Where did the time go?

I won't have time to post this later since we are leaving Wednesday to visit Tom's family for Thanksgiving.

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Early in our marriage Tom's mom gave us a decorative plate with this written on it...

"When two fond hearts as one unite

The yoke is easy

And the burden is light"

Wednesday we will be celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary. Although I didn't think so at times the yoke really has been easy and the burden light.

Tom and I met in January 1984. It was my third year at BYU and about 1 year after he had returned from his mission. The first time I met him was at a ward dance. He was trying to get my roommate to go skiing with him, and she wasn't taking him up on it. For some reason his persistence didn't impress me. Tom and his roommate were made home teachers to two of my roommates while the other roommate and I had another set. That's when Tom won me over. I was impressed with how much he cared about my roommates and what a good home teacher he was. Soon he was coming over twice a month to home teach and 28 times to goof off.

We went on a few dates, but mostly just enjoyed doing things together as friends. Just before leaving on my mission Tom and I played a joke on a mutual friend and went to church "engaged." I had on a cheap, fake diamond and all. During that weekend Tom also kissed me for the first time...my first kiss ever.

This picture was taken at my mission farewell. It's the first one I had of Tom. He is the young man in the white shirt and light blue jeans at the far right of the photo on the stairs.

This picture was taken the day after I returned from my mission. Tom was the only one of my friends who was able to come to my homecoming meeting. He insisted on putting his arm around me and driving me to and from the church building even though I hadn't been released yet. All the extended family wondered, "Who is that good-looking young man?" They didn't believe me when I told them he was "just a friend."

Just before we were engaged Tom and I hiked Mount Timpanogus together. He intended to ask me to marry him at the top, but we ran into a group of 4 up there, and he decided it was much too crowded to be romantic.

We got engaged 1 1/2 weeks after we started seriously dating. To this day there are a few things that set Tom apart from all others...he is the only man I dated more than three times, he is the only man I ever kissed, and he had Heavenly Father's approval.

We were married November 26, 1986, in the Provo Temple. Here we are with our parents.


And here we are at Tom's graduation from BYU with an 18 day old Johnathan. (1988)

1992--Johnathan (4), Tom, Ann, Timothy (1)

1995--Tom, Ann, Johnathan (7), Timothy (4), James (8 months)

1996--Tom, Ann, Johnathan (8), Timothy (5), James (1), Hannah (6 months)

2000--Tom, Ann, Johnathan (12), Timothy (9), James (5), Hannah (almost 4)


2004--Ann, Hannah (8), Tom, James (9), Timothy (13), Johnathan (16)

2006--On our all time best vacation--Ann, Tom, Hannah (almost 10), James (11), Linda (my sister), Timothy (15), Johnathan (18)

2008 at the Twin Falls Temple open house--Tom, Ann, Timothy (17), James (13), Hannah (12)

..and I thought I knew what love was when we started this wild ride!

I wouldn't change a thing.

Post Election thoughts

I just read a post on Krista's page and thought I'd post a few thoughts of my own.

I am thankful I have the opportunity to vote and have a say in the leadership of our country. I feel very blessed to live here. I support the constitution. I support righteousness. I look forward to the day when the Lord will reign and we can fully live the law of Consecration. Until then I will continue preparing for future hard times the best I can.

My patriarchal blessing talks about following the Spirit so I can withstand the economic turmoil that will face the world, so I’ve given this a lot of thought. I think it’s more than following the Spirit in the heat of the moment and at the time of turmoil. I think it actually means to follow the Spirit and to follow the prophet before the turmoil hits so we can be in a better position when it hits. Being out of debt, having a reserve of money, but also, having our food storage, knowing how to garden and preserve the crop, as well as having a good attitude about work and being willing to do take whatever job we may need to take. I wish we were further along that path, but at least we have started and I’m glad we’ve gotten as far as we have.

Another thought…no matter what anyone says you cannot legislate unity, equality or any other moral characteristic. It just doesn’t work to take money from those who have educated themselves and done the work necessary to be successful to give to those less educated and less well off. No matter how hard you try, the poor end up spending the money and losing it while the rich regain the money and become richer. The only way to create equality and unity is to teach the poor better money management skills, better work skills and better overall thinking. The change has to be from the inside out in order for it to be any good. Going from the outside in will backfire every time. Unfortunately, this kind of change depends on the individual. They have to be ready for it. They have to want it. No one can force it on anyone. Not Obama, not McCain and not anyone else, no matter who they are.