Many thanks from the Vraniak's

Thank you secret pal for our wonderful April gifts! Bathtime is one of my favorite times so these gifts are especially wonderful! The bathtoys will be so much fun and the towel/washcloth are adorable. I loved playing in the tub when I was little...can't wait to have a little one doing the same thing. Only two more months until we find out our secret pal identities...I still have no idea who you are!

Thank you again and happy LID anniversary!

Lisa and Len Vraniak

Thank You SP!

I love the little dresses and the furry coat is sooooo! cute! I can't wait to put them to use!

BTW, you're wrapping skills are great!

Jana

Thank you, Secret Pal!

There are two dresses, a bottle warmer, hair bow, bell lace keeper (an old-fashioned thing that slips over the shoe laces to keep the baby from untying them), cheater chopsticks, a book and a toy cell phone with a little fuzzy purse.

Thank you, Secret Pal. I can't wait to find out who you are!

Thank you again to Jannett's SP

What a wonderful surprise to find your March/April parcel waiting in the letter box when I got home from work yesterday! I'd had a really difficult day at work - I'm changing careers and have 1 week to go at my old job, and really just want to move on now that I've made the decision to do it! So coming home to lovely wishes and clothes, hat, PJs and music for our future daughter was the perfect antidote! It was also great having 2 gifts in one parcel as Izzy and Isaac got to open one each - you would think that as they got older they would find less to squabble about, but they don't! I pity their poor little sister once she finally arrives!!

Congratulations on having lost such a lot of weight! You must be so proud of yourself!! Of course it makes me very envious, I only wish I had better will power and was able to do the same! It will be helpful for you when you have a little one to chase around after! Fancy you having snow so late in the year! We are now well into autumn and we are also having it surprisingly cool (well, for the subtropics anyway) - we've all had to pull out sweaters and the kids have been sleeping in the flanellette PJs, we never get snow - or even frost.

Thank you again for such a thoughtful and well timed gift,
Enjoy your weather warming up,
Jannett

Thanks Again SP--Here's the picture, finally!

I was finally able to take a picture. I had to make time to clear my table so I had a place to put the items to take a picture of them. So, here's the continuation to my earlier thank you post:
Thanks also for the night light. I went downstairs right after I posted before, and noticed that I set aside the unopened note and the night light, so when I was writing my thank you, I somehow missed the night light! It is so cute and goes with the nursery theme. It's actually the same fabric pattern that is on the cover of Martina's baby book!

After opening the note, I was able to answer the question from my last post--yes you DID make the pillowcases! You did a wonderful job. We just love them. I was sure that Martina would want to take one to school for her travel nap pillow, but when I showed them to her, she said that they were for her "baby brother sister" and she would not use them ahead of time.

Thanks again for everything! You're the greatest!
--Amy B and family

White Family Secret Pal

I look forward to your gifts every month. You definately do not disappoint. First, happy LID to you! This last year went so fast. I have to agree, we will be seeing a second LID anniversary. I surely hope not a third. Anyway, we both love the Phillies jogging outfit. We always talk about taking our daughter to Phillies games. And Eagles games when she is thirty. Right about the time Doug will let her date. You always seem to find adorable cards. LOVE the album. I have nothing as far as albums or scrap books go. It is cute. Thank your friend for allowing her babies picture in the album. I will definately check out her website. I love looking at adoption websites, it helps get through the wait. Thanks again. I have no clue who you are. I can't wait to find out. You have made this year a little easier to take. Thank you.

Shannon and Doug

Isabella's Secret Pal...

Thank you sooo much Secret Pal...
Isabella is going to LOVE her new books and her hair bows..

And these little sundress's are soooo adorable..

The blanket will always come in handy..

Can't wait to find our who you are ... two more months..

Have a Great Month..

Happy 1 YEAR LID to everyone..

You are so wonderful Secret Pal

Thank you once again for our special gifts for our baby. We love everything as we always do. My husband always love the things that say "Daddy's Little Girl on them. I am hoping that everything speeds up soon. At this point I feel like I am collecting things for an imaginary baby. :) Secret Pal, I have been missing your letters the last couple of months. I can't wait to find out who you are.

Thank you again for everything that you have sent for our baby so far!!

Joanne and Steve Griffin

PS. Sorry my picture is so blurry, I am having camara issues.

Belated thanks to the Raleigh SP!

I apologize for not posting sooner. Things have been hectic...but thank you so much for the last two month's gifts! They are way too adorable!!

First...here are the pics from the February gift:

Another pic showing the back of the swimsuit cover up:

I am so in love with the ladybug swimsuit, hat, and cover up! As soon as I unwrapped it, Daddy informed me that she'd be too young for a bikini! ;) The books are sweet too! Can't wait to read them to her!!

And now for March's gift!

