forever, for always, and no matter what

Our Engagement picture!

This December I will have been married for twenty nine years, more than half of my life.  It is a little hard remembering a time in my life with out my sweetheart Jon.  It feels like we have been together forever!  (and I mean that in a really good way!)  Hailey, our daughter, has been interviewing me this past week about a time when I fell in love.  She is studying "Romeo and Juliet" in school and has an assignment due to write a paper about the subject.  We talked about where I was the first time I saw him, what I thought and felt, was it love at first sight, was I excited or scared, how did I know I was in love, did it take long...lots and lots of questions like these.  It has been fun remembering and sharing with my fifteen year old.  The last question she asked me is what I would like to write about today, "How did falling in love with this person change me or my life?"



Since I chose to marry him, I know it has had a great impact on everyday of my life since.  I truly believe marrying him was one of the most important decisions of my life!  Sharing my life with him has deeply influenced every decision I have made since, in every aspect of my life.  Working to be "one" or "united" with another person is not always easy, but I know I would not be the person I am today, or the person I hope to continue to become without my husbands constant love, support and strength.  It is really fun to acknowledge the differences in our personalities and yet to realize how very similar we are as well.  He has strengths where I have been weak and visa-versa.  We have been able to learn and grow together, encouraging one another with patience and unconditional love.  We are not perfect, but over the last twenty nine years living life together, we have become connected.  This past year serving a mission together for the Church has been so much fun.  Our focus together is on being parents and serving the Lord as missionaries, and as challenging and tiring (in a really good way) as that is, it has been very rewarding, for sure.  The best part is doing it together!

How do I think we have been able to grow together instead of apart over the last twenty nine years?  It started by "being married to the right person, at the right time, in the right place".  (President Washburn - past Las Vegas Temple President)  When we were married and sealed in the St. George temple on that cold December day, we started an eternal family, and made a covenant that ties our family to God and to each other forever.  Our goal and our plan was to work together to make sure our marriage and our family could be together forever, for always, no matter what came up.  It has helped that we love the Lord first and foremost and that we want to follow Him.  As we include our Heavenly Father in our relationship through prayer, and counsel with Him in all our doings, it is easier to feel unified and hopeful and happy.

Our wedding day!

I have a great husband!  (that will have to be the topic of another post another day)  But, I love him with every fiber of my being.  It is hard to describe, but it is real, and it grows each and every day!  We love our children and our grandchildren and as our family grows we look forward to the day when we will all be in the temple together, having made sacred covenants with God, with not one person missing.

If you have any questions about temples or what goes on there feel free to ask or go to why mormons build temples?