Happy 11th Anniversary

Tomorrow is our 11th wedding anniversary. Where has the time gone? For our anniversary, Tim got me these beautiful flowers, a maid to clean the rental we just left so I wouldn't have to and, of course, a new house!

I couldn't think of something exciting to buy (how can I compete with a new house?) to show Tim how much I love him and love being married to him. I decided to make something instead.

We have been married since 2001, but we actually met and started dating in 1997. If you don't know our story, I'll give you a summary. I don't know if I've ever blogged about it before. We met at Snow College. He was at my house for dinner (invited by one of my roommates) when I got there. I had just come from meeting with my bishop to get my mission papers. A boyfriend was not something I was looking for at the time. For 18 painful months we dated off and on- we both felt like we wanted to get married, but I still felt so strongly that I needed to serve a mission. In April of 1999, I left to serve a mission in San Jose, CA and Tim was so supportive of my decision. I think it was harder on him and much more of a sacrifice for him than for me. I treasure that time as a sacred part of our relationship that helped us grow stronger as individuals and as a couple. I saved every letter or note he wrote to me & I treasure those, too. We couldn't call or email each other, so our written correspondence is here for our kids to see, too. Tim was able to be there and stand in the circle when I was set apart as a missionary too. (A special blessing/ prayer when a missionary leaves to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) So special to me!

Our story begins long before we were married, or even engaged, for that matter. To pay tribute to the wonderful things Tim brings & has brought to my life, I bought helium balloons- 4 of one color for the years from when we met until the year before we were married- and 11 for the years we have been married, plus one for this year to come.

On each balloon I wrote the year and some of the highlights, struggles and milestones of that year.

Our early years...

Up close- 2012 says "The best is yet to come."

(I gave it to him a day early- I wasn't convinced that the balloons would make it over night & didn't want him to wonder why I skipped a year if something was missing...)

Tim is such a wonderful man! I am blessed to be sealed to him, which means we are married for this life and forever. We were married in the Manti LDS temple. Words cannot describe my love for him, and it only grows stronger every year. We've gone through some hard, scary things, but we've done it together. We can make it through anything, as long as we keep moving together in the same direction.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!