[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Last week, we asked you to share the memory of a favorite gift or gesture you received on a past holiday. Here are your responses:
- A barbie house
- A letter/song about how wonderful of a mom I am from my preteen son about 10 years ago.
- A puppy!
- A surprise loaf of homemade bread
- An airplane ticket to USSR in 1988.
- An iPad from my family so I can see them on FaceTime, it’s been a blessing this year
- Baby arrived right after Christmas, 7 weeks early…UU Rowdy Moms stepped in to help with older kids so I could be at the hospital while baby was in intensive care.
- For the past 12 years we have received a calendar from our kids documenting the past year in pictures.
- I enjoyed a personalized calendar with pictures of extended family.
- I received a Wellspring 2020 solstice small package on my front porch yesterday. The contents filled my heart with surprise and joy!
- In 1967, my HS junior, I was the only one without a letter sweater when pins were awarded. I’d lettered in 4 sports so I had go up to the stage 4X, embarrassed 4Xs. I knew the embarrassment would continue my senior year. In August my Grandmother said she had an early Xmas present for me and I’d just have to understand there would NOT be another gift at Christmas. The gift was the letter sweater! This $20 gift was huge, far more than any gift she could afford. I’ll always remember how much I was loved and how well she understood what a 16 yr old girl “needed” to feel “included”.
- Last Christmas my brother flew me to North Carolina so all my brothers and sisters could all be together. It was great!
- Last year my partner got us dancing lessons.
- More than anything time with those I love. The laughing, the treats, the drinks, the hugs
- My first figure skates … more than 70 years ago… from “uncle” Benny a dear friend of my parents. Only to be revealed decades later that my mother actually picked them out and wrapped them for me. Gotta love those Santas!
- My late husband gave me beautiful sapphire & diamond earrings his last Christmas. They have become my most prized possession
- My son wrote on some wrapping paper one year “Dad, I couldn’t have asked for a better role model”. It’s one of my favorite gifts ever. I framed it and put it on my wall. I don’t even remember what was in the package.
- Ornaments for my collection
- Our children all traveled to Fort Collins last year for our first Christmas here.
- Our son surprising me by coming home from college early. He was hiding in a big box, wrapped, and I took my time saying hi to the family first, before opening the package!
- Received my bicycle from my grandparents. I was 10 years old.
- The first Christmas I was single and the mother of four little boys, my neighbor took them to the store and they each bought me a different color of nail polish. Best gifts ever!!
- The gift of family and friends.
- The joy our grandkids have as they experience traditions with us year after year…
- The t-shirt that says “Papa like a grandpa only cooler. Also a book called “How to babysit a Grandpa” and a custom book that our oldest daughter had made go Father’s Day.
- Visit with all my family and my son’s homemade eggnog.
- When I was in high school I spotted an expensive (to me) sweater that I fell in love with. I must have mentioned it to my mom because much to my great surprise is was under the Christmas tree. It showed me that she pays attention to me. 45 years later, I still have the sweater and treasure it.
- While living in Mx. For many years we did not exchange gifts with family snd friends. . We always gave each other the gift of travel. And tried to do the same with our family by bringing them to our B&B for a unique holiday. We still try to do the same.
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Katie believes the best things in life are the result of collaboration and diverse perspectives coming together to produce something greater than any individual could. She is passionate about systems, efficiency and collaboration for better community outcomes. She loves dreaming up the big picture and drafting the roadmap to make it happen. She has a background in operations, fundraising, communications and program development, as well as over a decade of nonprofit management experience in Northern Colorado.
Her greatest joy in life comes from her family. Her husband, Steven, a principal at Wellington Middle School, and daughters Emmaline and Esmae are the lights of her life. Together they love mountains, music and all kinds of food. She is passionate about women supporting other women in all stages of life and especially through the critical moments that make or break us. She believes that one of the most important things in life is to be kind.
Being outdoors makes her soul come alive. It always roots her in gratitude and is one of the reasons she loves living in Fort Collins.
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