Jacob Enoch DonDiego Wetzel

 Hello my little baby boy,
Yesterday, March 5, was your first birthday and I wish you could have been here to celebrate it with us.  It was hard for me and Daddy and Rae'lynn especially.  Rae'lynn cried for you all day and although she wouldn't tell me much, I knew she was crying for her little brother whom she loved so much and took care of so carefully.  I hope you can be with her and let her know you are still there because she needs you.  I need you too.  I wanted to hold you so badly on your birthday, I want to see you crawl, walk, run, interact with the kids, smile, laugh, and everything I'm missing out on right now.  I wish I could raise you right now and not have to wait until much later.  I ache to hold you close.
On your birthday, Izaac was baptized.  He was born again on the day you were born.  He is such and spiritual boy and he also loves and misses you.  He loved sharing the day with you and he wished you could have been there.  He felt you close to him and we felt you close to us all day.  After his baptism, we had lunch and did a service project for your birthday.  We made quilts for Alziemers patients so they can carry them around when they have to go somewhere and have something familiar and something to touch.  They are little lap quilts with squared of different kinds of material.  Most of the older children helped make them.  I thought of you and I helped each one use the sewing machine and help make them.  Rae'lynn made one by herself on a sewing machine!  I was so proud of her!   After the quilts we had cake and sang Happy Birthday to you.  Junior blew out your candle (the number 1).  We also had people write notes to put in your birthday book which I made to remember your birthday.  A little later we went to the graveyard together with all your grandparents-Grandma and Grandpa Barker and Wetzel and also Tona and Andy Fullmer.  We sang the Wetzel Family Song "We are part of the Wetzel Family, no one can take that away from me.  I'm going to heaven, yes sir that is a must.  That's why we say,'Eternal Family or Bust!'" (this is sung to the tune of Last Kiss refrain).  We also sang Happy Birthday and we brought you 11 balloons.  One of the balloons we put at your grave and the others we had each person or couple say a Birthday wish for you and let the balloon go and then watched them float away.  Izaac and Jr. gave you a Hotwheels car and Rae'lynn gave you a squishy dinosaur the lights up when you squeeze it.  Aunt Erin sent you a teddy bear from New York and her love.  The Fullmers gave you a pinwheel.  The Watkins gave you a Willow Tree 'Rememberance' Figurine.  Grandma and Grandpa gave you a beautiful flower arrangement with yellow, purple, and red flowers, Grandma and Grandpa Wetzel gave you some yellow mums.  Nancy, Melissa, Stacy, and Georgette gave me a gorgeous white gold ring with an amethyst heart surrounded by small diamonds to remember you by (that's your birthstone).  Your aunts and uncles have called and sent letters saying how much they love you and miss you.  You can see that you are so loved and so are we.  Me and Daddy want to give you our renewed promise you be the best parents we can be and the best people we can be so we can be close to you forever and be with you and someday be your parents again and raise you.  I can't wait for that day.  I love you forever Jacob Enoch and I will remember you always.  Happy Birthday My Son.
Love, Mommy