KUSA - Valentine's Day is here. The 9NEWS morning team is giving you the chance to tell the world about your sweetie with our special segment "I Love You Because..."
For the last several days, we've been looking for mini-essays about what makes your Valentine light up your life.
We've had tons of submissions. Our I Love You Because panel had a very tough decision, but our hearts were tugged by the video essay submitted by Lakewood's Bonny Hulberg who used a webcam and notecards to tell the world about her husband, Chris.
During 9NEWS 6 a.m. our 9NEWS cupid Gregg Moss surprised Chris before he headed out to work as Bonny and their two children Delilah and Audrey looked on. Nice job Bonny!
Thanks to Michelle Smith at getballooned.com for helping us with the Valentine's balloon bouquet for Chris and Bonny. And thanks to everyone who submitted essays. We've posted them below. Happy Valentine's Day from all of us on the 9NEWS Morning Crew!
I Love You Because Essays
In 2007, my husband, Lee Coomes, sent Gregg Moss and cameras to our house in Arvada for an "I Love You Because . . ." segment. I was SO surprised. But I think our dog, Loki, stole the show that morning. :) I have thought about that day every day since, and it STILL makes me tear up. I love him so much. We have been going through a very rough time, and I just want him to know that I still love him and am so VERY proud of him, and I thank God every day for having met him.
Lee and I met on September 21, 2002. Our first date was a hike at St. Mary's glacier, a movie, and then a night at Dave & Busters. I can remember every minute of it. It was the best date ever. His blue eyes can make me melt. ;)
Since Valentine's Day of 2004, it has always been a special day for me. Lee asked me to be his wife on February 14, 2004. We were married on May 22, 2004. It has been an adventure ever since.
I love Lee because of all he has done for this country, not to mention for us as a family. Lee served in the military for 20 years, most of those years were in EOD (bomb squad). He served in the first Gulf War. I was lucky enough to meet him after his retirement and while starting his "second career."
We have been through some very tough times, including deployment to Iraq as a private security contractor, during very difficult financial times. Lee did what he thought was best and what he is good at -- protecting people -- to get us through that period. It lasted 3 years. I worried about him every day, but I always thanked him for doing what he was doing. We always made the most of his leave time with special vacations, but the 3 weeks would go by so fast.
In January of 2006, Lee called me, and I could tell something happened by how fast he was talking. On one of their assignments that day, his convoy was hit by an IED in a tunnel. Luckily, no one was hurt, and they got their protectee to a safe place, just as they were trained to do. That day REALLY made me realize how lucky I am to have him. He called me about 30 more times that day, and I cried and laughed with him with each phone call, knowing how close I came to losing him.
Now Lee works for the Department of Homeland Security as a Federal Protective Service Inspector (law enforcement and physical security). He is still protecting our country, and is very good at his job. He came home for me and for us, because the separations were getting harder. Having him home every day is a blessing.
We recently bought some property with hopes of building a cabin to enjoy now and in our retirement. That is our next adventure. It's a slow process, but it will be worth the work.
Lee, I know how lucky I am to be your wife and to have you as my husband. You do SO MUCH for us -- even just the little things like making dinner, doing laundry, tinkering around the house, mean a great deal to me. You take the time to kiss me goodbye every morning, even when you are running late. I LOVE that. :) And you are the best "dad" to Loki. I LOVE YOU, SWEETIE! It has been almost 8 years since we were married, and I look forward to growing old with you and experiencing all the life has in store for us -- good times and bad.
Kisses!
Your Spouse, (haha!)
Cathy Coomes
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Sara, I Love You Because you give Samiya and I a loving and nurturing environment. You are an inspiration to us working as a teacher with special education High School kids. As tough as your job is you still have enough energy for us at home. Happy Valentines Day Sara we love you so very much!!!
Love you much,
Jerald and Samiya
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Carrie:
I Love You Because you are the apple of my eye, the sun that never sets, the shadow that is always with me and the flower that never wilts. You are the one who is by my side in times of trouble as well as in times of joy, Even though you are going through your own hardships now, with your feet issues, your knee problems and your hand pain, I fell what you feel even though I dont always acknowledge it as such. I want you to know, I wish things were different and happier for you and for us, but I feel in time we will hopefully be there. I do care for you more than you might realize now, even though I may not always say it.... but, I DO LOVE YOU!
