Happy Anniversary!!! 33 Years!!!

first belt buckle Tom gave me!

April 16, 1977 will be a day I will never forget!
As I woke this morning to a beautiful hand written letter and fresh cut roses from our yard on my night stand, there were a flood of thoughts that came back to me, of this special day 33 years ago!

One of my first thoughts were, how blessed I am to have such a precious husband and how blessed I am that he was put on my path when I was 15 years old! Yes I was 15 and Tom was 17 and we met rodeoing! Even to this day I always tell people that Tom married me not for my looks but, because I could ride a horse quite well and rope fairly well too!

It was a fun four years of lots of Junior rodeos, college rodeos and then Tom got his Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association Card when he was 19 years old! In fact Tom was the Turquoise Circuit "Champion Bareback Bronc Rider" I think in 1984 0r 85! I do have to admit we had many fun nights at this bar called Harvey Wallbangers. My parents did not know we went there and I am not sure how we even got in there or should I say I do not want to remember how we got in there! And I will not mention the "Slow Gin Fizzes" I use to drink once in awhile! We had so much fun! I would get all dressed up in my tight Wranglers and I would put on one of Toms Big, Beautiful belt buckles that he won, and that he gave me to wear and we would country dance until midnight when I had to be home! But I will say once I got home I would go in the house and check in with my mom, and then I would go back out to Tom"s truck or out on the balcony of our home, and makeout! I know TMI!!!!!

I remember the day when Tom asked my dad if he could marry me! My dad said to me right in front of Tom, "Why would you want to marry a dumb cowboy"? I told my dad because I LOVE him and I was going to marry Tom no matter so he might as well just go with it! My mom always loved Tom so that was on my side! and Tom would soon became one of my dad's favorites as well! I could go on for ever about that four years we dated! All the rodeos, party's. dancing , travel, and wonderful fun memories, but that would take forever!

We had a beautiful wedding! and an incredible honeymoon! I do remember the day after we were married, and how excited I was as Tom and I left for our honeymoon in Hawaii ! As always Tom went out of his way to make things special for me! I have to admit I was homesick on my honeymoon, and had to call my mom a few times, but it was a wonderful 2 weeks! We went to 3 islands and at every resort we stayed , we had a ocean view! When we would arrive in our rooms at each hotel, there would be a fresh cut pineapple and a gorgeous, flower lei waiting for me! We had so many romantic dinners, we went to luaus traveled all around Oahu, Maui, and the big island of Hawaii! It was a beautiful perfect honeymoon!

I was 19 and Tom was 21. We thought that we had the world by its tail! Tom had bought a nice little three bedroom house with a pool for us to live in. He had bought me a new Grand Toreno to drive. At this time Tom and Hal Earnhardt were still rodeoing and even though they did well, they decided that they should start selling cars too, because they knew a family was on the way! Tom continued to rodeo just on the weekends and there was only a handful of horses that Tom ever got bucked off of in his rodeo career. And as always Tom worked so hard to provide for me and our children.

There were ups and downs along our road, and the longer we were married, I knew there was something missing! I always had a beautiful car to drive, Tom gave me so many special expensive gifts! We always had a beautiful home to live in! I had no idea what it was, but as our children came along, I knew there was something our family still needed!
I was baptized when I was eight, but did not go to church very often, I have few memories of church. Tom went to the Catholic church and Catholic school but was not active for many years.

The more children we had I started to realize that our children were lacking spiritually. I soon told Tom that we need to get our kids some spiritual guidance. We decided we would try his church and mine even though neither of us really knew anything about either church. As time went on we felt that we received more guidance from my church the Mormon church . We LOVED the fact that the Mormon church was centered around the family unit! The main focus of the church is about Eternal Families! This was something that neither of us knew about.

I am thankful that my mom had me baptized when I was eight. Because if she had not I might not of found this church on my own.

I am not sure how old our oldest child was, Blake, when I became active in church but I think it was around when he was six or seven. By this time we had more children and had no doubt how we wanted to raise our kids!

So you would think by this time all was great, we had five kids and we had the gospel to help raise them but... there was a big piece still missing!

I struggled with health problems and Tom struggled with some alcohol and chemical dependencies. I always wonder how someone could love the Mormon church so much but said he would never be baptized because he had already been baptized once. I had gone through the Temple by this time, and we had been married for 15 years. Tom was very supportive and would come to church when the kids were blessed or if they were speaking, but still would not be baptized.
I felt like my prayers were not being answered, but yet I had so much to be thankful for! Tom was such a wonderful dad, and he worked countless hours providing for our family! I know how much he loved me and his kids, but again there was a piece that was missing and it was a huge piece!

Fifteen years later and five kids later my prayers were answered! Tom was baptized and a year to the day of his baptism Tom and I were sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple not just for Time ,as it was in our civil ceremony in 1977, But this time we were SEALED to one another for ETERNITY!! On that same day all five of our children were sealed to us as well! It was a day I NEVER forget! We had the final piece to our complete family!

We still have had ups and downs but.... We are so thankful for our ups and give thanks to our Father in Heaven for ALL of our blessings., we are SO blessed! We have come to rely on our Heavenly Father through our downs, to get us through our trails! We understand that trails in the end, makes us stronger. In my 33 years of marriage there have been a life time of ups, and very few downs! We continue to be blessed!

I am so thankful for Tom! It is difficult for me, to express my feelings of love, gratitude that I have for him. I just do not have the words!! When I look back on that April 16. 1977 I would of never dreamed that we would be where we are today! Five kids, ten grand kids with more to come. Another boy preparing to serve the Lord on a mission for our church. It has come full circle for sure.

It is funny how the Lord works. Joe was called to serve his mission in Hawaii, he was released on our wedding anniversary! We were able to go pick him up and spend a week there, where Tom served as his companion that week! Who would of ever thought when Tom and I were 19 and 21, we would be picking our son up after serving a church mission, in Hawaii ,on our 25th wedding anniversary!!! What an AWESOME second honeymoon!!!

What would I do without the Priesthood in our home! I am so thankful for Tom, for the way that he honors and uses his Priesthood! I am thankful for the example he is to our kids. I can't thank Tom enough for ALL he does to make my life easier, for all the help he gives me and our kids, in so many ways! He continues to serve his Heavenly Father as he serves on the High Counsel and in his other callings. There is not a day that has gone by in my marriage where Tom has not asked at least once in the day, "what can I do for you today"! I wish I could say the same about me! I have books of "Love Letters", that Tom has written to me since I was 15 years old and I am so thankful that he continues to send me love letters, and continues to shows me such love and respect after 37 years of being with one another!

Even though our dinner reservations for our anniversary dinners get earlier each year (this year it was for 5:30) Tom continues to give his All and to make things special for me, and continues to bless my life! Tom is by far the BIGGEST blessing in my life!!! I will be ETERNALLY thankful to my Heavenly Father for giving me such a "Precious Eternal Companion"!!!

Tom you will for ever be my "Sweetheart"! Tom I LOVE and ADORE you ALWAYS and FOREVER!!!!!