Nana and Grandpa don’t need to watch you while mommy is at school because she is on vacation. I could already see the change today because there were no puffs on the floor that I had to pick up when I left home. You know how you like to take a fist full of them and then try to get one into your mouth at a time? Usually, it’s more like a bread crumb trail in Hansel and Gretel from the living room to the office where you are trying to find me.
Well, you know Nana and I will see you often, just not five days a week (Actually, I can’t speak for Nana…). I know that I will “find” many more reasons to be out in Valencia this summer. I will go golfing out there with Uncle David and then say, “O, I wonder what Kaylee is doing?” In fact, I can do that when I am off on Fridays and then we can have some “Grandpa Day’s” this summer.
Love, Grandpa

Dear Kaylee,

Well, you finally got to meet you mommy’s Grandpa, your Grandpa G. He came visiting with Nana G. and you had a lot of fun smiling at him and sitting with him. He likes that you are such a joy-filled baby and how you are crawling and climbing and trying to walk around tables and just going everywhere.
My favorite new thing is you are experimenting with many different solid foods now. Tiny chunks of chicken, sweet potato, carrots, and such. What makes this so hilarious is you have turned into a chipmunk.

You keep the food piling up in your cheeks and it takes a long time to swallow. We have to watch you so you don’t swallow too much a once. It’s no problem for me though, because your Uncle Greg used to do the same thing. Well, who would have though we would have another chipmunk in our house?

Love,

Grandpa

Dear Kaylee,

How exciting to have your mommy’s grandma out to visit! Since your mommy’s mommy is “Nana,” your great grandma is “Nana G.” Just like a rapper…

It is so much fun watching you interact with all these special women in your life. Your joy and their joy grows and this is so important for you, your family and, actually, for the world.

You see, Kaylee, you get to take on the same key role your mommy, Nana, and Nana G. have in their lives. “Joyful daughters.” I am reading a book (Joy Starts Here) about how joy is wired into our brains and how being a “joy starter” is what we do when we follow Jesus together. Jesus said his teaching on earth was so we could be filled with his joy and spread joy (John 15:11). Here is where you come in, Kaylee. I am quoting from the book:

“Joyful group identity grows where there is regard for the weak. One of the best tests for a joyful group identity is a high concentration of hopeful daughters. More gentle protector skills pass from one generation to the next through daughters than any other way. Joyful little girls who love the way that babies, women, mothers and wives are treated by both men and women in their culture will look forward to starting joyful families of their own. Hopeful daughters will grow a joyful generation and joyful group identity…Hopeful girls will raise hopeful families (p. 79).”

Well, Kaylee, Grandpa’s little joy starter, you sure are off and running!

Love,
Grandpa

Dear Kaylee,

Well, today is a special day for your mommy and daddy. It is their second wedding anniversary! Only two short years ago today they were married at our church. It was a beautiful wedding filled with so much joy.

Kaylee, guess what? At your mommy and daddy’s wedding, Grandpa got to pretend he was like Superman…

Here is what happened.

As you know, Grandpa is a pastor, but at weddings it is the custom for the father of the bride to walk her down the aisle. So, what do I do?

Well, I walked your mommy down the aisle wearing my tuxedo, and then gave your mommy to your daddy as the sign of our blessing. Then, I quickly went behind the altar and took my coat off and put on my robe and came back to your mommy and daddy as the pastor, ready to continue the service.

Madonna? Beyonce? Gaga? They got nothing on Grandpa!

Kaylee, chances are, someday you are going to get married. You will meet a special man like your mommy did and then your daddy will walk you down the aisle. I pray to God that I will be there waiting as the pastor, and this time, I can just keep my robe on and not have to do a “costume change.”

Love,
Grandpa