"To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord."

"To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord." Sometimes when our heart can't accept or understand the loss of someone we love more than life itself, we just have to take God at His word and blindly trust Him.

Val went home to be with the Lord tonight, two days ago the Dr. said she had pulled through the crisis, but today the state of her health started to decline. Val had been very weary, tired of all the battles, and she had indicated that she was ready "to go home." It has been 20 months since her initial surgery, and I don't know anyone braver than Valerie was in the face of all of the surgeries, procedures, and amputations. We had alot of good times too during the last 20 months. Val's greatest fear upon learning of her mitral valve repair was that she would be left alone in the hospital. I assured her she would never be alone, and there was not one single day in all of these months that Valerie ever spent without me or her father. The last 10 days, her Dad was at her bedside all through the night, and either Regan and I with her during the day.

Val talked alot about heaven, and although she didn't want to leave her family, she seemed to grow closer to the Lord and more reconciled to "going home." We rejoice in the fact that we had a beautiful, wonderful, precious daughter for 37 years, and that we will see her again someday. No daughter could have been a greater joy, and we thank the Lord for giving her to us.

Thank you for all the prayers, they were not in vain. Val got to spend many more months with Kennedy because of answered prayers, and for that we are grateful. Again, much love to those who have shared our battles.

Gene, Sharon, Regan, Phillip and Kennedy