I am such a Disney nut so I was more than excited to see this month's gift!! Love the Mulan doll and cup! I've already purchased some for her, but knowing how toddlers are, it never hurts to have back ups! I love the little snack cups and plate and bowl too! The sleeper is beyond adorable...and another book for her rapidly growing collection!

Thank you again...so very much! This wait is a little more bearable with your monthly surprises! Can't wait to find out who you are!!

Brandie & Matthew

Thank you, Secret Pal! From Lisa Buckshaw

Hmm......you are starting to give hints......."SCREAMING." Is that the "Screaming Eagles?" I dated a guy from Philadelphia last spring and he was a die hard Eagles fan.

Thank you so much for the very thoughtful gifts. I love the lullabies on the CDs. My sister had a CD with lullabies that she played every night for her three girls. They loved it! The outfit is adorable as well.

Of course the body lotions will be put to great use!!! They are something for me to use in a relaxing moment. Thanks!!

I am looking forward to knowing more about you.

Lisa Buckshaw

thanks to Amy Cs secret pal

Sorry I dont have a picture but my sp rocks! Thanks for the spring goodies and the ladybug toy! You are sooo thoughtful and your encouraging notes always make me smile! As soon as camera is up, ill get a pic on my blog!

Thank You Secret Pal!

Thank you so much for the little night outfit, bedtime story, and the pillow and all those fun pillow cases! Did you make them? So cute! Right now I'm in the middle of prepping for a job interview, so I will have to take a picture later. Although we usually put away everything for the baby for later, I have a feeling that Martina might be "borrowing" some of the pillowcases. (It's easy to steal your sibling's stuff if your sibling isn't even here yet!) Her nap pillow for school is the same size and at the time I could only find boring plain pillow cases for it. Thanks again! We love it all!

Thank You Secret Pal

Secret Pal - Sorry for the delay in posting this. Thank you so much for the wonderful March gifts. I love the Easter basket, which we will use every Easter for our little girl(s) basket. The tiny shirts are adorable and the books are great. Michael and I enjoyed eating the candy. Again sorry for the delay in posting. Take care.

Maria & Michael
LID- 4/17/07

Baby Lem SP

Thank you Secret Pal for the lovely gifts... I just realized that I didn't publish the post saying thank you for the great stuffed duck that is so fuzzy, the Pooh shoes, socks and frame, the rattle and Easter bib... You are just so thoughtful and it makes our day when we see a package in the mail when we get home!

Thanks for being so special and making this wait go by just a little faster. :)

Dear SP....

I'm so sorry that you have been wondering what has happened, and where I am... But Amy just emailed me that she gave you the updated info...

Well, now that the wonderful post office has decided to release the hostage packages... I can assure you that I have finally received them!!! Two of them were opened and pretty beat up by the mail-people, but I believe that everything was in the boxes... January, February and March... all accounted for!!

The bath toys are really cute and already hanging out in the baby's bathroom. The princess seat is great and I'm sure will get much use! And the Plant is really cute... I will be bringing it to work to keep on my desk!

Thanks so much... And again... I'm sorry for all the confusion and wondering!

Kristen Hershey :o)

Thank you Miracle Secret Pal

Thank You secret pal. Each night I am going to take a picture to post of your most recent gift and each night I am dealing with the emotional upheaval of this wait and just don't get it done. I apologize. Your gift arrived when we came home from Lexington and was a wonderful and uplifting treat (much needed)!!! I love the onsie and jeans for Graeme and Lily has been sporting the cute flip flops and head bands and thinks that she is all that and then some! You asked for an update of sizes for both our little ones. Graeme is currently 25 pounds (with or without layers and layers of clothes...your guess is as good as mine but stay tuned because we may get another update) and he is 33.5 inches tall. I think he will be a little peanut but not quite as little as his older sister. At 4 1/2 years of age, Lily tips the scale at 30 pounds and is 38 inches tall. She is currently wearing mainly size 3 clothes, some 4s if they are made small. For pants and skirts, we pretty much have to have an adjustable waist or they fall off. She can easily wear her size 2 shorts from last summer!! She wears an 8 1/2 narrow in shoes (yes...hard to find but we manage). Thank you so much for always being so thoughtful and for always including Lily in your packages. She so looks forward to them each month. They are helping all of us with this WAIT.

Bathtime Fun!!

Thank you! Thank you! I love the all the bath stuff. The ladybug towel is so cute I can't wait to wrap up Little Miss. The wash cloths and the mitt are so adorable. The book and the turtles will be fun bath time toys. My Mom got me a ladybug toy just like the turtles a while back, they will make a fun set of bath toys. I also love the rubber duckie that tells you if the bath is too hot, it will be helpful because I know I run my baths too hot for a little one.

