When I was about seven years old, I remember going to help my dad pull electrical wire at the newly built Long Beach East Stake Center. My dad was an electrician that helped build the stake center and it was my turn to go to work with him. It was also the day the many of the stake members were helping with the landscaping. While I helped my dad, I remember a bunch of rowdy boys having the time of their lives running up and down a huge pile of manure. I remember thinking how disgusting that was and what weird boys they were. Well, little did I know, one of those weird boys would be my future husband!
Although Lee and I grew up in the same stake, we never really connected when we were teenagers. Lee was in the "cool" group and always had a girlfriend and I was super quiet and shy. I remember Lee as a teenager at dances in his plaid pants, Izod shirt, skinny tie, and penny loafers. I never in a million years thought at that time I would ever date him, let alone marry him!
While Lee was serving a mission in Milan, Italy, I became friends with his little sister, Mary. It was Mary that convinced me to write him after his girlfriend "Dear Johnned" him. We wrote each other for the last seven months of his mission. I remember counting the days until he came home. I couldn't help but wonder what, if anything, would come of us.
I remember the first time I saw Lee when he first got home. There was a big Youth Regional Conference the first Sunday he was home. President Ezra Taft Benson, the prophet and president of the church at the time, would be speaking to us. I was singing in the choir so I sat up on the stage. I remember seeing Lee walk in. I thought I was going to die! He was so handsome! I watched him sit down and I couldn't keep my eyes off him the whole time. I feel kind of bad because he was sitting right in line with the podium so every time I looked up at the prophet speaking, I saw Lee. I don't remember what the prophet spoke about that day. All I could think about was Lee. I know that's bad but I bet President Benson would understand! After the conference, I headed down to meet him and I have to say, I was smitten!
We went on our first date on Valentine's Day. He took me to the Harbor House Cafe, we walked on the beach, and then went to a Young Adult Dance. He gave me a rose (in a box!) and I remember him telling me I was beautiful. I thought I had died and went to heaven! We saw each other every day for the next two months. Then on April 15th, he proposed to me. We were married on September 12, 1987 in the Los Angeles Temple.
Our newly married life was great. We went to Long Beach City College by day and worked together at Automated Data Processing (ADP) by night. Then nine months and two days after we were married, we became parents. Our beautiful Elisabeth was born and we were thrilled!
Over the years, our family grew and changed. We welcomed Jake in 1991, Scott in 1993, Cole in 1995, Max in 1999, and Emma in 2004. We moved to Utah, worked many different jobs, held many different callings in many different wards in the church, and became acquainted with many wonderful people in the different places we have lived. We have settled in Provo for now and are enjoying a happy life here.
Our children have grown into smart, fun, creative, compassionate, talented, capable individuals and we thank our Heavenly Father daily that we get to have them in our lives. I am in awe of the fact that I have such amazing children. Each one is different and they each have great things in store for them.
We feel very blessed to have the family and life that we have.
Truly blessed. Time flies... We're making the most of it!