time and all eternity...

six years today.
it's been six wild, wonderful, magical years since jared and i were married for time and all eternity in the Washington D.C. temple...
we haven't looked back since.
i truly am blessed.
i thank my Heavenly Father each night for Jared.
i am grateful to have gained my testimony, and for the knowledge that i have of our Father in Heaven's plan for us.
my heart swells when i think of the love i have for my husband, and how blessed i am to know the truths of the Gospel.
i love my Savior.
i love my Heavenly Father.
i love my Husband.
and i'm simply delighted to spend the rest of forever with him.

PS that last photo...yeah, that's pretty much been my perpetual facial expression since we met, he keeps me laughing.

for more on the story of us...

Jared and I’s first memory of each other was in my home wards hallway, I was eleven, he was fifteen; we don’t remember much, other than I’d just met “the boy who bit the pepper”; a story for another day;). Jared’s parents and mine have been friends since our infancy.
I grew up hearing stories about Jared and his crazy antics.
I was born and raised an Okie. Jared is an Oklahoma native gone West Virginian. He and I were born in the same hospital here in Oklahoma; Stillwater hospital to be precise.
Jared and or his family traditionally visit Oklahoma every summer.
Anyway, on one such summer, Jared came to Oklahoma for one last visit before his two year mission to London, England.
That was the summer we became Best Friends. We had a blast just getting to know each other and hanging out; when I say “hanging out” I mean we practically spent everyday together goofing off and just enjoying life. I remember we used to go to my little brothers sixth grade football practices, just because we wanted to hangout a little longer before the nights were through (those of you who have experienced Oklahoma summer nights know they are perfect for accidentally falling in love) . Jared had this killer Bronco (his granddad's actually) and I loved that thing; we never had the top on lol (and there were no seatbelts eekkk). We’d cruise the streets of Stilly not a worry in the world …until Jared had to leave : (
I was heart broken.
Before he left I told him I hoped I’d find somebody as “cool” as him to marry, he told me that I’d be older someday…lol. And he was gone.

nearly three years Later…

The phone rang…it was Jared. “I’m coming out to Oklahoma Coty”, “I’ll be attending OSU, you gonna hang out with me?”… (suddenly all other “engagements” were off ;)

We spent every waking moment together for an entire year. We played checkers EVERY Sunday (I am a checkers master, so I beat him every time… that or he just let me win).
Then Jared popped the question. We were in the same studio apartment his parents lived in after they wed (that is also were we lived our entire first year of marriage).

We wed July 13th 2002 in the Washington D.C. Temple and now…

Three boys and a new job later, we couldn’t have asked for a better, more blessed life together.

Me and my Best Friend ~still in love.