My Valentines

Last reminder. I hope you remembered your Valentine!

There's one more on my list of Valentines. She's the original. Mom!

She's going to absolutely love the fact that I've put this picture of her on the internet for all to see - celebrating her 75th birthday last year complete with a bow for her hair made of napkins by our waiter!

I owe Mom a great debt of love and gratitude, after all, she loved me through many challenges, and loves me still. Go figure! That's what Moms do. Mine does it better than them all.

She lost her Valentine years ago, but taught us one of life's most valuable lessons - the show must go on. She allowed God to turn her grief into a ministry of bringing others joy, using her creativity to gather friends often and 'discover' hidden talents that would lead to variety shows, loving roasts and toasts, and good old entertainment. She even had a troupe of her entertainers crash my wedding reception dressed as birds, singing 'We Are Family!' That's Mom. I am proud of her.

I love ya, Ma! Will you be my Valentine? (Oh, and by the way... bet none of your other kids declared their love for you across the World Wide Web! Lots of love... your FAVORITE child.)

My Valentines

Since the very first time I saw her 24 years ago, I knew that Shari was my lifelong Valentine! After only a couple years of my stalking her, I convinced her that we were meant to be.

Our first date was a Bruce Springsteen concert. Fitting. She started dating the kid described in 'Growing Up'; we struggled to beat odds stacked against us as depicted in 'Prove It All Night'; and our life together have has been a retelling of 'Born To Run' - "One day, girl, I don't know when, we're gonna get to that place we really wanted to go, and we'll walk in the sun... but 'til then tramps like us..."

So, I'm living my fairy tale with the girl of my dreams. One day these other Valentines of ours (as you've met in earlier posts) will all be out on their own. That's when I look forward to Shari and I writing some new choruses together... more like Barry White than Bruce Springsteen.

Shari, 'I love you with all the madness in my soul'. Will you be my Valentine?

My Valentines

Happy Valentines Day. Have you remembered your Valentines?

Her arrival changed my world. In an instant I went from being a relative nobody to having the most important title in the world - Dad. I remember being absolutely scared to death when the nurse said to me, "Okay, you can take your family home now." I thought to myself, "Don't I get an owners manual or something?"


Amanda is our oldest. I'm very proud of her. She makes wise choices in choosing friends, and she gets the real important things where life is concerned. She will hate that I've chosen this picture that is more than 2 years old, but it's one of my favorites, taken in an orphan school in Namibia.

Amanda loves to dance. She's been assisting younger dance classes for a couple years and talks about a future as a dance instructor. I'm certain that whatever she sets her mind to do, she will succeed. Just don't ask her to eat a sandwich. She likes the bread, meat, lettuce, tomato and cheese - but put them all together in one bite and she's convinced it's the work of the devil.

Amanda, I love you. Will you be my Valentine?

My Valentines

Have you remembered your Valentines?

This picture says a lot about Katie. She's got one hand firmly anchored on the handle, and the other free to wave! Katie balances a very mature hold on the things that are important in life with a free and fun-loving spirit.

A fine dancer herself, this year Katie began assisting dance classes for the young children at the dance studio, and with her older sister formed their own dance classes for children at the church. Working with the young children brings her great joy. And they love her!

Katie is our family's resident artist. Her creativity with pencils, charcoals, crayons and markers as well as her talents with crochet hooks have caught the attention of many.

Of all of her talents and traits, Katie's genuine care and concern for others is what I've come to be most proud of. She has a gentle spirit and a servant's heart, and a Christ like love for others. I love you Katie, and I'm proud of you.

Will you be Dad's Valentine?

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My Valentines

Continuing reminders - Remember your loved ones this Valentines Day!

Rebecca is my nearly 10 year old Valentine! I love you, Beck!

Becky's nickname has been 'Crash' since she was very young - she's the fearless daughter of the bunch. She learned how to swim by throwing herself in the water. She learned to tube by aiming herself over a waterfall. She looks at life with a reckless enthusiasm that makes us all wish we were more like her.

Becky's latest passion is basketball, and she's thrown herself into it just as you would expect, learning the skills and applying them to her game. One of my highlights as a Dad these days is going to her practices and her games.

I'm most proud of Becky for her spirit. She has the confidence to wear a Yankees hat in New England. She has her own fashion sense and style. She makes friends wherever she goes. She's hip. She's cool.

Yo Beck! What up? Valentine? Peace.

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My Valentines

Another reminder to any and all - Valentines Day is less than a week away. Have you remembered your Valentine?

Every guy should be as fortunate as me - surrounded by beautiful girls!

This is my youngest daughter Emily. She makes us all smile with her wonderful sense of humor and her mischievous spirit. She's just about filled my den with wonderful pictures and crafts that she's made - she has quite an artistic flair. She loves to dance and entertains us all with impromptu dances around the house, some of which are destined to become blackmail material when she's old enough to be embarrassed by them. Like her Daddy, she loves good old rock-n-roll. Perhaps you've seen Emily's Bon Jovi imitation in our family video (click to view the Shaw Family World Premier in the right panel). Yep, I'm a proud Papa!

Emily... I love you! Will you be Daddy's Valentine?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Valentines Day