We thought of you with love today But that is nothing new We thought about you yesterday And the days before that too We think of you in silence We often speak your name Now all we have is memories And your picture in a frame Your memory is our keepsake With which we'll never part God has you in his keeping We have you in our hearts

My thought and prayers go out to this HERO's family and friends. My son's father is part of his unit. He gave the ultimate sacrifice and it will not be forgotten. I always tell people there are no heros on any football field, basketball court or in halls of the government. The REAL heros are on the battlefields of Iraq and Afgainastan. If it were not for these heros who pay the ultimate sacrifice we would not be able to live the life we live. People need to realize that freedom is not free, we just have people that care enough for there country to keep it that way. And he is one of those people...A TRUE HERO!!! God bless and Rest in Peace my brother!!!

I was one of the police officers that escorted the 2/24 marines from Midway to the Allstate Arena today. It was a beautiful occasion and each of the marines should be proud of their service. As the events unfolded today, I had a sadness come over me, as I knew that the families of two of our brave young men were not able to celebrate with the rest. To the family of Ricky Nelson, I grieve with you! I truely wish he was able to come home to each of you. I pray that God's comfort and peace will be with you, especially on this day.

You should be coming home this afternoon. I really wish you could walk off that plane with the other Marines. We've known since January we wouldn't be seeing you again until around this time but now that the day of your final delployment has arrived it is hitting me all over again. I don't know what we are going to do without you Rick. I love and miss you so much. Jace runs around the house shouting, "Ricky is a hero!!!". I love when he does that. It helps lighten my mood. Cannot wait until the day I get to see you again!

One suggestion, give yourself one thing a day that needs to get done - just one goal for the day. In the first couple of months, that one thing was getting out of bed and showering. If I just got myself in the shower, everything else fell into place. After that became second-nature, I gave myself one more goal each day such as call the utility company or pay a bill. Everything else would take care of itself and it did. What saved my life after losing my son was learning something that I had never mastered or done before Paul. I had skiied, but in no way succeeded. I began to ski with fervor. Now it is my passion. Every weekend, God would join me on the drive and meet me up on that mountain. He revealed things to my heart like never before. I lost my faith - not my belief in God - just my faith that He heard my prayer. He pursued me and won my heart, again. I thank God for that mountain and for the gift of skiing. I chose to do a life list or as the movie last year called it Bucket List. My list was all the things I wanted to accomplish in life. When I started this list, I had no umph to do any of it. I did not care about anything - rotating the tires, checking the mail, or visiting Italy. It made no nevermind to me, because it was all pointless anymore. I began to pursue the list anyway, until I found the internal desire. Some of the things I accomplished since writing that list three years ago are: white-water rafting, cruise vacation, visit New York again, hike a 14,000 ft Mtn (14'er) Pikes Peak!, ski a black diamond!, visit the Bahamas, rock little babies to sleep at night (my second child), write a book (my name is published as an editor - hey, it still counts), and more I can't even remember off-hand. God, skiing, and that list saved my life. God has a journey for you all as well. I pray for His blessings to be poured out in your lives.

To your Mom and Dad who may at this time be in the throes of pain from losing a child, it does get better. The pain comes in waves. I felt some assurance just knowing that's normal. The first couple months seem to be a haze. The subsequent 6 months seem like your heart is being torn out - someone at the grocery store looks like him or a soldier in uniform - even things that no one else could even predict will affect you. You are normal. Don't be hard on yourself. Take it as it comes and it will get better. Give Dad all the support you can. He's being strong for everyone else and forgets that his own heart needs time to heal. Some days I did not want to leave my home, simply because it was safe there and I could be happy. Before I lost my son, I was one of the most outgoing, sociable, crowd-seeking people. After Paul, I changed. I am almost like my old self again, only better. I have learned to respect my own limits and to appreciate what really matters, to not get bent out of shape over a machine cheating me out of a lousy dime. You probably have similar experiences with people. It's funny. During grief stages, you are somewhat oblivious to things around you, yet, you see life/things so much clearer than ever. There is purpose in pain. I am sorry for your loss. You will come through this.

As my husband prepares for his third deployment two weeks from now, I think of you. I never knew you or anyone who knew you, but your story lives on. I pray now for your family as they put together the pieces left behind. You're still here with them, but it's never the same. Thank you for your courage and selfless service.

With the excitment of Fox Company coming home, I can't help but wish that you were going to be stepping off that plane with them, and I know that Adam feels the same way. I was so excited to get to know you and Kristen, together, as a couple. You meant the world to so many people, and even though you may not know it, you and your story touch so many more people than anyone will ever know. I know that I share it with everyone I can. You are forever in our hearts!

Earlier this evening, Ricky, I was able to share your story with the family of another fallen soldier. Not knowing what to say, I encouraged them to view your website and listen to Dave's sermon as they make arrangements and await the arrival of their son/brother/husband's body. You are dearly loved and missed. Your family remains constantly in our prayers.

I just wanted you to know that I've been thinking about you. I miss you, buddy. Thanks for being who you were, and not trying to be someone else. I'm forever indebted to you for your sacrifice and friendship!