Thanks again, you are the sweetest secret pal, Cora

Thanks to our SP

The Beckering's would like to say thank you for the wonderful box of goodies we got this month. It was waiting for us when we returned from Maui. Olivia's basket is beginning to over flow with all the little stuff she has been getting.....thank you again!

Fondly,
The Beckering's

Hooray - a Gift to LWB in Our Honor!

Dear Secret Pal,

Thanks so much for choosing to donate to Love Without Boundaries as our March gift! Through this adoption journey, we've become quite passionate about sharing our blessings with charities that support the orphans of China. Our daughter waits for us in a Half the Sky orphanage, so she is benefiting from the generosity of others who've opened their hearts to these precious children.

The handmade card you sent was so elegant, your handiwork always impresses me. Thanks for your continued enthusiasm and support, we appreciate your kindness. We also wish you well in the wait for your child.

With gratitude,
Terri, Patrick
Chase & Laken

Many Thanks to our Secret Pal!

To our amazing Secret Pal,

Thank you so much for the adorable Easter Kangaroo and baby Joey! We just loved it and are sure mei mei will enjoy it to. Gabby has taken a fond liking to it. It is in her Bitty Baby bed with her baby doll from American Girl. She reads to ABC book to her baby also. It is to cute. The book is precious and the illustrations are really unique and cute. I am sure we will enjoy these for many years to come with little one.

Your note was so sweet. I know it is getting harder to wait and the CCAA is not helping things by moving so slowly with referrals. We are hanging in there though.

Thanks again!
:) Jody and Brent

Thank you Secret Pal!

Thank you so much for everything!! I was thrilled to see the Fedex man drop off a huge box today!! I so much needed that today! I love everything from January thru April!!! The candle holder is very special! The Home Depot gift card will be put to good use! I posted more on my blog about that. I love love love the very soft pink and white blanket and the journal and the fleece blanket and the very adorable little outfit!!! Everything was PERFECT!! Thank YOU!!

Thank you Secret Pal

Thank you for all the amazing gifts...

I LOVE the picture frame ... and the rubber ducky is soooo adorable..
The Kids loved the candy..
Thank you.. We only have 3 more months and I will find our who you are.....
Thank you sooo much for all the amazing goodies for Isabella..

Thank you secret pal :)

We got a great book of goodies from our secret pal. The kids love it when you send them treats! They have been enjoying them, the ladybugs on the fruit rollups have been a hit! Thanks for the great book too. We hope you had a wonderful Easter, we did!
Thank you for blessing us!
The Conard Crew

Thank you, Secret Pal! From Lisa Buckshaw

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I can't wait to find out who you are!! You are the most incredible person! This week I received a big box with wonderful gifts inside. The ladybug bean bag is absolutely amazing!! Mikayla's room will be decorated with a ladybug border and crib set. I have already begun my collection of unique items to include in her room and your gifts will be such a significant part of what she sees on a daily basis. The blue dress with ladybugs is precious. I can already imagine her wearing it on a nice spring or summer day.

I love the St. Patrick's Day socks. Every St. Patrick's Day I go skiing and snowboarding with my family in Vermont. They will be worn in the most festive way!

When I looked at the bib that said, "I love my mommy" I couldn't help but think of my little girl smiling at me with a face covered with food. I can hardly wait!!!!

But most of all, the card that was sent in the mail, separate from the package, was the most touching. It tugged at my heart and reminded me that I am not alone in this process. There are others who are experiencing the highs and lows right along with me. Thank you for making me cry and smile all at the same time!!! You will be a great mom!!!!

Lisa Buckshaw

Thanks again...

Thank you again to our wonderful secret pal. We received our large package on Monday. I loved the little rubber duckies - I can not wait for Matelin to be able to play with them. And the other toys, the lady bug wind swirly and clothes are just wonderful. Thank you for being such a great secret pal. Your gifts each month make the wait bearable...

The Seabolts... :)

To the Monroe's Secret Pal,

Greetings Secret Pal !! I hope you had a great March and are ready to spring into April. The goody box you sent us for March is excellent. The squishy purple bunny rabbit is so sweet. I love the pink finger puppet snuggly blanket. The bunny towels are perfect for the kitchen or bathroom (haven't decided where I will put them yet). My MOST favorite gift is the plush baby blanket with the Disney characters on it. I love Disney stuff so that was a great choice for us. Finally, Zachary and friends enjoyed their toys as well. They knew they were in the box and couldn't wait for us to fish them out. Now, any time we bring a box inside, they expect that there will be treats for them inside !!

Just to give you an update, things worked out for my hubby. Although he was worried sick for several weeks, all is better now than it was before. I am confident that things will work out for the best (or for the better) for your hubby too.

Love and Blessings,
Sheryl and David Monroe
Key West, FL

what a secret pal!

