21 years!

Twenty-one years ago today, I married the man of my dreams.  Yesterday, I was reading in my old journal from my Study Abroad year (looking for something I could copy and send to Meg, since that period of time was filled with homesickness and struggle in a foreign land) and stumbled on the journal entry from the day I met Chad (this was about 10 months after I got back from Vienna).  I had spent months bemoaning the fact that I hadn't really dated anyone that I was remotely interested in for a long time.  Anatomy was my favorite class because it was fascinating, and also because there was this guy in there that I caught staring at me often.  It was creepy and intriguing at the same time.  One day he walked out of class behind me and we started talking.  He walked me to the library, talking the whole time.  He was nice, and I could tell that he was interested in me.  Which made me feel good.  A few days later, he found me in the library, we talked for an hour, he made me laugh so much, and then I gave him my number.  He called me after Thanksgiving and we got together at my sister Kay's house for a "study date".  We didn't study at all.  We talked and talked and talked for over 5 hours.  And then out of nowhere, we kissed...I have to admit it was the best kiss I'd ever had and I knew in that moment that I was in big trouble.  I could have predicted that night that we would be getting married someday, but there was that part of me that wanted a sign from God that Chad was the right man for me.  Its funny...after dating for 8 months and getting engaged twice, I didn't get that undeniable confirmation until I was standing in the Celestial room of the L.A. temple the day before we were sealed.  I saw him in his temple whites, and I had an overwhelming feeling that he was my eternal companion and that we would be together forever.  It was a joy to marry Chad and be sealed to him for eternity.
Since then, we have had a lot of ups and downs in our marriage, just like everyone else.  We have laughed, fought, cried both with joy and sorrow, struggled through challenges that we thought we would never overcome.  We made it through 10 years of college and advanced degrees, while having 3 kids (our 4th came along right after graduation).  We are raising those kids together.  We are supporting each other as we are serving Heavenly Father.  We go back to the L.A. temple together and look into the room where we were sealed, and we are happy.  21 years of togetherness.  Marriage...not always easy, but always worth it.  I love you, Chad.