Dear Donnette,

if I was able to write a letter to my younger self, based on what I know today, these are some of the things I would say:

the most important thing you can do is daily develop and invest in your relationship with God, build your life around loving Him and learning to be the person He created you to be, make Him the number one priority in your life  

keep your husband the most important person in your life, 
more important than your friends, your parents, your siblings, etc. yes, even more important than your kids, but don't build your life around him-see above

listening to understand is more important than planning a great response 

God willing, one day your children will grow up and go on to lead lives of their own, they will still love you, they will still need you, but it will be different, if they can live without you it means you did your job well

no one else has lived your past nor are they living your present life-
so don't worry if they don't understand the choices and rules you make or if they make fun of the stands you take

creating opportunities for your kids to learn how to make their own choices is a good thing and as painful as it is, letting them suffer the consequences of bad choices is a way to foster an environment for them to learn to make good choices-see above

not everyone who comes into your life is meant to stay, be thankful

take care of yourself so you can take care of others 

apologizing, saying "I am sorry", are important words that can build respect and restore trust

sitting around, doing "nothing" with those you love is not necessarily wasted time, some of your most important conversations and memories will be fostered in those times

once in awhile find a way to spend a quarter on the merry-go-round in front of the store even if it only runs for one or maybe two minutes

snuggle those you love every opportunity you get

spend less time surfing the internet

don't make the mistake of thinking doing things for your kids is the same as doing things with your kids

all of the everyday, mundane, never ending tasks that take up so much of your time and energy:
the groceries you shop for
the meals you cook
the dishes you wash
the floors you keep clean
the clothes you make sure your family has
the noses you wipe
the vomit you clean up
the fevers you treat
the bandaids you apply
the beds you make
the chores you teach your children to do
the 2:00 AM talks you share with your kids
the silliness you engage in
the games you play with your kids
the books you read
the creative messes you allow
the games played in the backyard
the picnics in the park or in the living room

all of those things you do out of love 
that no one else sees and may seem taken for granted-
God sees them
He cares that you are engaged in life
He will honor your works of love

and the prayers you pray over your family
in public or in private
God hears each one of them
even the ones you don't have words for
and in His time, in His perfect way, He answers them

it all matters
it all makes a difference
so, dear one don't lose heart
be kind to yourself 
being a wife
being a mother
is one of the toughest jobs on earth

but it is also one of the most rewarding
and one day 
you will look back and wonder how in this world
the days that seemed to take forever
have turned into years that flew by in moments