My brother Adam

Most people who follow my blog know that on March 20th my little brother, Adam, was killed in a hunting accident. I'm grateful to all my friends and family who have been praying for and are continuing to pray for my family through what has been the hardest two weeks we've ever gone through. Without your love, prayers and support we could not have made it through this terrible time. Many of you don't know Adam as a little boy, during these last two weeks that's how I remember him most. I've relived so many moments from our childhood and feel like they all happened yesterday. It doesn't feel like so much time has passed and it doesn't feel real to think about Adam being gone.

Here we are in the summer of 1983 (I would have been 5 years old and Adam was 2 years old in this picture)...what I love most about this picture is how I am protectively holding his little hand.

If you knew Adam and I well enough you know that our whole lives we were complete opposites, but Adam was, and always will be, my little brother. This naturally made me the protective big sister and even though we fought often growing up I didn't want others hurting him in anyway. I remember once our neighbor...a particularly nasty little girl...had made the decision that Adam was not aloud in the fort we had built. She posted signs up and when Adam tried to join in our fun she promptly told him he had to leave. This brought out the big sister in me and I began to yell at her and I told her he was my brother and she couldn't talk to him that way. When she pointed out to me that I was usually just as ugly to him, I told her he was my brother and I could speak to him whatever way I wanted, but I wasn't going to allow her to talk to him that way. I left the fort and returned home with Adam.

Here we are 23 years later at my wedding reception. If you had seen Adam in recent years you know Adam rarely cut his hair or shaved his beard, but for my wedding he made sure he was clean cut and clean shaven. We were cute kids...but I think we are even better looking adults.



This is Adam with his wife Toni. You can see in this picture how very happy they are together. Although Adam's life was brief, he found his perfect match in Toni. I'm very thankful that Adam was able to know true love and to receive this love in return. I'm also thankful he was able to see the birth of his child, know what it is to love a child and was able spend the last 16 months caring for Ada. I'm also thankful that I'm left with a great sister like Toni and a niece who is the spitting image of her daddy.

I wanted you all to see Adam with his wife so you could put a face with the person you are praying for and to ask you to please continue to keep Toni and my niece Ada in your thoughts and prayers. Toni has grown closer and closer to our family since she and Adam began dating in college. I can look back now and see how God was preparing our family for this tragedy. We have a strong bond that has held us together during these last two weeks...with Ada at the center of this bond. Adam will be missed & remembered at every holiday and special occasion but this bond will continue to hold us together through the many years to come.

Thank you again for all your prayers, cards, love and support. We have truly felt all your prayers...there are no words to tell you how very much we appreciate each and every prayer.