5 yrs

Today is my 5th wedding anniversary to my sweet husband Jon. I can't believe it's been 5 yrs. Wow. It's gone by fast. It's fun to look back and remember what we have accomplished and where we have been. We met June 26th, 2003. It was the day after Jon got back from his mission. I worked for his parents and they invited me to go jet skiing with them. We hit it off instantly. 3 jet ski rides later and we were holding hands. 3 days later was our first kiss. 6 weeks later we went our separate ways to different colleges. 11 months later we were sealed in the Bountiful LDS Temple.

We lived in Pocatello, ID for the first 2 yrs. I went to school at ISU and Jon worked, alot. We bought our first home there. It was a cute little grandma looking blue house with a white metal roof and a path of daffodils and daisy's that ran along the front of the house. It was a fixer-upper, we had alot of fun making it beautiful. We thought we would be there for a few years. Instead we only had the house for 1 yr before we sold it and moved on.

We hit a dead end in the path we we taking in life. Jon was unhappy at his jobs and we prayerfully made the decision to join the Air Force. The day after he signed all the papers to join we found out we were pregnant. Jon was gone for 6 months for boot camp and came home 10 days before Ila was born.

Jon blessed Ila when she was 5 days old. We moved the next day to Las Vegas. Las Vegas taught us alot of things. Family is the most important of them all. We grew so much as a family there. We experienced the joys of parenthood as well as the sorrows of infertility. Lots of life lessons, some learned and appreciated, and some tolerated, and lots left to learn. We lived in Vegas for 2 1/2 yrs.

Now, 5 yrs later, we are in Anchorage Alaska. Talk about change. Change is what makes us better people. We learn and grow, only when we are forced to change. I can see the changes in my life that have shaped me, made me who I am. I don't always love the changes, but I do know that I would be a different person if nothing changed. I hope I'm a little more caring, more loving, and more understanding of others because of my life changes. I hope I have learned the lessons and put them to good use.

Some things, however, do not change. My husband will forever be the one who makes me laugh and comforts me when I cry. Ila will always be my baby, no matter how tall she gets. We will always cherish our memories. Life goes by so fast. Before I know it, it will be another 5 yrs down the road, and who knows where we will be!