I love Winnie the Pooh & this package was chockful - the cutest bath robe with matching slippers, cell phone & even the Easter basket. Thank u 4 the lovely card too &, I assume, the bunny M&Ms r 4 me ;) Yum!
It had been a long & busy day @ work, & the constant rain oppressive, so the package was a bit of sunshine when I got home
Hugs,
Karen in WV

oops, almost 4got the picture

Thank You Secret Pal from the Griffins!!!

Thank you once again for the wonderful gifts this month. Our Secret Pal has once again sent us some wonderful gifts. This month we recieved 3 T shirts and one sweat shirt with the cutest sayings on them. They will be so cute on our baby girl. We also recived some socks and slippers. They are very cute too. A Easter Pez Dispenser was also included in our gift and I can't stop eating the Pez candy. I haven't had Pez in a long time, but they still taste good. :)
The little decorative bunny is still sitting on my desk. It is adorable.

Thank you again for another month of great gifts.

Joanne and Steve Griffin

PS. I will try to add a picture later.

Our S.P Rocks!!!!

Thank You from the Mangiapanella Family

The other day the we received a package from our Secret Pal. Thank you doesn't seem like enough to say. Not only was there all these goodies in the package but in the card they wrote "

We saw how hard the orphanages in our daughters homeland in China were doing in the Ice Storms so we made a donation in your honour to Half The Sky

!"
WOW. Thank you for your kindness and for thinking of us in such a special way. We loved it all.
Donna & Andrew

Thank you to the Raleigh family SP!!

Just a quick note to say thank you for this month's package! We received it late last week but this is the first chance i've had to thank you for it. My mom had a hysterectomy earlier this week and I stayed with her in the hospital. So needless to say, it's been a slightly hectic week. Mom's fine, btw!

I can't seem to locate my camera at the moment, but the ladybug swimming suit, hat, and coverup are absolutely the most adorable things I think I have ever seen! When I opened up the little ladybug bikini, my husband immediately said that "she'll be too young for a bikini!" hehehe...And I love the glow in the dark book...I can't wait to read the books she's been accumulating to her!

Thank you so very much!

Secret Pal

I tested my patience this month by not opening your wonderful gift too early. As always, you have such incredible gifts and thoughts. The books are awesome. You get some really good ones. Some gorgeous, some fun, always entertaining. I just love the ladybug outfit amd the plate is too cute. The soap smells awesome. I haven't used it yet, but I keep smelling it. :)

Thanks so much for everything.

The Shoemakers

Perfect for the Egg Hunt

Dear Secret Pal,
Once again, you have gone completely overboard! The Gymboree outfit you sent is just darling! It arrived yesterday, and the weather today was just right for Sofi to wear the dress and jacket to school for the Easter Egg hunt. The other moms just loved the lady bug barrettes.

The Easter treats are yummy, and you can imagine how quickly Sofia found the Dora fruit snacks in the box. Do those things have some kind of GPS in foil packets, or what!?!? I think the two bunnies are upstairs having a tea party with the jelly beans right now.

I really appreciate your kind words about the wait. I am getting pretty sad about the children that need homes and the parents and siblings who are waiting. Please do not worry about "making up for the lost box." You are such a sweet secret pal to even think you would need to do so. Who knows with the post office...it may show up one day!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful gifts!
Mary

Amys SP

Thank you secret pal for everything. The adorable, shirt, the sweet card and article, the lovely ornament and all the Chinese food. Thanks for signing my blog. You are great. NO worries about WW, all the nutrients are on the back and I can try some of this stuff. You rock!

Charis Vraniak looks apprehensive!

To the Vraniak Secret Pal--Happy Easter to you too!

What a fabulous gift to receive on such a gloomy day! It was rainy and windy all day and then I see our intrepid mailman slogging through it all with a box...and he leaves it at our door! Yea! Len is in NYC for work and I debated (briefly, but I did debate it should be noted...) about waiting until he got home a couple days later. As you can see, I didn't wait! The dress is so adorable and the bib is cute! Can't wait to put the hair clips in that wonderful hair! And who can resist Pooh! I am waiting to open the candy until Len gets here (have to have something left to redeem my impatience!).

Thank you so much for brightening our day (and our year of waiting for that matter!) Charis, our 16 year old cat, looks a little apprehensive about all of this...boy is she in for a life-changing experience!

Cheers,

Lisa and Len

Hi Secret Pal....

Thank you to Kristen H's secret pal....

I just received your January package filled with bath toys!!! Thank you... I love them!

I looked at the post mark and noticed that it was sent on Feb 28th... (to my old address) And I just got it today on Mar. 17th...I guess it took awhile for the package to be forwarded to my new home. Darn USPS!!! Did you get my new address from the moderators? If not, email Amy B., she has it.

I hope you didn't think it was lost... It has arrived safely... and when I find my camera, in an unpacked box somewhere... I'll catch up on posting photos!