Thank you for over 28 years of wedded bliss, and here is hoping the next 28 are just as fulfilling and heartfelt. You deserve the best.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!
Your Husband,
Alec
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It's going to be really hard to summarize why my husband is the best Valentine I'll ever have in such a short essay. Newlywed just four months now, we've been together over 7 years. We met under unique circumstances, although unique 7 years ago is commonplace today. I first saw the man of my dreams from my computer screen, via my myspace.com profile actually.
He was young, goofy, tattooed, and instantly I knew this guy was someone I had to meet. After a few messages we began to talk incessantly both online and on the phone. He asked me out for movies and ice cream just a week after "meeting," and I very quickly said yes. We spent the better part of 5 hours after our date talking about passion, goals, the things we wanted out of life. Insisting I be back in my CU dorm before the sun came up, he drove me home from Longmont at about 4 a.m. while we continued to share our lives verbally the entire trip.
When he parked in front of my dorm I was so torn. I didn't want to scare this wonderful man away but I was scared that if I wasn't honest with him now after the night we had just had I might not be able to sleep. I looked at him and told him, "is it weird if I tell you I love you?" He smiled and said "no, because I think I love you too." From that moment on we were inseparable and in fact I moved in with him nearly the very next day leaving behind my dorm. Sometimes the most irresponsible moments in our lives are the moments that define our future and I am so happy I took that chance.
Looking back on all that we have shared in the better part of a decade I cannot imagine I would have survived the loss of my Mother, my Grandmother, dropping out of college, going to beauty school, and struggling to stay sane and strong for my little sister in the process without him. He makes me laugh on a daily basis and he still gives me moments of passion and creativity that remind me so much of why I fell in love with him. He's strong, capable, and the better half I always needed to be complete. This is our first Valentine's Day as a married couple and it will certainly be the best!
--
Cassie Strahan
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I love the love of my life because, he has always been there for me. Ninteen months ago I gave birth to our daughter. The scary part is I had her two months early. So on June 27, 2010 Michael got a phone call from the hospital saying that our daughter and I may not make it. From that moment on he had to take care of our 18 month old son, and come see me on life support and our daughter in the nicu.
He stopped everthing to take care of me and to show me how much he loves me and his family. I can never repay him with all my love even though I try.
Nichole Goodman
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I Love my man - Kelly because....
He's one in a million. He has all the qualities a girl would want, he's faithful, kind, very handsome, honest, affectionate, thoughtful, funny and works very hard.
But that's not what makes him special.
I'm a single mom with four teen aged daughters. Life for us has not been easy. Then Kelly came along.
When I first told him I had teen age girls - four of them - he said, "Im not scared" and he smiled and held my hand.
He not only loves me, and looks after me, but he has come to care for my girls as well.
He asks about them, and goes to their school activities, has us over on weekends, and takes us all camping and fishing. He includes them, talks to them and is a good example to them.
He helped my oldest daughter move, volunteered his truck and his time. He has made room for not only me, but for my girls in his home and life as well.
Kelly is a man of integrity, and that's rare in our society today. He does what he doesn't have to do. What most men wouldn't do. Like fix my car, no charge. Steam clean my carpets when I'm not home, buys new tires for my motorcycle, and fixes things around my house, without saying anything or expecting anything in return.
Every day, day in and day out, not just for my birthday or special occasions. It's just the way he is.
He's been there for me when things have been really tough. He listens, holds me tight and tells me he loves me and that everything is going to be alright.
In the two years I've been with him we've never had an argument or a fight. He puts others first, treats me with respect, and tells me I'm beautiful, hotter than Madonna, and that I'm a good mom. Really!
He does the right thing, when no ones looking, he has integrity and a sense on honor, and has never lied to me or let us down.
I've never known a man like Kelly or experienced such unconditional love. He has such a big heart. Tebo could learn a thing or two from him.
Other women might want jewelry, or expensive trips or a night on the town for Valentines day. But with my Kelly, every day is Valentines day.
