Sweetheart

I got to spend part of Valentine's Day with this Sweetheart while his Mommy and Daddy went out to dinner.

Loveland, Colorado

I was born in Loveland, Colorado, the Sweetheart City. Five years before I was born, the city started the Valentine re-mailing program. Thousands of cards are sent to the post office each year to be stamped with a cachet and postmarked from Loveland. My sister still lives in Loveland and each year sends the official card. This is the card I received in the mail yesterday, postmarked Loveland and hand stamped with this year's cachet below.

If you would like to read more about this - click here -Cards.

Secret Prayer Sister

Our Women's Group at church has a Secret Prayer Sister program. Each year we draw a name and pray for that women all year long. We remember our Prayer Sister throughout the year with cards of encouragement and little gifts on their birthday and other holidays. Everyday you pray for this woman and her needs. This has been a wonderful blessing for me. I have been more faithful in my daily prayers. It is very comforting to me to know someone is praying for me everyday. I have formed new friendships and strengthened old ones.

Last Thursday night we gathered for dinner and our reveal. It is so much fun as we guess who our sister was for the year. I had no idea this year and was very surprised when I found out it was Christine. She was not even on my list of guesses. We have known each other for several years and she is so talented (has a beautiful voice, crafts, renovates homes). I was very blessed to have had her prayers over the past year.

My reveal gift from Christine is the framed heart pictured above. I have it hanging in my kitchen and will remember her every time I walk by. I have several gifts from prayer sisters throughout the years - a book from Becky; a little pot holding my pens and pencils at work from Leslie; a dragonfly pin from Kari; a stuffed dog from Dianne; a candle holder and many many beaded baskets (which is a story for another post) from Lori. Each time I come across one of these items I am reminded of these dear women and their prayers and I take a moment to say a little prayer for them and for my new sister this year.

Nostalgia

Thirty years ago, Nathan's father and I found a little red wagon in an antique store, bought it, repainted it and gave it to Nathan on his first birthday. He loved that wagon and played with it for years. After he abandoned the wagon for other things, I used it by the Christmas tree filled with presents for years. Since moving to the new house the wagon has been in the garage. Last week I brought it into the house and Tito cleaned and polished the wagon and we gave it to Kaiden.

As you can see, the wagon isn't as shiny and has paint chipped off the wheels, but we hope Kaiden enjoys it as much as Nathan did.

While I was digging through old photos, I found the one below of Nathan devouring his first birthday cake. He wasn't as shy about it as Kaiden.

Nathan's cake was a small angel food I baked and did not frost. I didn't want him to make a mess! You think I might be a little compulsive?

First Birthday Party

Saturday, we celebrated Kaiden's first birthday.
He approached his cake with caution


He would dip his finger in and eat the frosting but didn't grab a handful until Stacy put his hand into the cake. Even then, he was more concerned about the little pices of confetti sprinkles.

He didn't have much interest in the packages

but did tear paper off with some coaxing and a little help from Dad

He received mostly clothes which weren't too exciting. In the end he was more interested in the ribbons and the boxes.

More on his birthday coming up.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAIDEN!

Happy First Birthday to our sweet little boy.

You have changed our lives so much.

Little did we know how you would steal our hearts and bring such joy.

It has been a year of wonderful moments.

We were told how different being a grandparent is from being a parent, but didn't believe.

We now believe.

Love Gram and Tito

New Look, but Still Lost

Decided to change the look of the blog because tomorrow is a very special day.

After watching Lost last night, all I can say is WOW! And I'm still Lost.

Hope you will stop back tomorrow to see why it is a special day.