SPOKANE, Wash. — The cake -- a quintessential part of any birthday party, especially for a three-year-old who loves frosting. Toddler Levi Waterman celebrated his third birthday with family, friends, presents and, of course, cake online.
But the party would not have been complete without the help of Spokane mom Lisa Repp, who puts the "grace" in her non-profit's title Grace and Cakes. Repp started making cakes as a passion project, and by October 2019 it was more than just a hobby.
"When you give a child a birthday cake and they're about to blow out those candles, there's just this pure joy," Repp said.
This month's cake was Superman-themed for a toddler who loves Superman..
Dressed in his bright blue superman outfit, Levi Waterman ran around a Spokane cake supply store, energized by the frosting he licked from the top of a cupcake. That cupcake was one of a dozen that Repp gave Levi and his parents.
Playing with cut out airplanes and zooming around the isles, the toddler was happy as could be. But Levi's life didn't start that way.
He was born into Washington's foster care system.
"We had 24 hours notice and we showed up at labor and delivery with a folder of paperwork and a car seat. And we left with a baby," Levi's adopted father, Kervin Waterman, said.
Despite the frenzy, the Waterman's are glad they've had Levi since his beginning. Now Levi is officially part of the Waterman family.
This was his first birthday cakes after his official adoption, making this year's celebration and cake extra special.
"This is really neat for — to have a cake online specially made for him. She's been planning it for quite a while," Janel Wateran said.
Repp makes two cakes a month, personalizing each one to the child's interests. She hopes to expand the non-profit in the future to allow her to give out as many online order cakes as possible.
"When I see that and I know some of the story that these kids have been through and there's not a lot of joy there. To know that I helped give that moment is just overwhelming," Repp said.
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