It's the kind of man he is, how he treats us, his actions, day in and day out, good times and bad, that really count.
That's how he won my heart, and that I wouldn't trade for the world.
Kelly is simply the best. I love him with every breath and every beat of my heart.
Sincerely,
The luckiest woman in the world,
Ann Johnson
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You lit my soul with the kind of love I had never known before. Your chiseled face, your keen mind, your gentle spirit; you were, and are, the perfect man for me. How you looked at our little dogs, how you vehemently debated the most controversial of topics with conviction, without malice. How you shampooed with soap only and remained so bloody handsome. How you loved me so.
Valentine Day was our day. You asked me every year to be your Valentine, even after we were married. You didn't want to take my love for granted, which made me love you all the more. You were, and are, the best man I will ever know.
You fixed our house, my father's house, our car, and my daughter's heart; and you still drove too fast and goofed off. You even stayed through tremendous suffering until I was ready to let you go.
This year will be the first of many Valentine days that I will only remember you, up close, so sincerely asking me to be yours another year. So to that whispered memory I say, "Yes, I'll always be your Valentine. Rob, I love you so."
May all of you reading or hearing this know this kind of love, for at least a minute, ten years, or best yet, a lifetime.
Elena Nelson Squires
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He has been with me for 27 years. He gives me stability in our relationship. He tells me that ihe with all of his heart as his one true love. I built him up through finwnial hardships and difficulties. Our love fotr each other has stood through the test of time together. He calls me from work every day to check on me and tells me that he loves me as one true love and sweetheart.
Scott Brooks
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I love you because when I when feeling sad and blue you are there with two strong arms to hold me tight. When I shed a tear you offer me a sleeve to wipe it away. When I am happy and need to shout with joy, you stand beside me, allowing me to celebrate and you share in my joy!
When I need someone to talk to you listen without interrupting, when I need advice, you know just what to say. You are always there, close enough to catch me if I fall, but never too close to suffocate me. You are my best friend, my soul mate and my other half, without you my life would not be complete. After 30 years you still make my heart skip a beat and butterflies flutter in my stomache when I stop and think about you.
Anita Duran
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Ralph,
I love you so much, because you are everything I was dreaming about and wanted in my life. I only want you now in my life, because life without you will be so incomplete. I know we only know each other for few month, but I have a strong feeling we will make the best couple ever, you want us to be. I will try so hard to be the best one, you ever had yet! I love you so so so much!
Valeria
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My husband is a practical 61 year old. He is not a romantic in the traditional sense, but these are just a few of the things he does for me.
Everyday my husband packs my lunch for me. The best part of the lunch is the love note he puts in the sack.
He does all our laundry and he does a great job.
He tries to cook and if he gets home from work before I do he has dinner on the table for me when I get home.
He washes the dirty pans.
No matter how bad I look he always tells me I look pretty.
He makes me laugh out loud when I am sad.
He would do anything for me.
When we are watching TV at night he always asks if I need anything and then brings it to me even if he doesn't get anything for himself.
I am so lucky to have this man in my life. I count my blessings everyday. He is so giving and always puts me first. We have only been married less than 3 years, but they have been the best years of my life.
Thank you,
Eileen Kohler
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I love you because you are you and make me wanna be a better me....for
The times that you work so late and do not complain but come home and say our little family is what makes it all worth it....for being the best dad a girl could ask for and for making no difference between the daughter we have together and the two you took on by choice....I love you because you are
Not perfect but always striving to do
And be better than the day before....I love you....all of you the good with the not so good! I love you because you are you!
Jennifer Brady
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I love Mr. Harold Nichols because he amazes me everyday with his heart. But, everyone has their own ideas as to what a soul mate is. Most people seem to think a soul mate is your perfect fit. But to me a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so YOU can change your life, not to be changed. Harold is my mirror, when I feel lost, he helps me find my way.
He's able to ground my random thoughts and erratic emotions and help put all my pieces back together when I've given up. He wakes up every morning and tells me how much he loves me and my children. My 3 children are not his by blood but you couldn't tell that by the way he treats them and encourages them daily.
