Milestones for Twelve Years of Marriage

Today is our TWELFTH Wedding Anniversary!!!

When we got engaged (you've probably heard me say this before), I was so blissfully happy that I immediately began to suspect one of would die before we could make it to our wedding day, because I couldn't believe it was possible to be this happy. Surely, it wasn't allowed, and someone or something was certain to take it from me. It didn't help that the mister decided he needed to climb the face of Mount Timpanogos, alone, and that he wasn't at the trail head at the appointed time for me to pick him up. However, neither of us has died yet, and obviously, we don't know when and how that will play out, but for now, I'm thrilled to report that we have been happily married for twelve years! We have all Eternity to go!

That picture of us at Temple Square is a couple years old (probably 2013). I found it on my husband's phone. And the miles on our car photo is recent, within the last month.

I've noticed on Facebook that folks frequently post about their anniversaries by making a short list of their major life events (2 homes, 3 kids, etc.). Well, I'm not going to clog up Facebook doing that, but in case the fifteen of you who follow me are interested at all, I've made a list of some of our milestones in the last twelve years. I'll just "clog the blog" instead of Facebook!

0 Children (our greatest pain, loss, emptiness, heartbreak, and sadness)

1 Couch (time for something new?)

2 New Cars (as you can tell from the photo, we buy them brand new and make them last)

3 NPS Employments (Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Golden Spike National Historic Site, and Yellowstone National Park)

4 Miscarriages (all of our pregnancies began the good old-fashioned way and each survived a bit longer than the one prior, which made each crash all the more devastating)

5 Homes (Pleasant Springs, Andes Apartments, Quarters 709B, Quarters 707A, and Town Center Condos)

6 Pounds Heavier (can't speak for the mister, but I stepped on the scales this morning and noted that I weigh only six pounds more than I did on our wedding day...which a lot of people cannot say...so I've gained a half a pound for each year of marriage)

7 Surgeries (two for him--gall bladder and hernia, five for me--two feet, two arm/hand, and one knee)

8 Pairs of Keens (we hike a lot)

9 Jobs (two for me--teaching and park ranger, seven for him--ranger at three parks, ski resort, custodian, Budget Rent-a-Car, and car auction)

10 Church Callings (three for him--home teacher, ward finance clerk, ward librarian, and seven for me--visiting teacher, Relief Society teacher, Gospel Doctrine teacher, counselor in RS presidency, stake nursery leader, counselor in stake Primary, and stake Primary president...which includes Cub Scout Unit Commissioner)

11 Temples in Other States (maybe more? Oakland, San Diego, Mesa, Billings, Idaho Falls, Washington D.C., Houston, Las Vegas, Chicago, Sacramento...probably more)

12 Years of Happiness with My Eternal Companion (growing pains, yes, but so much joy, and nobody takes to heart that little phrase in the Family Proclamation regarding "wholesome family recreation" like my sweetie does!)

He left a card for me on the kitchen table last night after I went to bed. I haven't opened it yet, but the envelope says, "The Sweetest Girl." I am so blessed.