Love the Spring Gift!!

Oh my, the refrigerator magnet toy is the cutest toy that I have seen. Little Miss will have so much fun playing with it, I had fun playing with it! Jim wants to know why it quacks at him every time he gets next to the frig, LOL. I just love those flap books they are really cute and I love books that are interactive it helps with more active children to get them to sit down and listen to the story. The rubber duckie is going to join the rubber froggie that I have in the bath tub, it is so cute. And I can’t forget the really cute hair bows. I love it all. Don’t worry about the theme I think your gift says spring which is what we celebrate most this time of year, it was perfect.

Cheers,

Cora

Thank You Secret Pal!

What a great Easter package! We loved the candy, St. Patrick's day sleeper, Easter etch a sketch, cute bag, stuffed chirping duck, Peter Cottontail book, and stroller chimes. Some of the chocolate isn't pictured because I rushed it to the fridge when I got the package. It was 95 degrees outside today. I think we caught it in time! As a matter of fact, I think I'll go and have some now. ;)
Thanks again! You're the greatest secret pal!
--Amy and family

Thank You to The White's Secret Pal

Happy soon to be Spring. I am sooo very ready for this winter to be over. The presents you send always brighten up the day. I Love, Love, Love the little Ralph Lauren dress and the sun shades. It is sooo something I would have bought if I saw it on the rack. Adorable. I know ( Sophie or Molly) will get alot of use out of the tights because I love dresses and ribbons and tights. The Easter bag is very cute. I will have to get her a lavender Easter dress to go with it. I for got to thank you last month for the lady bug blanket. That is my first ladybug item. It will be in her crib when she gets home.
The book is fantastic. It will become my "Bible" before and after our baby gets home. I have only glanced through it, but I can tell it will invaluable. All my sisters have the "What to Expect" books and I wondered how we (adoptive parents) would be able to use them or if we would need something different. I think you found what we need. I cannot wait to read it. Unfortunately, I have not time while I am in school for extra reading. It will be my summer reading.
Thanks again for the wonderful gifts. We very much appreciate your thoughtfulness and kindness.

Shannon and Doug White

Jannett's parcel for Feb arrived safely

Thank you very much, once again, for such a gorgeous gift! Our daughter is getting quite a collection of adorable clothes, mostly from you! OK, so Mummy has been known to make little purchases and stow them away for the future, every so often!! Well, can you believe it has been 11 months already? Let's hope the rest of the wait can pass by so quickly. I hope your cold snowy winter is almost at it's end and spring is starting to make itself seen. We have just begun autumn,not that it actually means much here though, it is still fairlywarm, just a little less humid. We will get cooler weather once winter comes but we NEVER get snow in Brisbane (or frosts or anything much). I'm a dreadful sook when it comes to cold weather! Enjoy the rest of the month, roll on 1 year! Thank you again, Jannett

Thank you Secret Pal from the MacPherson's

Wow you have done it agian, both Andrew and I were totally blown away by all the wonderful gifts. We got the first one a couple of days ago and the second one yesterday (it took a tour of Australian Customs) Much to my delight everything arrived and I can't wait to munch into those chocolate pecan cookies, I have never seen a cookie box that was so beautiful! We just love the lady bug/butterfly spinner and no you have not sent us one before. The lady bug plate and fork and spoon set are just beautiful. The bunny wrap is just so cute and the lady bug jumpsuite (onsie) I just love I carn't wait to put a little person in it. and of cause that beautiful Elephant its just so soft I could not put it down. I am just blown away by how wonderful you are, thank you so much.

Love Melissa and Andrew

Thanks secret pal, your gift arrived safely!

Dear Secret Pal,

Thank you once again for your thoughtfulness! I found out tonight that my good friend, Katherine, did indeed get your gift in Feb. Thank you for sharing with her for the month! You always send amazing gifts that are an encouragement in this crazy wait for our little ones! Thank you again!

Blessings,
Gayly Conard

Thank you to the Monroe's Secret Pal !!!

We received our February Secret Pal gift a few days ago. Thank you for the great note and don't worry about it being late. It sounds like our lives have taken similar paths lately !! I am sure everything will work out just as it should for both of our hubby's !!

The gifts were lovely. It was funny, after I opened the box, I put everything back into it and arranged it just as it was when it arrived so hubby could see it when he came home. Unfortunately, I didn't lock it up in a closet. The cats knew there was a treat or two in there for them so when we got ready to look at the box together, the cats had knocked it off the dresser, torn the box open, took all the gifts out, ate a great deal of the tissue paper, and finally found their toys. What a hoot. Things were strewn all over the bedroom. The good news was none of the gift, other than the cat toys, were chewed up !!!

