Life without Raven.......

Three years now into our loss, we've endured the heartache of Birthdays, Holidays, and Anniversary dates in Ravens absence, each one a painful reminder of all that could have been. We do our best to celebrate Raven's life in as many ways as possible. It is only by the grace of God that we've made it this far, as everyday without her holds the memory of the events contained in that terrible Sunday evening on January 24, 2010. We cling to the hope God gave us through His Son, and we look forward to an eternity with Raven in Heaven, where we will NEVER have to lose her again. She is missed beyond measure, and as long as we have breath, we will carry her in every beat of our hearts. We have a treasure in Heaven waiting. What a sweet, sweet reunion it will be when we finally get to where she is. We'll have forever to make up for the time we've lost with her here. We can't wait!!!!!!!

The little brother Raven always wanted.......

This is a picture of the child that Padrick and I sponsor through World Vision in memory of Raven. His name is Jesus, and he is 5 years old. He is from Bolivia, South America. We became his sponsors in June of 2012. Jesus shares the same birth date as Raven. On August 10th of this year, he will be 6 on what would be her 20th Birthday. Raven always wanted a little brother, that's why we chose to sponsor a boy. Here he is holding the picture we sent to him of Raven. A letter we recieved from his translater tells us that little Jesus understands that he has an older sister in Heaven named Raven. She's finally got the little brother she always wanted.

East Duplin High School, Class of 2011

Being Raven's accident was in January 2010, she was halfway through her Junior year of High School. She was already getting excited about her first Prom, which was scheduled for May. She'd picked out the dress she'd hoped to get and had started saving her money to help pay for it. She'd only had her classring a couple of months, and with only a year and a half of high school left, she had big plans for her future, not knowing her time here would be unexpectedly cut short. Raven was one of five students from her class that never made it to graduation, as God had other plans. Two of the five students never made it to middle school. Padrick and I did out best to carry Raven on with her class. We attended her Junior and Senior Proms and her High School Graduation in her memory. As her cousin Shannon rolled across the stage in his wheelchair to get his diploma, he carried a picture of Raven with him in his lap, at my request. It was the only way we'd get to see her cross that stage. At what would have been her last prom, I carried a picture of her through the Senior Line-up with tears streaming down my face, just to make sure she was a part of it. We still have that picture of the prom dress Raven wanted so much to buy. As most of her classmates are now finishing up their 2nd year of college, Padrick and I are working to further our education in her memory.

Adopting-A-Highway "For Raven"

A few months following Raven's accident, Padrick and I decided to get involved with the Adopt-A-Highway Program in her memory. This program is free and only requires a trash pick-up at least once every 3 months. It covers 2 miles of highway, and provides the needed materials along with bag removal services. Ironically, most of the gear is orange, Raven's favorite color.

We continue to include her in all that we do.......

Before Raven's accident, every night at 9pm we had "Family Scripture Time." We never dreamed that Saturday January 23, 2010 would be our last one together. I can remember exactly where Raven was sitting that night in the living room, and I can remember exactly what the devotion was about. Padrick and I still continue in our nightly devotionals, and we include Raven the best way that we can. We use a picture of her, and light an orange candle to represent her place in our home. Every morning at work, I also do a devotional with just Raven and myself. I keep a picture of her on my dash, and I read as if she's right there with me. We will carry her in our hearts till the day that we die. We love and miss her more than words can say, but thank God we grieve with hope. We know we will see her again in Heaven. What a glorious day that will be!

Signs of Raven's Presence

Although Raven is no longer physically here, she continues to leave us signs of her presence to assure us that she is watching over us. Orange was Raven's favorite color, and we have encountered countless sprays of orange in almost everyday that passes. This is a picture I took at work of one of her favorite eye catchers. Raven also leaves us pennies in the most random of places. I keep a journal recording where each of them were found, they are kept in a mason jar in our kitchen. My plan is to make a picture frame spelling out her name in the pennies she's left for us. Each one is a precious treasure from Heaven.

In Loving Memory of Raven Nicole Kennedy 8-10-93/1-24-10

Raven was born to my husband Padrick and I on Tuesday August 10, 1993 at Lenior Memorial Hospital in Kinston, North Carolina. I'll never forget the day I found out that I was pregnant with her. I still have my pregnancy test from that wonderful day. We were so excited, and looking forward to being parents. When Raven came into our lives, we couldn't have imagined anything better. She had the best personality ever, and a smile that could light up a room in seconds. She was just precious, and as she grew, so did our love for her. She loved to sing and dance. She loved to play sports, soccer was her favorite. She also loved to spend time with friends, and hardly ever missed a day of church as she loved the Lord. She loved her cats, and she made sure they were always taken care of. Raven loved sleeping in on Saturday mornings and eating cold pizza for breakfast. She could put down an 8 pack of cinnimon rolls all by herself. Even at 16, she still watched Spongebob and drank juicy juice boxes. God blessed us to have her here in this world for 16 years, 5 months and 14 days. Everyday with her was a joy and a pleasure. On Sunday January 24, 2010 Raven was out riding 4-wheelers with friends, something she'd done numerous times before, but this day was different. As Raven approached a curve at an excessive speed, she lost control of the 4-wheeler she was driving, and died as a result of her injuries. As my husband and I raced to the scene after recieving the call of her accident, we never dreamed what we'd soon discover. I can't even begin to describe the degree of loss and heartache we have endured in her absense, but it is our desire to make sure that the world never forgets that she was here. We will spend the rest of our days carrying her memory every where we go, and in everything that we do.