From then to now

I have been thinking lots about my marriage lately.  Eric and I have known each other since I was 15 and he was 16.  We first laid eyes on each other at church.  I was in the foyer holding one of my leaders cute little babies and Eric thought I was this baby's mom.  He says he had to repent for lusting after a married woman, haha.  Once he figured out I was his age, he chased me like a mouse after cheese until, finally, the stars aligned, and on his 18th birthday and we had our first kiss.  Since that point, we have had lots of ups and downs, many trials including his mission, our separation for such a long time, and then figuring out life together once he came back into the real world.  We got married soon after that, December 2005.  I was 19!!!  I still can't believe that.  I was such a baby, but I thought I had life all figured out :)  Sometimes when things get a little complicated, I wonder if we did things right.  I am not doubting that I should have married Eric.  I know he is so perfect for me, but I wonder if we should have waited and not rushed into marriage being so young and with Eric basically on his death bed.  This past weekend was General Conference, which is were all of the leaders of the Latter Day Saint faith speak to all the members across the world.  There was one speaker in particular who really touched me this time, Elder Richard G. Scott.  You can watch his whole address here, but he basically recounted his life with his lovely wife, memories together, events with their children, lesson's taught by one to the other.  He celebrated his marriage and the beauty of marriage in general, and while listening to it I just felt super comforted.  I know Eric and I did it right.  It made me think of all the wonderful memories Eric and I have had together because we have been together and loved each other since our teenage years.

I've been thinking about my wedding ring.  It is so insignificant from a worldly standpoint, but so rich in memories and love.  When Eric and I were reunited after his mission, we were so passionately in love and were determined to do whatever it took to be together everyday 24-7 no matter what.  But, like I said, Eric was extremely ill and, likewise, extremely poor.  He had only $300 for a ring and had looked and looked but had no luck with anything.  Well, just when he was about to give up, he found the beauty that is sparkling on my finger right now as I type.  It was already marked 80% off with additional mark down that day for a daily sale.  It was perfect, exactly $300.  When he bought it for me he said, "We can replace the center for a bigger diamond as soon as we have the money."  Before recently, I was so cool with that idea, but now I don't think I will ever replace this little ring.  It reminds me of our young love, of our persistence to be together no matter the elements that wanted to pull us apart, and of our trying poor times that have brought us so close to each other and so reliant on God.

Even today, I find myself falling in love with him all over again.  Like a few weeks ago, we were at KangaZoom and he was jumping and playing with Hallie in one of the bounce houses.  I was holding Saige and watching them, when he popped his head out of the door way with his hat on backwards and a huge grin and said, "Hey mom, can I have a Capri Sun?"  and then went right back to jumping.  I don't know why, but that little boyish charm he has just get me every time.   The butterflies started and I fell in love with him all over again there in the middle of the crazy bounce house with millions of kids going wild all around us.

I don't know why I felt like sharing this tonight, but I did.  I am so happy to be married, to have a great husband, to be even more in love with him today than yesterday, and to know that no matter what happens here on earth, we will be together for eternity.