10 Years and Going Strong...

Greetings. It is very early on May 16th, the day AFTER my 10th wedding anniversary. I wanted to share the last 10 years with you, but that would take much too much time. so I will share some of the stops along my life.

I met my wife at CEU in the Spring of 1998. We were friends LONG before we started to "date". It was a slow courtship, but thanks to a patient girlfriend, she won out and we were married on May 15, 1999 in the Vernal Utah Temple.

After we were married, we moved to Cedar City, Utah where I completed my schooling. I graduated in the Spring of 2001 with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. While I was attending school, our first son was born. What a joy he was to our new little family. I was working for Convergy's at that time (hence the picture below- we did PUNK as a department)

Our son was/is a cutie. We got a new digital camera and boy did we use it!


After I finished at SUU, we moved to Pleasant Grove. I had my first job teaching 1200 student computers. Phew, that was a challenge. We lived in a tiny apartment for over a year before finally buying out FIRST house. What an exciting time that was. We also found out that we would be having our daughter shortly after that. Our little princess came into our lives and what a blessing she has been ever since.


Shortly after we moved, I was required to find a new teaching job. I was snatched up by a school that was being built and just down the street from the previous one. I gladly accepted the job and started teaching 5th grade that fall. It was a great learning experience. I had over 30 students a year. I taught there for 3 years. My wife was my life saver. She helped create, plan, draw, encourage, and love through those three wonderful years. During this same time, I had a very dear friend, one of my only best friends in the world, who would come and stay with us pass. I still remember that day that my wife and I received that phone call telling us that he had taken his own life. I was in shock for a few days, unable to believe he would do such a thing. That was a low spot in my life. Thank heavens for my amazing wife. We helped each other through it. To top it all off, my wife's grandfather passed that same week. She attended her grandfather's funeral (I did sing at that one) and then I went to my dear friends. I still miss him. We had some great times together. I know you are in a better place, Billy, but I can't wait to get to heaven and kick your butt!
It wasn't much longer than that when I lost both of my grandparents (my mom's parents). My dad's mom had passed even before this. I hadn't realized it until now, but we experienced a tremendous amount of loss in a relatively short time frame. I miss my grandma very much. She used to call my her "John Boy". I love you grandma.


Thankfully among all the loss we had a gain. Our little Z. was born in February. What a sweetheart he was/is. He sure brightened up our little home in Orem.
We now had three little bundles of joy running around. Oh, how we love them.

Shortly after Zander was born, we decided to take a job where I grew up. We hoped and did a lot of praying. We were finally able to sell our home after moving here. That was a super stressful part of our lives. We were living in a motel room at my parent's motel and I was teaching during the day and helping run the motel at night. Interesting. We finally were able to get settled into my parent's house (as they were living at and running their motel). We lived there for just over a year. Then a great thing happened. My parents were able to sell their motel. The downside was that we had to find a house/apartment in double-quick time. Thankfully, my parents were VERY generous in helping us acquire a wonderful home just down the street from where we were currently living. We loved in and it is where we are currently living (3+ years now). While living here we were again pleased to find out that we would be adding another little boy to our herd. M. William (the William is in memory of my friend). This little bundle of energy is quite entertaining.

As I look back over the past 10 years it seems like a dream. I can remember so many bits and pieces. There have been low times, but so many high times. What a ride it has been. I look forward to another 10 great years. In July, we will add our 5th and final child to the family. We hope this little boy is as healthy, cute, and fun as all the rest of the herd.

And to my amazing wife, the woman who has put up with stress, frustration, silliness, being scared half to death, pain, sickness, and everything else amazing ladies deal with, I want to tell you how much you mean to me. I love you will all that I am. I have cherished these last 10 years and know that we have many, many, many more years on which to build memories. Thank you for making me feel special. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being an amazing mother to our children. Thank you for being you.Happy 10th Anniversary, my love. :)