Nine Years

This is not a picture of just us, it is better. Our 4 kids make our lives a million times better!

Yesterday was mine and James' nine year wedding anniversary! In some ways I can't believe that we have been married that long and in other ways it seems like we have been together for longer than that. (and this is not longer in a bad way!) Ten years ago this June my dad (he was stake president at the time) started a singles ward in our stake that covered five different stake areas. I did not want to go to it. I was attending a student ward up at the University of Utah. My dad asked me to go and I told him 'all the guys in this area are dorks'. He told me that he needed my support. So, to show him how much I loved him and supported him I decided to attend. That first Sunday after church we had a 'mingle' or a 'get to know the ward' visit. I was walking around with some friends (we were checking out which guys we thought were cute) when I noticed this guy standing across the room. I said 'look at that cute guy' and both Rose and Andrea said 'Oh, do you mean James? He is in our ward'. Well, off we met for me to meet him! Now, I will not say that it was 'love at first sight' but it was definitely 'I am so attracted to you' at first sight! haha

We didn't start dating right away, but we flirted like you would not believe and he was invited in to our group and so we did things together every night. It didn't take me long to decide that I really liked this guy. I have always been a big flirt, but I have not ever been the one to initiate dating, but with James I had to! He would never have done anything if I hadn't. So, in the end I asked him out. I loved doing things with him. He was funny, nice, had the same values and goals that I did, and was so stinkin' cute! Now, in the past I had dated other guys like this, but usually after the 1st or 2nd date I didn't want to have anything else to do with them. Not the case with James. I just knew he was the one. We dated for a bit and then he started 'wanting to date other people' although I did not know this. So, we broke up. I should say that he tried to but it was taking so long and was so painful to listen to him trying to get around to it that I ended up breaking up for him. It was a miserable three weeks. Yes, at the end of that three week period he realized what an idiot he was. lol He didn't date one single person and just kept thinking about me. So, we got back together. My parents had gone out of town for a week. When they left I was not with James. A few days later I called them to tell them I was getting married! My mom said 'To who?!'. lol Six months later we were married. It has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love him so much and I am so grateful for all that he does for me and our kids. I am grateful that he loves my family and truly thinks of them as his own.



This year was only the second year that we were able to be together on our anniversary (last year was the first and we didn't even do anything!). He gave me some perfume that I have fallen in love with (Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture....yummmmm) and we decided to go out to dinner. We got a babysitter (doesn't happen very often) and went to dinner. We headed over to Burger's and Beer, one of my favorite places to eat, and had Mexican food! haha....seems weird to have mexican food at a burger joint, but there is really not any place here that does not have good mexican food (unless you count Taco Bell or Dell Taco). We were only gone for 90 minutes, but it was so great to get away and just talk.



I am happy for the last 9 years that we have had together and I am looking forward to being together for eternity! I love you James!