Thank you, Jessica
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I Lindsey have been dating my boyfriend Russ for 6 months now. I am a 24yr old single mother of a 3yr old son and Russ also has a 5yr old son that he doesn't get to see. I love Russ because walking into this relationship he knew i had a son and he willingly took on the responsibilities of being a father figure to my son but has no intentions on having my son call him daddy.
He loves everything about me like my smile, the way i laugh, the way i look at him etc. Russ is always a positive person and surrounds himself with positive people as do i. Hes always lending a helping hand to whom ever needs it.
Russ is also very polite and was raised like a gentleman and treats me like a queen. If im sick or sad hes always there to comfort me or make sure i have everything i need and always puts me before himself. Hes always opens doors for me or a stranger and is always there to help me when i don't understand something. He tells me he loves me every day as well as how beautiful and gorgeous i am even without makeup. I love the way he embraces me in his arms, the way his amber colored eyes sparkle in the sunlight or even just looking at me. He treats people the way he wants to be treated with the up most respect.
I love the way he supports my every decision and stands by my side through thick and thin. We have been through alot these past few months with him loosing his job and not being able to find work and me having to support this new family of 3, to worrying about where hes going to sleep the next night. We are standing tall with our heads high, a smile on our faces and positive attitudes, even though we wont be able to afford anything special for valentines day. All I need is his love, I love him because he loves the real me!
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When my Valentine and I met 20 years ago, we were working for a downtown bank in different departments and would run into each other several times a day while doing our various duties. While we often talked as met in the halls , I would often think how much I would enjoy having her in my life, but circumstances at the time prevented that. I left the bank to pursue a career in another field out of state, and while I was away, my thoughts often returned to her and many times I would say "What if...." and how empty my life felt without seeing her daily, even if it was from a distance.
I returned to the bank four years later and, as luck (or fate would have it), we ended up working in the same department. Well, after a couple of years working so close to each other, I finally got up the courage to ask her out and she said yes. Many lunch dates, movie dates, and other dates later we were married in Las Vegas on 07/07/07 and, not to sound corney, I felt like the luckiest man in the world. Every day, I get that same heart pounding feeling I did when I first saw Sue so many years ago and now can honestly say that "What if" thoughts can come true, if you wish hard enough. She is the joy in my life and now I can say that a day does not go by that I don't appreciate having her in my life.
Thanks,
Bob Nemmers
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My sweetie came into my life by surprise. I was 18 years old and,
admittedly, not ready for the kind of relationship, and love, that was
in store!
The day my life forever changed started out anything but normal. It was
a day in June and I had had an uneasy feeling. Before I jumped in the
shower, I took the pregnancy test, certain it would show negative when I
checked afterwards. I was shocked to learn I was wrong! Though young, I
had thought I was being careful, I thought "this couldn't be!" A trip to
the doctors confirmed what the test had shown.
I spent the next 9 months preparing and bonding. Trying not to be
scared, but realizing I knew nothing. I had love from friends and
family, but was alone.
As my due date of February 10th, came and went, I couldn't wait to meet
her! I had been on bed rest for the last 4 weeks, and an inducement had
been scheduled for the 17th. As fate would have it, I went into labor on
the 13th. After nearly 24 hours of labor, and another 6 of difficult
labor, an emergency c-section was ordered in order to save my baby. And
on 3:51pm on February the 14th, 1999 I heard her cry. My beautiful 5lb
14oz Valentine was saying hello!
Morgan Elizabeth, you gave me love like I never knew. You challenged
everything I knew. You are one of the funniest people I have ever known.
You have a style and character that is unmatched. When people tell me
that you look like me, I smile and tell them that you are far more
beautiful then I could ever hope to be! Becoming pregnant with you was a
gift from God, and only He and I truly know why. I am blessed to know
that I will forever have a Valentine. I couldn't dream of a better day
to celebrate your life! There couldn't be a more fitting scene, than
hearts, and the word "Love" everywhere I look, and for you to see, on
your special day! For 13 years you have given my heart-beat a new
rhythm.
I love you because you changed my life, and continue to today. My Morgan Elizabeth, my love bug.
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