Addison - 2 Years

Dear Addison,

Perhaps there will be a day you'll read these words I wrote to you on your 2nd birthday. My blogs have likely done their share of harm over the years, but I pray this blog will do nothing but bless you.

Two years.

731 days of your fearless, smiling face breaking down my defenses. You have changed me.

Your brother, Maddox, is just like me. He's careful, calculating, and clean.
You, my dear. You are none of those things. You are daring, fearless, playful, and a daredevil.

Apparently, our family isn't concerned about gender stereotypes. Your mom, dad, brother, and you destroy every expectation one could have about gender.

I didn't know if there was any way my heart could expand to have love for another child after Maddox. But you have blown open a part of my heart I never knew existed.

You are daddy's little girl. It will be a few years before you learn to fully exploit the way you have me wrapped around your finger. Once you figure that out, don't misuse that gift.

I want to protect you from the world. I want to protect you from having your heart broken. I want to walk arm-in-arm with you through the world. I can't stand the thought of the ridiculous drama of middle school girls and the insignificant high school boys you will have crushes on.

I'm beginning to realize I won't be able to protect you from all of that.

But there are a few things I will continue to do for you:

-I'll pray for you every day. I want you to know that daddy is a prayer warrior on your behalf.

-I'll dance with you. Mommy doesn't like me to dance in public and you won't one day either, but until then, let's dance as often as we possibly can.

-I'll take you on date nights. I'll teach you how a real woman should be treated, so you don't make the mistake of giving your heart to guys who don't know how to treat you well.

-I'm so glad that we are part of a church that chooses to affirm the giftedness of women. You don't fit gender stereotypes, and I'm glad you'll grow up with other Christians who refuse to allow your gender to predetermine your usefulness to the church.

-I'll encourage you to dream big and change the world beyond my comfort level. Don't let your fear of what your mother and I might think, limit what you are willing to dream and do for God's kingdom.

I can't wait to see you grow up.

But don't rush it. Let's cherish every day.

I love you Addison! Happy Birthday, my love!

The Latest

 It's been a busy couple of weeks for the Packer family. During the first week of May, Holly and the kids went to Dallas while I attended the Pepperdine Bible Lectures. It was a wonderful week to catch up with close friends in a beautiful location.
 
 The theme for this year's lectures was "Can I Get a Witness?" All week, there were powerful keynotes focused on the Book of Revelation. Mike Cope and Rick Gibson did a wonderful job leading their first lectures. It was a powerful week.

 I even got to teach two classes about Jesus, "The Most Interesting Man in the World," which was a lot of fun.

 Last week, I joined Holly and the kids for a week in Dallas with family. I got to meet my nephew, Luke, for the first time. Clark and Lara (my brother & sister-in-law) are doing an awesome job.
 
 We had a blast. I played golf with my dad and brother. And Maddox had us dress up to play basketball together. It was a well played game, but Maddox won with a record of 3-0.
 
 We're back in Denver and the weather is finally more like spring. We're hoping we've seen our last snow until the Fall.

 Nothing is brewing on the blog front. Some seasons are just dryer than others.

 But I'm very excited about a couple of sermon series I have coming up. More to come on that. God is good! It's a fun season of life for our family!