Todd's version of an update.

Todd here, and I'm sitting at the computer and it is 11:09 at night. If you know anything about Ashleigh she is in bed snoozing away right now. She prefers to sleep an average of 9+ hours per night. Me on the other hand, I prefer 7-8 hours. Sometimes I go to bed with her and can't sleep for an hour or so. This is the reason why I am writing on the blog.

I'll give a quick update on what is going down in the house of Altom. First, Ashleigh has only 30 more days until she graduates and it couldn't be a day too soon. Her goal is to get a 4.0 GPA to end her career as a student. I think she can do it. I believe in her!

I'm still chugging away at this semester taking some random courses. I have Chinese, an Entrepreneurship class, New Testament, and Web Design (check out my website: toddaltom.com) . After this I should only have one semester left plus an internship.

Ashleigh has taken a part time job in the office of the Child and Family Education yada yada yada department office (or something like that), where she works as an office assistant. She seems to like it except she has to be to school at 8 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Again, back to the sleep thing... she enjoys it.

On the 18th of the month I will be turning 24 years of age. By reflecting back on what choices that have brought me to this point of life, I can't help but feel grateful for the Holy Ghost. I'm grateful for past experiences that have taught me to recognize the promptings of the Spirit. Specifically, I think of my decision to come to BYU-Idaho. When I was younger I remember Brian and Craig both coming to this school. They both came back home listening to country music, which seemed so odd to me. I felt then that I would never want to come to this school. I didn't want to live in Idaho. I didn't want to live in a small town. Towards the end of my mission I was accepted here and really debated not coming here. With the encouragement of Mom and Craig, I decided to give it a try, but always felt I would transfer to BYU. Mostly through a confirming feeling that the spirit gave me, I made my decision to come here.

What do you know it, the first day of school I met someone very special. Here name was Ashleigh. Later I told Craig that Ashleigh is totally the type of girl I wanted to marry.

The promptings of the Holy Ghost allowed me to eventually run into the love of my life. But even better, if you ask Ashleigh, she was fully decided to go to USU. But a prompting told her to stay in Idaho and come to school here. I'm grateful for Ashleigh and her willingness to listen to the Spirit.

I didn't mean for this update to become a testimony; however, I am grateful for the events that have brought me to Rexburg. And now, I listen to country music. I love Ashleigh and am so glad to be here husband. She is the perfect woman to shape me into the man I need to be. When I think of her, I often think of a talk given by President Hinckley entitled: "The Women in Our Lives".

There is a specific quote in here when President Hinckley begins the talk:

"My brethren and sisters, at the outset, if you will bear with me, I wish to exercise a personal privilege. Six months ago, at the close of our conference, I stated that my beloved companion of 67 years was seriously ill. She passed away two days later. It was April 6, a significant day to all of us of this Church. I wish to thank publicly the dedicated doctors and wonderful nurses who attended her during her final illness.

My children and I were at her bedside as she slipped peacefully into eternity. As I held her hand and saw mortal life drain from her fingers, I confess I was overcome. Before I married her, she had been the girl of my dreams, to use the words of a song then popular. She was my dear companion for more than two-thirds of a century, my equal before the Lord, really my superior. And now in my old age, she has again become the girl of my dreams."

I hope to progress in love just as he and she did.

Now, I have began to ramble. So, I'm going to go to bed to be with the girl of my dreams.