LIVE SIMPLY ~ GIVE MORE ~ EXPECT LESS

I remember on my 19th birthday Scott told me he loved me and then it was me that thought things were going to fast and maybe I had been too hasty. It took me several months to be able to say those ever so important words. I had some major insecurities coming from the family I did. My parents had divorced when I was about 9 years old and my mom remarried. My mom and step dad had some difficult times trying to blend our 2 families, he had 6 kids and Mom had 5 (my 2 older brothers never lived with us and My step dad's 2 oldest daughters never lived with us either so their were 7 of us) and I had moved to my dad's when I was 11 while they tried to work things out. My ideas of marriage weren't always the best but before too long though I realized that I had fallen head over heels for Scott and there really was no other guy that could measure up. We continued seeing each other every day. I working to save up for school and Scott was working and going to school but we were together in all our spare time. My parents loved Scott too and encouraged the relationship. In the spring of 1976, we had planned on going hiking up water fall canyon in Ogden one afternoon after we got off of work. As I was getting ready (showered and of course putting on make up, just to go get sweaty and dirty???) and my family was acting stranger than usual, my mom kept looking in on me saying "Aren't you ready yet? Scott will be here at any moment", "You better hurry up or you will be late". I had been late many times and I couldn't figure out where all the urgency was coming from. My mom never did such things, she let us make our choices and never meddled in our lives. Soon Scott arrived and we were off as we started up the trail we ran into a guy that Scott introduced me to that was one of his mission companions, then when we had just hiked a short distance he asked me if we could walk down to the river and stand on this rock right in the center of it. I said sure sounds good to me cause I wasn't one who really liked to hike all that much because I really didn't like to sweat any ways. It was right there in the center of that river in the beautiful outdoors that Scott took something out of his pocket, knelt down on one knee and asked me to "Marry" him. I was so shocked and so excited, the ring was gorgeous and I squealed and jumped into his arms. We both nearly fell into the rushing river to our untimely death! OK!!! it wasn't that drastic but it felt like it to me. I was the happiest girl in the world at that moment and just knew we would have a fairy tale life together, as we all do of course.He had visited my mom and step dad and had asked their permission to ask me to marry him, hence my moms anticipation and worrying I wouldn't be ready. That night we were to babysit my neice and nephew and we talked over when and where we wanted to get married (after I ran off to show my ring to my best girlfriends). I would be the first temple marriage in my family, I had an aunt on my mom's side and my paternal grandparents only before me. Scott's mom was a member and his dad is not a member still today. We would be married in August in the Manti Temple (about 150 miles from where we lived in Roy) a tradition in Scott's family (his sister and a couple of cousin's before us). Our parents were fantastic and I know it was hard for them not to be able to witness our marriage, but they supported our decision and made the long trek to be there with us, waiting outside. I know it was the hardest on my mom but it turned out to be the greatest blessing because I was able to be her escort when she went to the temple for the first time just a few years ago before she passed away.

Scott and I have definitely had our share of trials, heartache (losing a precious baby boy) and JOY!!! I would change a few things along the way but I would not change our love story. We are empty nesters now and we have so much fun together. We have crossed threshholds and are becoming equal partners in our marriage, here is a talk I got this quote from by Elder Bruce C. Hafen. The love story will continue for eternity.