~My Forever Love~

Well, I told you all a while back that I was going to do some anniversary and Valentine's kind of post. I only got 6 days before our anniversary and who knows when I am going to have this baby so I thought I better get started writing.

I met my forever love in 1998. I had come to Southeastern Kentucky in 1996 for a job. I felt so lonely here that I tried to apply for jobs to get closer to my family. None of the job interviews seemed to be working out for me so I was a little down and felt like I was going to be alone forever. Thought to myself at the time that the Lord must want me to stay here for some reason. That was in the summer of 1998. I started teaching seminary again in the fall. We had a couple missionary that started planning a lot of single activities in our branch. We really did not have many singles but every Sunday we had a singles potluck meal. I guess that is the first place I met my dh. He had just started coming back to church for about 5 months. Well, anyways, I wanted to get to know him better, but he was really shy! So, anyways one day I was going to my car and I stopped him and I asked him if he would like to go out sometime and that I would really like to get to know him better. He took my phone number and said he would call me. I thought to myself he will not call me. I was wondering when I got so brave, but something in me knew that it was what I was suppose to do. I really do not think my dh would have ever asked me out! Anyways, he called me the next week. We went to a Chinese restaurant and got to know each other better. I knew on our first date that he was going to be the man I was going to marry! I just felt it. So, after our first date, I had to go to South Dakota on a trip for work. I missed him so much. I sent him a postcard. When I got back we went out a couple more times. Then at Thanksgiving, I went to visit a friend in Salt Lake City. That was when I really spent some time praying about my feelings. I was able to go to the temple several times. (I like to temple hop when I go out west since we have such few temples here.) I called him one time while I was there because I was trying really hard to know what was right. I got back and went to teach seminary again. The missionaries had been hanging out with my dh quit a lot. One of them asked me about how things were going with dh and me. I told him that I thought I was suppose to marry him. The missionary said I have only one thing to say..."Things are not going to move as fast as you want them to." Well, I really did not know how to take that. My future husband sat with me at church, called me etc. Well, early December, my dh was going to the temple to get his endowments. I told him I wanted to go with him. (I had already been to the temple) So, we went on that trip. I really think that it was that trip that we both knew we were right for each other. I truly fell in love on that trip and I think my future husband did too. In fact, when we went through the temple the second time, we were asked to be the witness couple. I was so shocked since we were not married and it was only the second time that my dh had gone through an endowment session. Once again I felt the spirit so strong that this was the man I was suppose to marry! The next Sunday, we had a RS/Priesthood lesson on Temple Marriage. I felt the spirit so strong during that lesson! My future husband came over to my apartment that night. We were talking about the lesson and I asked him what he thought about it. He said that would be another special day for him. I asked him if that day might be in February? He looked at me kind of crazy. I told him that I wanted him to be my husband and the father of my future children. He said are you asking me to marry you? I said yes, but you still have to ask me. I remember him crying like a baby! He got on his knee and asked me to marry him. So, we were engaged and decided to get married in February! I am so glad that I was finally given the opportunity to find my forever love. My patriartical blessing said I would marry in the Lord's temple in God's time. I wanted God's time to come sooner, but I can see now how when I finally met my dh that it was the right time.

Tomorrow, I will tell you about our wedding......