She recently got the chilling Mother's Day message while sorting items for a silent auction.
It was held in memory of her husband John and daughters Julianne, 9, and Coral Sky, 7, who died in a tragic crash one year ago.
Baxter said she was sorting items for the auction when her friend tossed her a teddy bear that she had never seen before.
"I happened to squeeze it and Julianne's voice said, 'I love you Mommy'," she said. "My jaw dropped."
Baxter figured Julianne had been planning to give it to her for last Mother's Day.
But the little girl died just days before getting the chance to pass along the gift.
Baxter's daughters died with their dad after the pickup they were travelling in inexplicably crossed into the path of a VIA Rail Train on May 4, 2010.
The crash happened as drivers battled white-out conditions in a snowstorm.
Investigators have said safety systems at the site were working properly at the time of the crash.
One year later, she said some days are better than others and Alana now cares for her remaining child, John Jr., 3.
"I still have bad days, there are times I have to go off by myself," she said. "I've been doing better the last three months, the first nine months were really, really difficult."
As John Jr. gets older, she says she wants him to feel like he can talk about his sisters and dad.
"We have scrapbooks with all the cards, newspaper clippings and artwork," she said. "So when he has questions, we'll be able to open them up and show him."
She said the auction was a way to celebrate her family and begin the healing process.
"I needed to accept their passing and I say passing because I still have a hard time saying death" she said.
The auction raised funds for the Stollery Children's Hospital and the Edmonton Food Bank - the family's favourite charities.
It fell just days after the anniversary of their deaths, but the mood was light, Alana said.
"Everyone was smiling, there were hardly any tears," she said. "It was a great celebration of their memory."
Items belonging to her husband and girls were put up for auction - something the family talked about before the crash, she says.
"They had lots of toys from Christmas, a lot of the stuff we had already donated to the Stollery," she said. "It made sense to do this."
The final numbers are being tallied, with more donations to come in from family out of town.
"A Taylor Hall jersey went for $3,400, other small items were going for (up to) $400," she said. "The generosity of the community and the donations that came in were unreal."
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