In Loving Memory of Ava Kaye

Our Gift From God

A child of God came by today,

To bless our lives in every way.

She came to earth as a child of man,

To fulfill our Heavenly Father's plan.

Two earthly parents she did claim,

To bless our lives and receive her name.

Ava touched our hearts in such a special way,

And through her spirit we heard her say:

"Please understand, it is Father's will,

Another mission I must fulfill;

I will be in Paradise tomorrow,

So please find comfort in your sorrow.

I am happy in this peaceful place,

Where I can see our Savior's face."

We truly thank thee Father, for our time with Ava,

We love her so much though our hearts do hurt.

Please bless each of us with the power,

To endure to our own last earthly hour,

And from these earth stains to be free,

That we might live with Ava and Thee.

Ava Kaye Blanton

January 7, 2006

Happy 10th Anniversary!

Jeff and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary on January 2nd! 10 years and it has never been better. I really can't believe it. Time really flys. We were sealed in the Atlanta, Georgia Temple January 2nd 1999. That day was one of the worst ice storms in our area since I can remember. We did it all in one day, received our endowments, sealed our marriage to each other and then traveled back to Gaffney for the reception. What should have been a 3 hour trip turned into a 6 hour trip because of the ice on all the roads. We were surprised at how many people weathered the storm to show up at our reception. It was nice to have our closest friends and all of our family there. I was still in college earning my nursing degree and Jeff was working hard on a walking route for the Post Office in Charlotte, NC at the time. We ate Spagetti at least twice a week for the first year! We agreed that we would start a family when I graduated nursing school. Well, I found out we were expecting our first baby two months before graduation. Levi came to us and we had no idea what to expect. He still sorta has that effect on us. Poor thing, he will ALWAYS be our first, no matter how old he gets! Jeff continued working hard. He got a transfer to the Gastonia, NC office and started his way into management. Once a Supervisor in that same office he happened upon a job opening in Myrtle Beach and we hopped on it. We moved in November 2005, the day after Thanksgiving. I was 7 months pregnant at the time, expecting our first little girl! Jeff was having an awful time at his new job and life threw yet another curve ball at us when, five weeks before our little girl was due to be born we learned that we had lost her before it all really began. Ava Kaye was stillborn on January 7th 2006. While getting thru the hardest time in both our lives we would grow stronger as a couple and Jeff changed his whole outlook on life. I told him one night as I struggled with what had happened, that "if I could make a coat out of you, I would wrap you around me so tight and never take you off." He was my heart and soul and nothing has changed since then. Six months after Ava was born, we were expecting yet another baby! This time it was a boy. I had a strong bond with him from the very start. He moved all the time in my belly, as to reassure me that everything was going to be okay. Benjamin Todd was born March 5th, 2007. He is the most loving little guy you have ever known. Don't make him mad though! And six months after Ben was born, yes, again we were expecting another baby. We would, after all, get to raise a little girl in the Blanton home. I knew it was a girl the whole time. As a matter of fact, Ben was only a month old when I told Jeff that we weren't finished with our family yet because there was a little girl waiting to join our family. Eden Rose, born June 13th 2008. She is almost 7 months old now and our family is complete!



And now, we celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. The "theme" ( I guess you would say) is TIN, because it "will bend and not break". The gifts will be better when we get to the silver and gold anniversary :) but we feel proud to be so happy together right now. Jeff is my rock. I have been blessed to have snagged such a wonderful man and my children are even more blessed to have a daddy that lives for them! He works hard to give us everything we need and truely has our interests first in his heart at all times. I am humbled at how much he freely gives. You can bet your bottom dollar that if he is not at work, he is 100% at home with his family. So, honey if you are reading this.... I love you more than words can say and these last 10 years have been the best of my life because I have had you by my side thru it all. You ARE my better half. I look forward to sharing all my remaining time here on earth with you and knowing that life does not end here, Eternity with you and our four children is my reward in Heaven!