The PJs are great. I can't wait to try out the bath sizzles shaped like fortune cookies !! And of course, the bibs are TOOOOO cute!! Thank you so much.

Sheryl and David Monroe
Key West, Florida

More love for the Choi Secret Pal

Last month I posted but didn't get the pictures posted. I forgot to post my name though so you wouldn't have known it was from us. I am so careful not to reveal myself to the person I am buying for, but a couple times I almost slipped. So I think I equate anonymity with the secret pal's so I forget to sign my name here so my poor secret pal must be frustrated with us. So here are the pictures from last month. The hat is too cute, the heart tights just make me long for little pudgy legs to put into them and I use the shower soap everyday, it leaves my skin so soft ;) which, up hear in the frozen north, is oh so nice.

The Choi's love our Secret Pal

Here is the scene. Nine AM, I hear a repeating beep, beep, beep. Is it my phone? Alarm clock? Electric toothbrush? No no no. I can't figure it out, I can't find it anywhere. I am on my hands and knees trying to follow this beep, beep, beep. Behind the headboard of our bed I find it! Carbon Monoxide detector. What! I didn't think it worked! Well, I feel fine, pets seem fine. I silence it. Five minutes later BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!! I run around now trying to find the cordless phone, I must be getting frazzled because it is practically in front of my face. Call 911. I am standing outside in 28 degree weather, waiting. Where the heck are they? Who arrived but the mail lady with a package from my awesome secret pal. What great timing. After the house is checked out by all the proper authorities I go inside and open this!
I wish you all could have heard my OOOOS and AHHHHS. I laughed at myself. It was funny. I love the little birdies on all the clothes, too darling. I can't tell you how much I adore the box the soap came in. I get thrilled by cool designs like that and the book is just great. Thank yiou secret pal. You are a GEM!
See next post for pictures I never got to post from last months gift.
Karin and Steven Choi

what an amazing SP

I received the cutest little heart outfit & trio of board books - 2 r Peter Rabbit ones, which ties 4 favourite with Winnie the Pooh. What is amazing is that the package arrived this Thurs., wrapped individually as usual - & this is amidst your BIG house move!!! Thanx again. I hope all is well with u.

Karen in WV

Thank you, Secret Pal! From Lisa Buckshaw

Thank you for such a wonderful collection of gifts . It was a wonderful way to bring in the Chinese New Year. I have to admit that I have not stopped listening to the CD you burned for me. Derryl Penny has such a terrific voice. Track 5 is my favorite!!!! I'll have to download it into my i-tunes for my i-pod.

The little globe is fantastic. I am always amazed at the wonderful gifts you seem to find. Thank you for thinking of me. The wait seems to be getting harder for me and I am getting more than a little bit discouraged by what seems like a never ending process.

Thank You SP!

Thank you SP for the cute bathrobe! It made me giggle, it was so cute!

It made a dreary and rainy day much brighter!

Jana

Just love our Secret Pal!!

Many Thanks to our wonderful Secret Pal!! What a joy to go to the mail box and have a package all the way from Australia in our box. It is very exciting. We love the ladybug travel table and combination carrier. What a great idea for trips in the car. It will let her be creative coloring and drawing while being a cuddle pal on a trip. We just love it!!!!

Jody and Brent

Thank you to Mary's Secret Pal

Dear Secret Pal,
The post office delayed my Secret Pal gift with a little post office box number mix-up, but it has arrived, and it is wonderful! I just cannot believe how generous you are! This box is way over the top, and it was so much fun to open all the valentine and new year’s treats. You even made the card! I think you said you have one daughter at home, and I just can’t imagine how you had time to make a card.

We both love the books you sent and will read them again at bedtime tonight when we hang the pink lantern in her room! I bet she will try to eat dinner with the mini-chopsticks – I wonder how that will work with fajitas?!?!

The three little outfits for DD#2 are as cute as can be. The cupcake shirt even has little sewn-on sprinkles! I can just picture DD#2 prancing around the house in the pink ruffled dress.

Sofia loves the purple love bug (especially the candy hearts) and the M&Ms. Candy is definitely one way to her heart. The heart socks and hair ribbons will be darling on her.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your generosity! Any ONE of these darling gifts would have been a great surprise. Please know that you don’t have to be so extravagant to brighten my day!
Mary

Thanks from the Morrises

Thank you for honoring Hannah Grace with the donation to Half the Sky. I finally got to our home website & wrote you a message. I will try to update with photos soon.
-Charity & all the boys

Thank You From the Vraniak's!

Thank you so much to our secret pal! The doll is adorable and I'm so glad you found one that will look like here! The book and the outfit are fun and we can't wait to use them. So hard to believe that almost a year has gone by since we were LID. If the original time wait was still on we would be looking forward to a match in another few months....it's just hard to believe it could really stretch to 2010. I'm so glad to have you though--getting your gifts every month are a great pick-me-up and we really look forward to opening them up! Only a few more months until I know who you are!

