Love.

I certainly did not expect to wake up sad on Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong... I am a sucker for a holiday. I love any reason to buy gifts or wear a 'holiday inspired outfit'... but why would I feel gloomy on this day of all holidays? This morning I woke up and glanced over at my baby's picture and my eyes welled with tears. Today is a day of love, and I did not know a special kind of love existed until I met my baby on December 11. I have a big heart. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Jesus Christ and I love, love, LOVE my amazing husband and I love, love, LOVE my family and friends... but there is something about a mom's love for her baby. It has to be one of the most amazing gifts that God gives moms... the ability to love someone in such a large capacity... and someone that you have barely met. I am so thankful for that. I am so grateful that God let me experience that love when I met Blake. I did not see his eyes light up at me and I did not feel his little heartbeat or hear his first cry, but I still love that baby boy more than words can express. So I am a little blue today because today represents a day of expressing love to those that you love the most... and God blessed me with quite a number of folks that I certainly love with all of my heart... but the one I love the most is in His arms. Talk about love! Blake is in the arms of the Creator of Love. Of course, as a mom I would give anything for him to be in my arms today while I drink coffee and make heart-shaped pancakes but I am so thankful and at peace knowing that he is in heaven surrounded by love - God's perfect love... I picture him today as my Valentine's Day cupid (that precious dark-wavy-haired baby with wings flying around shooting me and his daddy with love arrows!) :) 

1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) was read by my brother in law and pastor, Clint, in Blake's celebration on December 14. He read it with such heart and soul and it was just perfect. We wanted it read because love has been the center of this situation. Most importantly, the love for our Lord and how thankful we are that he gave us Blake, and also the love for our precious Blake, the indescribable love that has grown between me and Matthew, and the outpouring of love from our amazing family and friends. What would we do without love?

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.

Happy Valentine's Day!