Happy Valentines Day

Two or six times times a day Brian and I talk on the computer, on the phone, or on chat. New dimensions of our relationship are being discovered, and a good share of them are not ideal ones. He said to me in chat the other day, "I just feel like there is a wedge in our relationship." I replied, "Yeah, it's called an ocean, a continent, and a twelve hour time difference." It is really difficult on a marriage and on your spiritual strength to have the person you love most taken from you. However, there are also moments, when the distance reassures me that he is the greatest person in the world and I love him more than anything. I am thankful for him in my life and I miss him beyond words.

For Valentines, he wanted to do something really sweet for me and surprise me since we rarely do that sort of thing (we're recovering cheapskates). So yesterday I got a knock at the door from a local florist. She delivered a bouquet of flowers that was as tall as Giselle and simply breathtaking. Brian had specially designed the arrangement and dictated over the phone from Afghanistan what he wanted in it. There were 7 white carnations for each of our beautiful children. There were 13 red roses for each year of our marriage, and three white lillies to represent eternity together. Then he sent me the following letter (which he gave me permission to share):

Jess,
Almost fourteen years ago a beautiful courtship began. Two young, good looking, smart kids having a lot of fun looking for that special someone. I think we were both shocked at our interest in each other as we got to know one another and found that our completely different personalities seemed to mesh together quite well. Both of us knew that the other was flawed, imperfect, and in some ways damaged. Procrastination, anxiety/depression, lack of ambition, poor self esteem, hormones, impulsiveness, anger management issues etc. etc. etc. But somehow we saw past those blemishes and recognized the potential lying beneath. We believed that joining together we could each become something better than we were and united become something wonderful. On 22 November 1995 we joined hands across the alter and committed to stand together take the Lord’s hand and begin our long climb into eternal exaltation.

On this Valentine’s Day I want you to take the time to remember all the great moments, the hard times, the sweat, the tears, the laughter, and the joy of the past 13 years of marriage. Wow it has been an adventure, a ton of work, and loads of fun.

The work, blood, sweat and tears of 13 moves, four college degrees, bearing five beautiful children and changing their tens of thousands of diapers, finding and bringing home two angels from Africa, educating our children, innumerable dance recitals, an online video gaming addiction, home remodeling, book writing, and just life in the Army.

The love and passion of Lovelock, Carmel, Rock Church, Belize, Birmingham and so many nameless places. The foot rubs, head massages, long walks, bubble baths, spooning Sunday naps, interrupted chores and workouts, neck kissing, etc.

So as you look at the beautiful flowers that I sent you remember the blood, sweat, tears, passion, and joy of 13 years of marriage each represented by a red rose. Admire the seven amazing and wonderful angels both born from your womb and rescued from abroad that call us Mommy and Daddy. And lastly a blue eyed boy and a brown eyed girl bound for eternity trying to keep hold of the Lord's hand and rise up to exaltation.

We have become even more aware of our weaknesses and faults over the past 13 years but also we know our strengths and how and when we can help assist each other with the burdens of life.
Remember you are and always will be the woman of my dreams, the mother of my children, the passion of my nights, my hand up when I am down, my advisor, and the my Queen for eternity.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Love,
Brian