Happy (late) Valentine's Day!

Our Valentine's Day was one of the first one in our 10 years of celebrating that we spent the entire day together! The entire day. Relaxing and nursing Brooklyn back to health. I didn't even have to cook a yummy dinner, thanks to a great friend. While cleaning up the kitchen, Ryan surprised me by showing me a picture of my gift. This necklace. At first, I didn't get it! I know I didn't give him the reaction he was expecting - with all of his planning, thoughtfulness, I'm sure he was expecting me to burst into tears and cover him with kisses. As he deserved!! But, I was in mom/nurse/housecleaner/laundress/cook mode. With my blinders on! So when he showed me a picture of the necklace, I think my initial response was, "Oh thats nice." He had to finally shake me out of my auto-pilot Mom mode, and I finally got it! It wasn't just that he listened to my hints of wanting a charm necklace with the kids names, it was the source he got it from.

Funny story. I started following a blog of a mom in Tasmania, Australia who had a son pass away at 10 yrs old after living with hydranencephaly. (The blog is http://lisajking.blogspot.com/) Well, her husband suddenly passed away several weeks ago, only months after her son. One night, I was laying in bed, reading her blog on my phone, just sobbing! Seeing pictures of her sweet boys at the funeral of their dad, her hugging the casket one last time, the hundreds who attended. Anyway, she posted about receiving a necklace from a woman when her son died, and now with her husbands death. I had shown Ryan her blog, and the necklace, and he tracked down the necklace maker, and ordered one for me! All the way from Australia!

This is my 2nd piece of jewelry Ryan has given me, the first my ring - almost 10 years ago! My ring is quite unique, unusual for an engagement ring. I loved it then, and I love it even more now! The necklace is similarly unique. I haven't seen one like it here, and it has a great story behind it. How am I so lucky? I really don't have any idea!