I had a sweet experience a few days ago. It started with a simple question. I was going to ask Craig, just for the fun of it, "What was the first thing that attracted you to me?" Before asking him, however, I thought I would first prepare my own answer knowing he'd ask me the same question. I thought about all the things that I loved about Craig when I first got to know him. The list included the following (in no particular order):
- He was cute. He had an adorable "All American Boy" look to him--tall, strong, blond hair, blue eyes, etc.
- He was athletic. The more time I spent with him, the more I learned he was naturally good at just about everything.
- He was smart. He was going to BYU and studying to become a Mechanical Engineer.
- He was kind. I got to see how sweet he was to his parents, grandparents, and other relatives, and I could also tell how much all these people adored him in return.
- He was spiritually-minded. Before I was ever introduced to him, he and I both shared our testimonies one Fast Sunday in my ward when he was visiting his relatives. I still remember some of the things he said that day.
As I reflected back on our relatively short courtship, I thought about how, in spite of having all of these wonderful qualities, that still wasn't enough to get me to marry him. The only reason I married him was because of the strong spiritual witness I received one night as I lay in bed pondering. We had talked on the phone for about 3 hours that day, and I was just beginning to see how we connected on so many levels from spirituality to general interests to philosophies on the family. For the first time, I truly considered him a possible marriage partner. I thought to myself in amazement, "I could actually see myself marrying Craig." That was all it took. The moment that thought entered my head, my heart began to pound, and I got butterflies in my stomach. I realized I was actually going to marry him, and the butterflies and heart pounding lasted ALL NIGHT LONG. I didn't sleep at all. There was no denying that Heaven wanted us to be together.
It was a leap of faith, just as any marriage is really. I remember looking at Craig in the temple on our wedding day and thinking that I hardly even knew him. But I also knew, without a doubt, he was the one my Heavenly Father wanted me to marry. Heavenly Father is so smart. I had no idea at that time how perfect we would be for each other, but the Lord did. Each year that goes by, my appreciation and love for my husband grow exponentially.
So this is where my experience gets really sweet. I'm reflecting on all these thoughts about Craig when we first met, and suddenly, I am thrown into the future. I picture Craig and myself as we meet for the first time, and then in my mind, I see our future together playing out before my eyes in slideshow fashion. I see our happy memories playing before me as if they are a glimpse into our future and pick out all the sweet images and moments that have made up our marriage. I see our wedding. I see us when we find out we are expecting our first child. I see the births of all of our children. I see us working together as we remodel and maintain our beautiful homes. I see us doing yard work. I see our hours of playing and laughing with our kids. I see us watching our boys play soccer. I see us kissing our kids goodnight as we put them to bed. I see us taking care of a sick child. I see the two of us laughing as we walk hand in hand. I see us talking in bed at night as we lie side by side. I see us kneeling together and pouring out our souls to the Lord in prayer in our times of need. I see all those times that those prayers are answered. I see, in short, my wonderful, blessed, incredibly beautiful life. Then I see myself looking at Craig as I first meet him, and all these scenes from our future playing before my eyes, and MY HEART BURSTS! The tears begin to stream down my face because my heart can't contain the joy that I feel. IF I HAD KNOWN THEN WHAT LAY IN STORE FOR ME WITH THIS MAN AS MY ETERNAL COMPANION, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH FOR MY HEART TO HANDLE. If I had had a glimpse of the life that awaited me with him, my poor little heart wouldn't have been able to contain the sheer amount of joy that would fill it. I am so, so blessed. I owe my beautiful life to my Heavenly Father, to the temple covenants I have made with Him, and to the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I could not be worthy of all of these blessings. My heart is so full!
Love my cute, cute kids! Although I have to admit I'm a little nervous about how girl crazy my 5 year old is already:).
