A Special Day . . . for many reasons!

I will post some pictures of Valentine's Day festivities soon, but this day has special meaning to me for many reasons. First, it is incredibly fun to celebrate Kinley's birthday on this day (and she thinks the whole world is celebrating her birthday, too!). Second, I have always loved having a day set aside to really stop and be grateful for my Valentine. Doug and I will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary this June and I couldn't have picked a better husband. :) Finally, Valentine's Day is also recognized in the U.S. as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day. So, today I also celebrate Cooper and his mended heart. Here is the official CHD Awareness Day statement:

"Congenital Heart Disease is considered to be the most common birth defect, and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide. Despite the fact that CHD affects millions of families, a relatively small amount of funding is currently available for parent/patient educational services, research, and support. By sharing our experiences and providing information, we hope to raise public awareness about conditions that affect approximately 40,000 babies each year in the United States alone. It is our sincere hope that efforts to educate the public will result in additional funding for support and educational services, scientific research, and improved quality of care for our children and adults."