Cheers,

Lisa and Len

Thank you Secret Pal

Thank you Secret Pal for Isabella..

A donation to Half the Sky was this months gift..

Have a Great Month..

Thank You, Kimi's Secret Pal!

I was so excited when I received the package. Because you included January's gifts in this package (new pal, so she was "catching up", isn't that nice of her?) I knew you were from this group and not the March one, but I didn't peek at any of the postal info. In fact, I had the lady at the post office cover the info with a priority sticker before she handed it to me.

My secret pal sent me a Gymboree bodyshirt with matching hair bows and socks, a ladybug hair bow, chopsticks in a quilted pouch and a ladybug wall hook.

Thank you very much, Secret Pal, for ready my blog and sending your condolences as well as such perfect gifts.

Kimi

Belated Thank You.

Here is the post I promised. Thank you so much for the dress and headband, I love them. I have told you before that our taste is very similar but this month proved it. I actually bought that same dress in a bigger size a few weeks ago from Robin at Red Thread Stitches. I have not received the one I ordered yet. I did not however get the adorable matching headband. It looks like Little Miss will be able to wear it for a couple years ;0). I also love the Valentine bib and book. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next month. As for your question about colors for her room, that is a tough one, since in my mind I have redecorated that room several times. I asked Jim and he said “let her pick something and we will design the room around it” (He makes me laugh.) Well, here is some direction although not exactly what you asked for: The walls are yellow. The blinds are white. My favorite color is blue and I want it to be girly but not 100% pink. Let me know if that does not help and I will come up with something better.
Cora

We have the Best Secret Pal!!!

Thank You so much for our February gift. We love everything that you have sent us so far. This month we received the cutest winter outfit for our baby and some conversation hearts candy for us, which I love. The outfit is actually perfect for the Florida winters. Believe it or not, it does get cold for us down here. Thank you for Knitting the hat for our baby too. The Stitches from the Heart Program sounds really neat. We really appreciate you donating a hat in our name.

Thank you again Secret Pal,

Steve and Joanne Griffin

THANK YOU!

I cannot say how much we enjoy getting your thoughtful gifts. You've thought of all of us. I love the pampering gifts. Nick loves Artemis Fowl. He read those books last year. (He's now reading your book again-it's one he didn't own. :) ) He gets so excited to see your package. The granola bars are already gone. The t-shirt is too cute for words. And you pick the best books. I love them all. Thanks so much for everything. Your words of encouragement have been heaven sent. Thank you.

The Shoemakers

Our Secret Pal is the GREATEST!

Happy Valentine Day and Happy Chinese New Year to you. We received your package on Wednesday, February 20, 2008. Thank you so much for the wonderful gifts. We are enjoying the fortune cookies and the tub that they came in is so cute. The ornaments are beautiful and the books are wonderful. The hair accessories are so adorable, I cannot wait to use them once our little girl(s) is home. My husband and I have never heard of Snuggle Puppy, we are looking forward to listening to it this evening.

Maria and Michael
Hershey, PA
4/17/07

~Thank You from the Seabolts~

As always our secret pal is AWESOME!! We received our package yesterday after being out of town for almost a week. It was a nice suprise. I hope that you are feeling better...there is some sort of flu bug going around the office so I hope I am not next.

Thanks again for your thoughtfulness!!

Matt & Jennifer S.

CNY & Valentines Thank you !!!

Dear Secret Pal:

Thank you so much for the Valentines gifts. I asked that you just donate to HFS, I didn't need anything. I Thank you so much. Ping Ping Thanks you too, she said "our SP is so nice".

I never formally Thanked you for the CNY gifts, which we absolutely loved.

I am going to try this pic posting thing again so let's see if it works.

I hope you enjoyed your Valentines Day and CNY.


Julie

To the White family Secret Pal

Happy Valentine's Day.
Thank you so much for the beautiful fancy dress. It can be used for Christmas, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day. It should get plenty of use. I just need to find a little sweater and tights. Doug always appreciates the candy. He puts them on his desk at work for a mid-afternoon pick me up.
To answer your questions Doug will be 37 on August 11th. I will be 42 on May 5th. Yikes it is hard to see that in writing. And yes, I so called "robbed the cradle" He keeps me young(He He). We will be married 12 years on August 15th. And after many years of trying all options to get pregnant we decided to start the adoption process in July of 2006. We are very happy and at peace with all that has led us to this point and all that the future holds in making this decision. We have no animals. Maybe we will get a fish some day. We live five minutes from the ocean and spend ALOT of time in it or near it. We ski and just returned from a weekend in Vermont. It was great, it snowed the whole time and the skiing was fantastic. We also love Disney. We go at least once a year. I just booked a week in Orlando in June. We are going to go to Seaworld and Universal this time. It will be hard not to go to Disney being so close(maybe I can talk Doug into one day at a park).
Anyway, now you know a little about us. All I know is that you have been married for 19 years. Congratulations on that. Any big plans for your 20th anniversary? I cannot wait to find out more at the end of the swap. Thanks again, and look forward to next month.
Shannon and Doug White

Thank You Secret Pal!

