A Score

Almost 20 years ago, I made the best choice of my entire life.
I was 19 1/2 years old.  (The 1/2 was important--and shows that I was still a teen-ager.  Oye!  I've been married now longer than I've been single.)  We committed to eternity and solemnized that promise in a Temple of our Lord.














To celebrate, on Friday Handsome Prince and I went to the sweetest bed and breakfast inn.
Woodland Farmhouse Inn Bed and Breakfast in Kamas, UT.

    

Unbelievable!

First, to show what an amazing father he is, Friday morning he took Mr. Lamadingdong and Lil' Mama hiking.  They hiked to the top of Mt. Timpanogos.  It was a 14 mile round-trip hike, taking them to an altitude of  11,749 feet.
They made it to the top, and signed their names in the register.  They began at 6:45 a.m. and returned home around 7:30 p.m.

Unfortunately, it took them longer than they thought to get back, and the Prince missed our anniversary dinner at Tucanos.  Luckily, my brother and his wife (who stayed with our kids while we were gone) were able to come, and we had a lovely dinner, with me as third wheel.  Tucanos allowed me to use the B1G1F coupons that I had to get a "Boxed Lunch" for the Prince, which he ate as we drove to the B&B.
  
Dinner was spectacular, the B&B was lovely, and the company was awesome!

Top 10 Things About the Handsome Prince:

10.  He is difficult to offend and quick to forgive.
9.  He sacrifices constantly, serves and is selfless.
8.  He works hard and is smart and strong.
7.  He has integrity.
6.  He's fun to be with and funny.
5.  He smells good.  And he's good-looking.  AND he's got soccer-legs.  ;)
4.  I wake up in the night sometimes to find him holding my hand (or rubbing my back if I'm pregnant--which I'm NOT.)
3.  He goes out of his way to do something kind for me each day.  (This was a promise he made when we were engaged, and he hasn't missed a single day--but, it's my job to look for it.)
2.  He's an amazing father and a fun dad.
*Most Important:
1.  My eternal companion loves the Lord above all, aligns his will to God's will and is perfectly obedient regardless of the consequences.

Best Marriage Tip:
I think I read this in the Reader's Digest about 20 years ago, and still think about it (uh, and use it) almost every day.  When an elderly couple was asked on their anniversary for the secret of their marriage longevity, the wife responded that when they were first married, she decided that she would give her husband a "get out of trouble/free forgiveness" pass for 3 things.  Then, every time he did something irritating, she would just mutter under her breath, "Oooh, you're so lucky that THIS is one that I'm forgiving."

Worst Marriage Tip:
"Never let the sun go down on your anger."  Puhleese.  The witch you see before you tonight will most likely become the darling you used to enjoy after she's had a good night's rest.  (The only trouble is that sometimes it is weeks, months or even years before she gets a good night's rest.  Until then, it just sucks to be you.  Still, it's not going to help to try to resolve anything late at night.)

Some Miscellaneous 20-Year Stats:
Moves we've made (including the one from the Hechtle's basement into the apartment):  8
Days of complete emotional stability (on my part):  13
Times he's forgiven me for stupid or selfish:  7, 582+
Full nights' uninterrupted sleep: 54
Moments of undiluted joy:  Too many to count
Craziest thing he ever said:  "Why do we always do this at night?"  (Spoken as we checked into Labor and Delivery.  He's lucky he's still alive.)
Craziest thing I've ever said:  "I'm just running in for one thing.  I'll be right back."  (Spoken as he dropped me off at Wal Mart, leaving him in a blazing parking lot with a van full of kids.  We're lucky that any of us are still here.)
Favorite Activity Together:  Laughing at the kids.
Him:  Morning person
Me:  Night owl
Times I've won at Scrabble: Two
Deceptions we revealed after marriage:
                 Him--He really doesn't like to dance.  Or show any PDA.
                 Me--I'm not an outdoor enthusiast.  And I really don't like kimchee.  (Unless I'm pregnant.)

My life was incomplete before him, and is infinitely better when he's there.  He's more than a handsome prince.

Every day marriage is hard, but I can't think of anything I'd rather work at.  I'm honored to know him, and still amazed that somehow I snookered him into marrying me (And that he is still here.)

The longer I know him, the more awed I am by his goodness.  The more I discover about him, the more I respect and admire him.

I've learned that whatever sacrifices that I have to make are worth it.  I know that when God makes a promise, He keeps it.  I know that when He asks me to do something, He'll make it possible.
I've learned that the Savior will bridge my gaps, comfort my sorrows, and forgive me over and over again.

I've learned that my husband can't and won't be my girlfriend.  I've learned that no one has to be perfect for things to be OK.  I've learned that I can survive without constant positive feedback.  And no one is going to insist that I take care of myself, but if I don't everyone will be miserable.  Every day, grown-ups do stuff that they don't want to do because they are responsible and love each other; and selfishness always has a consequence. Nagging and criticizing never inspire change or love.

I've learned that when two people have the Lord as their focus, regardless of who they are, those two can only move closer to each other as they each progress toward Him.   (But that doesn't mean that they won't want to strangle each other sometimes. )