Oh little one, your birth changed our lives forever.

Watching you grow up in all the many phases of life, was one of life's greatest blessings.

And yet, each phase presented it's own joys and challenges to your dad and I.

Because as you can see, we were so young(oh, my goodness where we ever) and inexperienced ourselves, that we lived and learned along the way, how to parent. We did not have any parenting classes or even took the time to read the "how to" books that were starting to fill the shelves of the local bookstores. No, you were somewhat like an" experiment " to us. We lived and learned along the way, praying often as we went.

Today, as the grandparents that we suddenly(or so it seems) find ourselves being, it another one of life's great blessings, watching the two of you in your parenting role. Now it is our turn to stand back, and your turn to parent.

We are older now, and perhaps a bit wiser than we were as young parents. What we have learned for certain is expressed so beautifully by Donald Grey Barnhouse in this quote;

"Our great matters are little to God's infinite power, and our little matters are great to His Father's love."

Therein lies our comfort as you face the role of parenting these little ones, in the years ahead.