Virgil N. Cordero Jr. May 13, 1921--February 24, 2012

     My grandpa died last Friday.  Up until now, I haven't been able to find the right words to say, let alone write.  My grandpa was a proud, stubborn man.  I know everyone thinks their grandpa is stubborn, but I promise you, my grandpa would win the prize. ;-)
     That being said, he was also kind, intelligent, and funny.  And he liked to talk.  He loved to share stories and laugh, even if he wasn't being funny. ;-) Grandpa was an officer in the United States Army, and served his country in WWII.  I remember how he loved to play golf, and he loved his scotch on the rocks.  Those were his favorite things. 
     Even when Grandpa's health declined and he needed nursing care, he kept those nurses hopping.  I told him to be nice, but I heard there were a few times when things got dicey.  Bless his heart.  He didn't like getting old, or being told what to do, and I am so thankful he didn't suffer. He simply laid down to take a nap and never woke up.  When the nurses checked on him, he was gone.  
     I can still see him and Grandma dancing at my wedding.  Those two were all over the place.  Everyone was so impressed, 'cause they were tearing up the floor!  I remember dancing with Grandpa...he kept in time to the music perfectly, and didn't miss a beat.
     Grandpa...I love you.  I love you so much.  I am so glad we visited you last year when we did.  I'm so glad you were able to meet Theresa and hold your 9th great-grandchild in your arms.  I'm so glad I can still remember your smile and the twinkle in your eye. 
     Rest in peace.  We'll see each other again soon.  Until then, you enjoy that round of golf and your scotch on the rocks.  I know that's what you're living for in heaven.  

Love, your grandaughter, 

Our Little Rose is One

Today is Valentine's Day, and it's also Theresa's birthday.  I can't believe its been a year. I just can't.  I still remember the day she was born...quite vividly.  I remember the nurse in observation pretending to be upset because my OB/GYN, Dr. M, didn't send her and the other nurses flowers that day.  And Dr. M pretended to be completely oblivious to their scheming..lol. :-)

We had a big party for our sweetheart last Saturday.  I admit, I've been planning her party for weeks.  Thanks to my new addiction, Pinterest...I'd been pinning ideas and pictures since last fall.  Yes...I'm a type A personality, can't you tell?

The party had a overall theme of Valentine's Day...with a lot of pink and roses thrown in.  What else would you do for a baby born on Valentine's Day, named after St. Therese of Lisieux?  Right?

Anyways... ;-)

Here's some pictures from the party. 

The wreath for the front door was pink crepe paper streamers, cut to length and rolled up to look like flowers.  I wanted to use pink cupcake wrappers, but couldn't find any that were just pink (only packaged with blue and yellow...which wasn't cost effective).  So this was plan B.  It looks more like carnations up close instead of roses, but oh well. 

All the little guests got a rose corsage/boutonniere to wear when they arrived. Some didn't want to wear one, and I didn't make them. No big deal. I know the girls were more appreciative than the boys, lol.

In the foyer, I set up 2 tables for crafts. We had Valentine's bookmarks, a heart fridge magnet, (both from Oriental Trading Company) and Valentine coloring pages (found online). 

I put out pictures of Theresa along the top of our new shoe cabinets.  The middle one is by Sonny Cantu Photography.  They took newborn pictures of Theresa when she was 6 days old, and came back last week to do another shoot.  And yes, I cried when I saw the proofs.  They were amazing. 

The photo banner in in the kitchen is pictures of Theresa...one for each month of her first year.  Yep...saw it on Pinterest and just loved the idea.
 

I made a crocheted hat and a pillowcase dress for Theresa to wear...with roses of course.  The fabric is by Amy Butler. 

 Theresa is so little, I put her right up on the kitchen island to take this picture.  Everyone said she looked adorable.  I happen to agree.  She was a trooper the whole time.  Talk about soaking up all the attention. 

For the kids, I put out strawberry sugar wafers, tortilla roll-ups with strawberry cream cheese, Valentine Chex Mix, strawberries, and a veggie platter (so it wasn't ALL sugar ;-).  The grownups had mini pulled pork sliders, chips, white queso, and salsa.  Yum.

Most of the afternoon, the kids were outside riding bikes and jumping on the trampoline.  It was chilly that day, so about halfway through the party, we had crafts, ate some more food, and cut the cake. 

I made the cake and cupcakes with a boxed strawberry cake mix.  Nothing fancy.  I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the frosting, which I tinted pink with gel coloring.  (Note: you have to use a a homemade buttercream frosting...the canned stuff just won't hold up.  But it was EASY.  Really it was...believe me.  I am NOT a cake decorator.  I did the cupcakes and the cake in 30 minutes flat.  If you want a good tutorial, click here.  I am Baker has a great blog post about making the roses). 

My roses look more "shabby chic" than the smooth perfection I was going for, but that's okay.  I know Theresa didn't care. :-)

As you can see, Theresa LOVED her cupcake...and ate the whole thing! 

 

At one point during the party, Theresa decided to get friendly with one of her guests.  Little Will is half Theresa's age, but the same size, lol.  She tried to climb over him, which thankfully didn't bother Will, but we had to separate them...several times...just to be safe.  It was hilarious...the WWF...baby style! 

I made the favor boxes using white take-out boxes from a party supply store, and hot glued fake roses on top.  They had some candy, stickers, and other little treats inside, along with a St. Therese of Lisieux holy card. 

And just because I can't get enough of this face, here's a couple more shots of the birthday girl. 

Happy Birthday Theresa.  One year ago, you came into our lives, and what an absolute joy you have been.  Every day, every moment with you is precious.  What a gift God has given us.  We love you to the moon and back!