Skip to main content

Dear Makayla . . . .

Happy Birthday, Makayla Bug!!! I want you to know how special you are today.

You were born on Super Bowl Sunday 7 years ago. We were so glad to see you and were especially glad that you arrived healthy and well. There is a saying that goes, "When they put you in my arms, you slipped into my heart." For you, that is not really true because I loved you even before you were born. I loved you just knowing that you were there and waiting to join our family. I loved the thought that we would soon have another little girl to dress up in cute dresses and to play dolls with Emily.

We really do love having you in our family. You are a wonderful little sister for Emily and a loving big sister to Ricky and Andrew. We love it when you are silly. You make us laugh all the time. You are fun to be around. You are good at thinking of fun games to play and you say funny things. Like last week, you guys were getting ready for the mini-dance marathon at school. You dressed Ricky all up in his church clothes. I told Ricky that he didn't have to look that fancy for the school dance and that he'd be better off if he just wore jeans. You said, "Please don't make him change. He looks FAB!" You are also very good at drawing pictures and writing thoughtful notes. I am glad you like to write in your journal. I like to read about what you think of things and what things were important to you that day.

You are good snuggler. I love to read books with you because you cuddle right up and listen (or read). You are always willing to give a hug when a hug is needed (even when it is not, but I guess we always need a hug).

I love you! I hope you feel very special today because you definitely are very special to a lot of people.

Love,
Mom



Comments

Anna Lynne said…
Bonni- I love this post! I love all the pictures at the end. what a special girl. Truly a wonderful spirit.
February 4, 2009 at 2:15 PM
The Mergenthaler Family said…
I'm adding this comment from Aunt Anjee sent via e-mail:

Makayla,

You are so special to your Uncle Jeremy and I too. I loved seeing the cute pictures of you with your birthday crown. All of the things that your mommy said about you made my heart swell because they are all true, We miss you so much. I loved hearing the story about how you told Ricky he looked "FAB" You have the most fun personality! I also love that you like to cuddle. Josh is not very cuddly so I miss cuddling with my Makalya. Love you.

Aunt Anjee
February 5, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back To School Meanies

 Letter From the Nest August 15, 2025 https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/back-to-school?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web One August, more than twenty years ago, at an evening book club discussion, my “older” friends (now I look back and know those women were the age I am now), were discussing the woes and triumphs of back-to-school season. One woman was anticipating her youngest child’s senior year of high school. She said, “For more than two decades, our lives have revolved around the school district’s academic calendar. I don’t know how I will plan my life without knowing about school breaks or holidays.” I remember her bittersweet tone as she anticipated freedom from school schedule constraints but also mourned how those constraints guided her choices. What would she do? Other women joined the discussion, wondering if their kids would have good teachers, if they’d be able to balance volunteering in the classroom, how to streamline school supply pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Legacy Stinks

 Letters from the Nest https://lettersfromthenest.substack.com/p/my-legacy-stinks Lately, I have been asking you, “What will you do to make Sunday special?” This is me encouraging you in your worship without giving you a prescribed list of things to do. One thing I do differently on Sundays is that I read a Sunday book that’s “different” than the fiction I read during the week. Usually, it’s a religious book, but sometimes it’s an inspiring biography or narrative nonfiction with an uplifting theme. My Sunday book for the past few months has been “Both Things Are True,” by Kate Holbrook. This collection of essays explores a range of topics, including faith, forgiveness, women’s roles, trials, history, and more. Each chapter contains a dichotomy that fuels the discussion. For example, the chapter on forgiveness explores both the concepts of forgetting and remembering. Last Sunday, I began reading the chapter entitled "The Weight of Legacy," in which she discusses the dichotomy ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lyme Disease??

Let me just preface this by saying that I am soooo grateful for good health insurance. I have been to the Dr. for the kids lately so often, that I am embarrassed that they recognize our family when we walk in the door. So, here's Ricky's story. A couple of weeks ago he was extremely sick. He had a fever for over a week, complained that he couldn't move his legs, and ended up with an awful looking rash all over his body. We went to the Dr. 2 times for this. The first time, she said, it was a virus and it should run its course. When Ricky was getting worse, instead of better, we took him back in to a quick clinic where the nurse diagnosed him with strep (even though the short test was negative). Well, after a priesthood blessing and antibiotics (which we discovered later that he didn't even need to take--and in fact they may have made him feel worse), he got better. Then, last week, I discovered a new, crazy rash on his legs which continued to grow, turn purple on the in...
5 comments
Read more