Valentine's Day

Loved Ones,

On Valentine's Day 2008, Ray and I surprised the girls with news of a trip to Disney World the next day. That day and the days following are some of our most precious memories. So we didn't know what this day would be like.

To my precious friend Carmen who spent the night so the girls would wake up with a "slumber party," we thank you.

To our neighbors and friends who cheered extra hard for Nora at her Valentine's Day soccer "double-header," we thank you.

To our precious family who showed up en mass with videocameras and cameras to cheer for Nora and record this day, we love you and we thank you.

To my precious extended family who cooked up a Valentine's afternoon lovefest to hang out with us, we know you did it for us and we thank you.

To our many neighbors who brought over Valentine's treats tonight and many other times, we thank you.

To our friends and family far away who called, wrote and sent Valentines of all kinds, we thank you.

We celebrated our precious Ray with ten red balloons attached to 10 High School Musical Valentines we sent off to heaven. Those beautiful red balloons glittered and bobbed for so long in the air as we sent our love up to heaven for our beautiful daddy, husband, brother, son and uncle.

The last time I sent this verse I felt as I wrote it that it truly embodied my husband. His love. We felt this love all around us today.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

not alone and not afraid --

kristin