10 Years the Full Story

Ten years ago today I got married. WOW! I remember thinking about this day, how it seemed so far away. I remember thinking that if we could make it to our ten year anniversary then we would be just fine. We were married in the LDS church and Bishop Homer married us. I didn't wear a fancy dress and it was super small, just close friends and family were there. We always talked about how we would have a real party when we went through the temple. About 22 months later we were sealed in the temple and had no celebration aside from a cake at my parents' house. Then we always talked about how at our 10 year anniversary we would have a reception. At the start of the year we contemplated it, but it just didn't work out. So here we are with big plans for tonight. Go to the temple, come home, eat some homemade Cafe Rio burritos and then do some homework :) Fun huh? I am just happy to have a night off, eat some yummy food and go to the temple with my best friend.

We didn't get married under ideal circumstances. I was pregnant. I got pregnant at my senior prom. Almost makes you laugh right? When it finally came out that I was pregnant I had already been accepted to BYU and was devastated. I went to California to live with my Aunt and the plan was to put the baby up for adoption. I quit talking to Josh and got a job and picked out a family to adopt the baby. On my 18th birthday Josh sent me an e-mail. That changed everything. We began to talk and my feelings towards Josh started to change from anger back to the love that I had felt for him. We talked for another five weeks and we decided that we wanted to get married. It was important for me to know that I wanted to be with him because I loved him and not just because I was going to have a baby. Those times were crazy and my emotions and thoughts were overwhelming. As I look back on our first couple of years I am still amazed. I know that we were led through some strenuous times by our Heavenly Father. I remember hearing things in those first few months about how friends and acquaintances were talking about us and giving us 6-12 months before we split. That made me so mad!

We kept moving forward, I was in school and Josh got a decent job. Things were going pretty well. We were sealed in the temple in August of 2002 and that gave me some confidence in our relationship and a little peace of mind. We had set the goal of going through the temple within 2 years and we made it. A few months later we were excited to find out that baby number 2 was on it's way (we had been trying for a couple of months). Ethan joined our family the following summer. He was such a mellow baby and child. It was a much needed difference in our home. When Ethan was a year we bought our first house. It was a wonderful house that we had built and it gave us room to grow. A few years later I planned on going back to school and about a week after initially contacting the school we had a surprise when we found out that Preston was on his way. Although he wasn't planned I knew that he was supposed to be coming to our family at that time.

As our family changed and we went through career changes and sold our home and went back to school we were growing up. We were just kids when we started out but we were determined to make it work. We had similar goals in life and were willing to sacrifice for one another. As I get to know other teenagers and young adults in my life the more I realize how lucky we were to make it through those hard times stronger and more dedicated to one another. Last night as we lied in bed I told Josh that I would love to know what our moms were thinking about us on our wedding day and now what they think 10 years later. I hope that my children never make the choices that we made but I pray that if they do that they have the maturity to deal with them and grow from them.

These 10 years haven't been flawless and we haven't made the best choices every step of the way but we know that we aren't perfect. Over the last couple of years we have had a number of friends struggle in their marriages and have seen some of those marriages end in divorce. It has given me a wake-up call. I know that every day I have to work on my marriage. It isn't something that can be taken for granted. I have also learned that you have to be willing to share your thoughts and feelings. Even if your spouse doesn't agree with them or it makes them upset. I have found that if Josh knows where I am coming from and knows my thought process then it helps him have a better understanding. Everyone is different but I know that what we have works for us and I love my husband and I still look forward to the moments that we get to spend together.