This past weekend, we celebrated one of the most important moments of my life;  The birth of my Son, Jonathan.  As many of you know, his life has been medically complicated and when he was born there was a big concern that he’d not be with us long.  Therefore, when I sit back and realize that we just celebrated his 9th birthday the emotions are overwhelming.  Happy Birthday Jonathan!  Daddy loves you!

As always, Shannon had the whole party thing under control and other than a small issue getting the cake everything went very well.  He had a great time at his party, and went to bed with a smile on his face… What a beautiful sight.

Now, on to the quotes.  Funny enough, I still love doing these for her.  I’m going to come close to catching up this time…

12/01 – “Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence.”  – Vincent Van Gogh

12/02 – “Love is an expression and assertion of self-esteem, a response to one’s own values in the person of another. One gains a profoundly personal, selfish joy from the mere existence of the person one loves. It is one’s own personal, selfish happiness that one seeks, earns, and derives from love.”  – Ayn Rand

12/03 – “Human Love… It is that extra creation that stands hurt and baffled at the place of death. Being human, wanting children and sunlight and breath to go on, forever.”  – Christopher Leach

12/04 – “Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible — it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.”  – Barbara De Angelis

12/05 – “Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love.”  – Kahlil Gibran

12/08 – “LOVE: He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”  – Albert Einstein

12/09 – “Love’s greatest gift is its ability to make everything it touches sacred.”  – Barbara De Angelis

12/10 – “Someday, after mastering winds, waves, tides and gravity, we shall harness the energy of love; and for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”  – Pierre Teilhard De Chardin

12/11 – “The man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.”  – Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson

12/12 – “… See there’s this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger, and your whispers softly echo. It’s the place where a part of you will forever be a part of me.”  – Gretchen Kemp