We're getting married!

The morning of February 18th, 2022, we will have the wonderful opportunity to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Cedar City Utah temple. For those who are not familiar with this term, here is an excerpt from our church's website, churchofjesuschrist.org: "The scriptures call the authority to unite families forever the “sealing” power. This is the same authority Jesus gave the Apostle Peter to provide blessings on earth that will continue in heaven (see Matthew 16:19). Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness is ultimately to have you and your family live with Him forever. In sealing rooms within the temple, marriages between a man and a woman are performed. There, a man and a woman kneel and join hands across a sacred altar to be married for this life and for eternity. This eternal marriage is called a temple sealing, and children born into such marriages are also sealed to their families forever. Being sealed as a family is the crowning ordinance of the temple and the greatest of God’s blessings for His children. Those who are married civilly before they join the Church or before they are able to go to the temple can also be sealed together as husband and wife. After a couple is sealed, any children they already have can also be sealed to them. Knowing that families can be together forever brings peace and hope as you face the challenges of life, including the suffering and death of loved ones. If you are sealed to your family and remain faithful to your covenants, your family relationships will continue after death." We are so excited for the opportunity to share our eternities together! We intend this to be a very intimate ceremony and will be extending personal invitations to a small number of very close family and friends. However, we wanted to share our excitement with all of our friends and family with a civil marriage and dinner party the night before! We want you all to know that we feel your love and are grateful to each and every one of you!

Randall and I met on a dating app called Mutual. It was the end of March, 2021 when we started talking to each other through this app. It was also about that time when we both got the strong impression that we were going to marry each other. Of course we didn't reveal this information to each other for awhile! We instantly clicked with each other. But unfortunately, the week we met was also the week Randall contracted Covid. So our first in-person meeting would have to wait. After a couple weeks of texting all day every day, we decided on a movie night. We had been talking about a movie that is a guilty pleasure of mine, Steel Magnolias, and we decided to watch that. For those who have seen this movie, it is really quite depressing as one of the main characters dies in the end. BUT I DIDN'T REMEMBER THIS. So for our very first date, I'm sitting next to the man I am crushing on hard, the man I know I am going to marry one day- watching a super depressing chick flick. *Facepalm* Once it ends, obviously we need to change the mood, so we watched Home Alone! Despite the unfortunate choice of movie, Randall still managed to make me laugh and we made plans for a second date. I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have Randall in my life and I know he feels the same way about me and the kids. I love that man.

Randall invited me to go to dinner at an overlook above Cedar City. The road was winding and there were lots of trees on the side of the road, so it was hard to see past them. But when the trees cleared, my breath caught as I looked out at an aerial view of the entire city! We found a spot to pull over and ate our dinner together, perched on a boulder. Shoulder to shoulder, we watched the town beneath us silently go on with their day. The wind was cool and carried the scent of pine. A deer, not too far off, stared at us as she evaluated our intentions then scampered off into the trees. It was already turning out to be a perfect evening. When Randall turned to tell me just how special the time he's spent with me and the kids has been, all I could think about was just how lucky WE were to have HIM. He stood from our seat on the boulder and carefully knelt next to me, pulling a ring from his pocket. The words "Will you marry me?" rang more beautifully than any birdsong, laughter, or symphony. I could have jumped and soared over that city, my heart was so light with joy. I'm truly so grateful to have found Randall and for the privilege of being his fiancé and wife. And now we can return to that gorgeous spot overlooking our home and remember the words we spoke, the things we felt, and the promises we made.