Happy 3rd Anniversary, Lady Ashleigh!

So, a couple of minutes ago Ashleigh asked, "Are you going to write something sweet about me on our blog?" I'll give it my best shot. Since our Anniversary is falling on a Monday, we thought it would be best to go to dinner on Saturday night. We went to Fred's Hickory Inn for dinner this past Saturday. It was a nice joint with great food. Because I'm very bad at taking out my phone while we are on dates, I made a conscious effort to try and just soak in the alone time we had together. It was very enjoyable. With computers, iPhones, TV, and Gus, it seems like we don't always get the chance to just sit and talk without distraction. I tried to throw a curveball question at Ashleigh and I asked her what her favorite day was over the past three years. She mentioned Disneyland and our date in Central Park last year. Even though I had asked the question, I hadn't really thought about it myself. Ashleigh asked me what my favorite day was. After much thought, I was reminiscing about last year as we embarked on our adventure to New York City without having a place to live. To give some background to this time, I will tell it in technicolored detail...

A week before we moved out, our initial landlord called to let me know she had two friends who were going to live with us. Since we didn't want to have roommates, we declined despite not having a backup plan. So... on September 11, 2010 (creepy), we took the redeye flight to JFK Airport.

We rented a car and started to venture over to New Jersey to meet with a real estate agent who could find us a place. I think he duped us into getting a more expensive place than we initially wanted by showing us a dump that was "in our price range." So, we decided on a decent two-bedroom apartment in Jersey City.

But... we couldn't move in until Monday. Being poor college students who had taken an unpaid internship made it hard for us to pay $250 to stay in a hotel for one night. So... being the cheap person I am, I thought we should just sleep in our rental car.

Luckily, through wonderful contacts of family members, we were in touch with a couple who lived in New Jersey, the Ewing family. They called and invited us to their place for some pizza that night. While we were at the Ewings, we ended up meeting Elder and Sister Hibbert. The Hibberts were from Teton Valley, and knew the Wilson family very well. At dinner, the Hibberts asked where we planned on staying the night. After hearing that we planned on roughing it in the car, they invited us to their place to sleep on their hide-a-bed. Because that day had been such a tiring/stressful day, we were exhausted and slept better than ever.

The next day, Elder and Sister Hibbert asked if our apartment was furnished. We had planned on renting a bed and buying some cheap pots and pans and utensils from Walmart. The Hibberts were in charge of housing for all the missionaries in the area and told us we could take whatever we needed for our apartment. We went directly to a storage unit and picked out everything. It was a great blessing.

That was my favorite day.

Compared to Disneyland and Central Park, the 12th of September, 2010 doesn't seem all that fun. However, the reason why I love that time is because it sums up everything I want mine and Ashleigh's marriage to represent. The future is unknown, yet we are in it together and determined to stay together. Our association with the church has already immensely blessed our lives. Without the church, we would have had no place to stay that night and we would have had to spend a lot more money furnishing our apartment. The restored gospel and organization of the church asks much of all of us. We are asked to pay 10% of our income to the church. We are asked to serve at church. We are asked to serve outside of the church. After everything that is asked, it may appear that a lot is expected of the members of the church. But... the blessings that come from service far outweigh the effort we put in. And when we are individuals in need, the church organization is their to support all who serve.

To sum up, I know that Ashleigh and I can endure whatever challenges may come. I love Ashleigh with all my heart. If wonder if I would have told her on our wedding day that in three years she would be nine months pregnant, we would have a dog named Gus, and we would be living in the rural town of Centerton, Arkansas, if she would have said yes. I'm glad she did. I'm excited to start a family and to see the changes that will come in the next three years. Where will we be? Бурхан л мэднэ.

Happy Anniversary Ashleigh!