Thank you very much for the Border's gift card! We love Borders, of course! My husband just got one for his birthday, so maybe when he goes to get his stuff, I'll take this one and sneak into the children's book section. I love the children's book section! Martina also loves her Nemo figurine. What fun that you read our blog and know all about our new fish!
Thanks again!
Amy and family

Thanks Secret Pal for the Wonderful Valentine!

We love our Valentine Secret Pal! Lily wore her shirt, socks and pony tail holders yesterday! I have the perfect picture for the frame! I am inspired to work on the scrapbook with my new materials and can't wait to make heart cookies with Lily and Graeme! You are the best!

Amys SP

I dont have a picture but wanted to thank my SP for the awesome box of goodies and the sweet card..OOOh it was Valentines Day central with cookie cutters, a cute outfit, a sweet card, the animal and the candy and much more than I can remember..

thanks

Hooray for our Secret Pal!

Secret Pal - Hi! We received your package on Friday, February 1, 2008, before we left for our trip. Of course, I had to open the box before we left. Again you spoil us with the great gifts. The book is so adorable and the blanket will be put in great use once our little one is home with us. The gloves, mittens, socks, and the sweet treats are wonderful. We will be enjoying our hot cocoa and tea in the great mugs that you sent us.
You do not need to apologies for the lateness of the package, we really appreciate the gifts that you have been sending us.


Maria and Michael
LID 4/17/07

February Heart Warmer!

It was great to find a package waiting on our porch after a long day (Thurs.) spent in high winds and blizzard conditions at the ski slopes. Okay, so I really spend the day in the lodge while Chase snowboards, but the trek to and from the parking lot was brutal, not to mention dealing with the iced over windshield and frozen wipers!

The art book is beautiful and we will enjoy perusing it during the wait. Chase has studied a couple of the paintings featured, and I know he will be interested in reading about all of them, as will Laken someday. It is a valuable addition to our library. The Runaway Bunny is such a sweet classic, and I can't even guess how many times I've read it to Chase since he was an infant. However, his book has been long packed away, so he enjoyed reading Laken's new copy, and pronounced it a very good little story. He didn't remember it?!!!

The Asian girl nesting dolls are just darling, and will be the first item to be lovingly placed on the new shelves we'll install next week in Laken's room. Patrick is on his 5th weekend in a row of painting her room - the trimwork has been grueling! The end is in sight though, and we expect to have her room completed in the next 2 weeks. We've painted it a light, celery green with creamy, off-white trim. I'm using a lot of pink as an accent color, and her quilt is a soft yellow with big pink flowers stitched on it. It is becoming a cheery room that feels like Spring.

It was a nice touch to acknowledge CNY with the mama mouse plus 2 babies cell phone dangle - sooo cute. Thanks, as always, for your good wishes and shared excitement. I look forward to being able to share photos of our lovely girl with you soon.

Thanks again for all of the treasures, they truly brightened our day. Enjoy your travels this month!

With gratitude,

Terri, Patrick, Chase & Laken

My Secret Pal is such a treasure to me !!

We received our January Secret Pal gift today. Even though there were only presents for our future daughter, our cat Zachary didn't mind a bit. He was thrilled with the brown paper the box was wrapped in. He carried the paper all over the house - tripping on it, slobbering on it, and even eating a bit of it before I could wrestle it away from him. The other cats just sat and watched. I imagine they thought he had gone mad.

Our secret pal sent us the sweetest little bib that says "Baby's 1st New Year". We also received 2 really cute Disney shirts and pretty little jeans. We also got two Classic Pooh body suits. It was a great gift and we were so happy to receive it after a really stressful day at work.

Thank you Secret Pal !!! I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day !!
Sheryl and David Monroe
Key West, FL

Jannett's SP sent pandas!

Thank you very much for the gorgeous little clothes with pandas on them. We just love pandas round here, think they are one of the most adorable animals on the planet! I hope your winter isn't treating you too badly. Some parts of the US (and indeed the world) have been very badly hit by colder, stormier winters than usual - I hope you are warm and healthy. Until next time, thank you again,

Jannett

Miracle Pal

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We love it all! I love the red sweater and ivory cords, Chinese New Year stamps and the Dr. Suess book. Graeme is developing quite the wardrobe and personal library. More than anything, I love your timing. Your gift brought a much needed smile to my face and to Lily's. She loves her lip gloss. Thank you so much!