Valentine tribute

Happy Valentines Day!
I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children who are blessings from God.

I know that love is something that God has created and wants to share with us. That's why he created us! I am so glad He did. I have been given so many examples of love my whole life. My parents started it with showers of love and protection. No life is perfect, but mine was darn close! I didn't chose the family I have, God did. I thank him for that. I have memories of loving parents and friends throughout my life. I see life through that lens of kindness and protection. I have chosen my husband Hugh to continue the love and kindness the rest of our lives together.
When I met Hugh, I liked how he treated people. I like how he never took a dime for pitching lessons because he never had to pay a dime for his. I respect that decision. He is a great listener and storyteller. He makes me laugh. If Hugh doesn't know how to do something he finds a way to learn. I had an apartment building I bought right out of college and my father helped me take care of it. I could do some things, but I didn't know how to fix plumbing and electric problems which are the most expensive to fix! Hugh was willing to learn whatever it took to save money and keep the apartments running and rented! That is before we got married! All these things combined showed me the depth of his love and commitment to me. Because of this wonderful character he showed, I fell in love with him. There was just one thing. He wasn't really into going to church with me at the time. That mattered to me so I knew I had to start praying! I just started working for Sherwin Williams and now I am surrounded by Christians! I had to reevaluate my relationship with God and with Hugh. I wasn't keeping God first at the time. I find it providential that God brought me to a place where I was influenced by Christians everyday! I prayed for the right place where Hugh and I could worship and after a few rocky months, We found First Baptist Church and Pastor Elliott. He was the first pastor that made the gospel make sense to Hugh. Up to this point he was just going to church for me. I was blessed by God's answers to my prayers. His grace was beyond what I had ever seen. My faith grew and Hugh and I grew closer to the Lord together. I came back to Christ and Hugh found Him. That was the real beginning of our relationship. Then we got married 1 1/2 years later after Hugh finally got a full time teaching contract. We counseled with Pastor Elliot and got more involved in church and then after two years we started praying for children. This was a longer process than we wanted it to be and challenging to our marriage. God had a plan the whole time. We learned to focus on God and each other rather than our jobs and sports. After almost 2 years of trying, I met a new friend who told me to try eating strictly organic foods and clean my body of impurities. I did this and two months on this diet God answered our prayer we were pregnant with Kira. Well it wasn't but a short year later God gave us Derek out of the blue! God is always there and he works all things together for good. That trial brought Hugh and I closer and our faith continued to grow in Christ.
Hugh's faith grew like I had never seen any one's faith grow before. He was reading more and more books, and growing closer to God in knowledge and sincerity. He was influencing the kids at school daily and started a bible study for those kids that grew to over 40 kids! Again I was blown away at how God was using Hugh.

Softball was his life almost every summer evening for years. I have spent many hours at ball fields across the United States from Allentown, to Virginia to Seattle to New Mexico. He went without me most of the time after Kira was born and then Derek came along and He started playing closer to home. He was living his dream yet realizing what was more important to him.. his family. I could go on and on...

Life is good and God has never let us fall from His protective hand. God intends marriage to be a beautiful picture of His love for us. I love you Hugh very much and I fully appreciate your loyalty and devotion to God and our family. Thank you for loving me the way you do and seeing me for who I am. Thank you for all the roses left on my pillows and dozens through out the years. Thank you for the kisses everyday that say "I love you and I am here for you" You are a gift from God. I pray for many more years to come!