9th Anniversary

I married this guy 9 years ago...

I love him so much, not to sound cliche or anything, but he is my best friend, the person who understands me most, who listens, who is so patient and tender and loving towards me. He is my shoulder to cry on, he cheers me on, encourages me, makes me laugh, he loves me unconditionally and I love him just the same.

I remember after my car accident, my eyes were opened. It was time to set some real goals in life and achieve them. I turned my life completely around and realized that their was more to life than I had previously known. Eventually I ended up at Ricks College, the college where EVERYONE meets their future husband or wife. I had thought things through and I knew to have a happy life I needed to find a husband who was a strong, righteous, valiant member of the LDS church. One who could strengthen my testimony and help me to continue on the path that I was on.

I moved into my new apartment, and the next night I attended my first dance with my brother and all of his roommates. Dancing completely wore me out...I was still trying to get used to my fried lungs and what I could and couldn't do without the aid of oxygen. Anywho, I was exhausted and had to sit on the side for a bit. I didn't mind, I love people watching and I watched as two very good looking guys walked in the door, right in front of me, and then right on by me. Dang it...they were cute! Then I turn and I look at them again and I saw them discussing something and then turn around. I quickly averted my attention elsewhere, slightly embarrassed that they'd caught me checking them out. When they came up and sat right by me....heart be still!

We start with the "get to know you" questions and the more I find out about these guys (especially the one on my left) I like em'. Though, when I asked Jeff where he was from and he said "England" and I couldn't hear him (he was sitting on my left, my deaf ear mixed with loud music)to which he replied "England, you know the country." Ugh, he thinks I am dumb already! Thankfully that didn't stop them from dancing with me all night. I was naturally more drawn to Jeff more than the other guy, the really sucky thing about that encounter was that I found out he was only 18 which meant he was a premie (hadn't served his mission yet). We exchanged numbers and I just hoped I'd hear from him again.

I don't want to draw this story out too long, but we became great friends. We basically hung out every single day and yes we both dated other people during this time.

Little by little, I started falling in love with him. He had all the qualities that I'd wanted in a husband (and it was a plus that he was ridiculously good looking, and tall). But, the thing that really pushed me over the edge and when I decided that I really wanted to marry him was when we attended a Tuesday devotional together. There were no seats left in the house, so we had to sit outside the auditorium. He brought his scriptures with him and I started searching his scriptures and they were literally trashed (in a good way). I found TONS of marked scriptures, quotes in the margins, quotes on papers stuffed in his scriptures, drawings of the prophet, a notebook with notes on different talks, ward bulletin's etc., This may not be telling to the normal person, but to me it meant I could fall head over heels in love with him, I could be safe with him, I'd never fall away from the happiness that the Gospel brings me...and that is just what I did.

We grew more in love through letters while we both served missions. And, when we got back at the same time, we met up and got engaged a month later and married 2 months after that. It was meant to be.