Mountain Climbing and Roller Coasters

I think God knows how much Jeff and I like roller coasters, and hiking the hills and mountains when we would visit Vail. This past week has been filled with mountains to climb and coasters that make your stomach drop. Jeff never takes the easy way--he fights and fights and climbs higher each day. He keeps his sense of humor--more like his sense of being a smart alec--he takes all the loops and twists and turns and comes out ready for more. I have never loved him more than I do now. I have never been more proud. He sets the bar pretty high for all of us to follow--faith, courage, love, forgiveness, integrity, goodness. He has always expressed these qualities. It was what drew us together--we worked on sponsoring a family for Christmas in 1995. He was so determined to make that Christmas special for these two little ones who truly had nothing. Year after year that was his specialty. He would leave the house very early on his way to work to search every store for just the right toys for the kids, or just the right furniture that the family needed, or the right bikes. We would shop for the food and clothes--coats were always big--he always made sure each child and parent had coats, boots and gloves and hats. We would host a Christmas open house and people would come all night with arm loads of gifts and food for the families. It would take three big cars at least--one year it took a U-Haul truck to deliver all the gifts, furniture and clothing. He always hoped it would give the children some hope--he wanted them to know that life can be good and that people are good and deserving of good. He always chose single mothers trying to get through school or working two jobs--it was a way of honoring what he saw his own mother struggle through. Jeff still believes in helping anyone he can. We made supply buckets for Katrina victims, we made care packages for the families at the Victim's Center, he contributes to the Flight 93 fundraiser, he coaches our daughters in soccer--one day a woman with a baby was being physically abused by her boyfriend in a parking lot at the mall. Jeff intervened and kept her safe until the police could arrive. Jeff is what God wants us all to be--compassionate, thoughtful, caring, aware of others needs. He is truly my blessing.