What I want my children to learn

I've been thinking a lot about the kind of household I want to raise our children in, what I want them the learn and know. I dont know how many children we will have, right now we have Easton and he is amazing, he is this perfect, pure creature and his life is in our hands to mold. Wow what an important job that is!
These are some of the very basic things I want him to learn from us:

**God is everywhere, but most importantly He is in our Hearts. He feels our pain, He rejoices in our joy, He is there to talk to, to listen, to comfort, to love, to worship, to follow. His faithfulness never waivers, and at any time in our lives, we need anything....HE is there to ask.
**Mom & Dad (Me and Luke) Love each other, unconditionally. We fell in love, we got married, we made a life together, we made babies, out of love and compassion and a yearning to grow as a family. Above all, Mom and Dad Love each other.

**Family is important. They are all we have. Best friends can change (and sometimes they become our family too!), boy friends change, but Family stays. It is important to keep relationships with your family. It is important to let go of petty arguments and disagreements, its important to visit each other, it is important to make an effort to talk to each other and show our love & appreciation for family.

**It is OK to mess up. Learn from mistakes, move forward, become better.
**Racism is not ok. Sexism is not ok. Making fun of the less fortunate is not ok. Teasing someone else because they're different is not ok. We are all God's children.
**Celebrate! Celebrate Birthdays, Holidays, Celebrate an A on an exam, the end of the school year, the first football game....Just Celebrate Life and have fun!
**Stand up for those who can not stand up for themselves. Always.
**Pray, always pray. When Teachers or the government tell you that you CAN'T pray, do it anyway and Ask God to forgive them.
**You can ALWAYS come to Mom and Dad with problems, embarassments, confusion, questions. We will not judge you, we will help you in any way we can.
**Arguments can be resolved without violence.
**Take pictures!! Always take pictures!

**Be kind to everyone.
**Friendships are important. Nurture them, build them, make them strong. (They could become part of your family some day)

**Always wear your seat belt!
**Always say thank you, send thank you cards, let peopl eknow you appreciate the gift, the act of kindness or whatever they have done for you.
**Don't give in to peer pressure when you KNOW its not right. Do not get in a car with a person who has been drinking, I dont care if your friends are doing it. Call us.
**Tomorrow is a new day, today might have sucked, but tomorrow will be better.
**Dating is HARD, but there is someone out there for you, and if you  can't find them, its ok. Dont be in a relationship that sucks just to have a spouse.
**Go to a drive-in Movie theatre, sit in the bed of the truck, eat popcorn till you pop and enjoy being outside at night, watching a movie.
**We do not have to just accept and be tolerant of things that we do not believe in. This does not mean we are mean to people or act in a non-Christian way. But we do not have to just accept it either. Speak up, spread The Word.
**Breakfast for dinner is AMAZING!
**We ALWAYS Stand and put our hands over our heart when the National Anthem is being played or when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
**There is a lot of Evil in this world, but there is also a LOT of good....Be the good, fight against the Evil!
**Smile, a LOT. It makes Mommy happy, it will make you happy!

**Rest, take a nap, go to bed early. Work will be there tomorrow, rest is important
**(On that note) dont work if you dont HAVE to on the weekends, spend time with our family.
**Give to those less fortunate. Money, clothes, toys...whatever you have to give, do it.
**Thank a Soldier, at least once, shake their hand, thank them for serving. You'll feel good, but they will feel amazing.
**Marriage is hard, but it is wonderful. It takes work, but its rewarding. Its a beautiful gift from God, to join a man and a woman together in marriage and to flourish together and grow as a family. Marriage is serious.
**Read classic books, BEFORE you watch the movie.

**Say I love you
**Know that We always love YOU, unconditionally, no matter what you do or dont do, We love and adore you. You were the most perfect gift from God and an answer "yes" to our prayers.