On a Frost Encrusted Morning

On a frost encrusted morning nine years ago I was married. I was a day shy of 21 and looked 16. Doug was 21 and looked... well, younger than that! We were babies who thought we were adults. All the statistics say that it shouldn't have worked. But it did and it does. As we were driving home from Salt Lake the other night I asked him what he thought it takes to make a marriage successful. Two dedicated people was his reply. We may not be perfect but we love each other desperately and we're dedicated. We're dedicated to God, to each other, to our children, to our church, to our work. My answer to the question of making a marriage successful was deciding to making it work. Each day I wake up and I decide that I'm in love with Doug. I decide that I'm committed to our family and then what I do in that day comes consequence of those decisions.

I think that dedication and decision go well together. Just like this handsome fella and me.

I love you Doug. I'm dedicated to you. I decide to be your partner, your lover, your co-worker, your listening ear, your fellow life explorer, your friend. Thank you for nine years of a shared life. It's a good one; the perfect one for me.

*As an interesting fact: the above pictures are a couple of our engagement pictures. When we were putting together our wedding announcements I wanted this bottom picture in the announcement. Both of our mothers were horrified. They thought it was too steamy to have right next to the words "in the Mount Timpanogos Temple." They won. I put the borning non-steamy pictures on our announcement. Well, to our moms I say: it's still my favorite picture!