The Best Family Home Evening Ever - A Love Letter (of sorts)

Dear everyone in the world (and I guess especially the people who read this blog),

I want to write you in letter format today to tell you that I have the most amazing (future) wife in the world.  I apologize to those who don't agree with that statement.  You don't have to, but it's my blog.

First of all, she makes me so happy.  There are many days where I think about exactly what I'm getting myself into in getting married.  I'm instantly reminded of the way she laughs with me, cries with me, and just loves every part of me.  She knows exactly what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling, and strives to make our lives joyful.

I feel so ungrateful when I am confused at the way she does things sometimes.  I'm learning that if I just let her do things, they turn out so much more beautifully and better than I would have thought possible.  Plus, her love of the gospel and her constant desire to do what is right is a reminder to me of how far I still need to progress in the gospel.  The thought that someone as wonderful as her would want to sacrifice educational and vocational plans in order to be with me is simply mind-boggling.

She is very creative, and is always up for a challenge.  I suppose I am often one of those challenges.  She is patient with me and my crazy behavior.  She enjoys exploring the skills she already possesses, and discovering new ways of doing things.  I mean, she loves cooking complicated, delicious meals.  Could I be any more blessed?

No, Glen, I don't think you could be.  Heavenly Father has given me an incredible gift, and I know there isn't any way that I could have attracted a more perfect young woman.  I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for helping me find Hayley (and convince her to marry me).  And I'm grateful to Hayley for the many times we share together that I often feel I don't deserve to be having.

Eternal Marriage

That's how many days I have until I get married.  Exactly seven weeks from this afternoon, and I'll be sealed (married for time and all eternity in a temple of the Lord) to my favorite person in the whole world forever and ever (and then a little longer).  I think that inside the Church marriage can appear a little more serious than outside the Church, or at least a little more stressful.  I mean, if things work out the way they are supposed to, and there are life events that create less-than-ideal circumstances, this is the person you will be with, not only for the rest of your life, but for all eternity.  And to others it might seem like 22-year-old college students aren't mature enough to make that big of a decision.  What is often forgotten is the Lord's role in the decision-making process.  After all, the marriage covenant is a three-way covenant between husband, wife and the Lord.  Additionally, in my mind, we are commanded to marry, if we have the opportunity to, and the Lord has promised multiple times in the scriptures that He will help us keep His commandments.  That is why I can make this extremely important and eternal decision calmly, especially at such a relatively young age.  I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and that, especially now that I've made my choice, this is the person I'm supposed to marry.

So, while I'm nervous about whether I'll remember to do everything I can to make my wife happy every day, and other little things, I'm not nervous about whether this is the right thing to do.  I already know it is.

True Medal Count

Once again, I've improved on the methods of others to make things make sense to me.  Of course, there's probably some tweaking that needs to be done.

Used to determine winner of each event.
Winner of most events is overall winner.

Archery - South Korea (7 pts.)
Athletics - United States (44.5 pts.)
Badminton - China (14 pts.)
Basketball - United States (4 pts.)
Boxing - Great Britain (8.5 pts.)
Canoeing - Germany (12 pts.)
Cycling - Great Britain (21 pts.)
Diving - China (17.5 pts.)
Equestrian - Great Britain (8.5 pts.)
Fencing - Italy (11 pts.)

Field Hockey - Netherlands (3.5 pts.)

Football - Mexico/United States (2 pts.)
Gymnastics - China (19 pts.)
Handball - France/Norway (2 pts.)
Judo - Japan (9.5 pts)
Modern Pentathlon - Czech Republic/Lithuania (2 pts.)
Rowing - Great Britain (14 pts.)
Sailing - Great Britain (8 pts.)
Shooting - China (10 pts.)
Swimming - United States (51.5 pts.)
Synchronized Swimming - Russia (4 pts.)
Table Tennis - China (11 pts.)
Taekwondo - Spain (5 pts.)
Tennis - United States (7 pts.)
Triathlon - Great Britain/Switzerland (2 pts.)
Volleyball - Brazil (6 pts.)
Water Polo - Croatia/United States (2 pts.)
Weightlifting - China (13 pts.)
Wrestling - Russia (16 pts.)

Overall totals:
China - 6 events
Great Britain - 5.5 events
United States - 5 events
Russia - 2 events
Brazil - 1 event
Germany - 1 event
Italy - 1 event
Japan - 1 event
Netherlands - 1 event
South Korea - 1 event
Spain - 1 event
Croatia - 0.5 events
Czech Republic - 0.5 events
France - 0.5 events
Lithuania - 0.5 events
Mexico - 0.5 events
Norway - 0.5 events
Switzerland - 0.5 events

The Story of How We Met - My side again - Part 2

Hayley reminded me that I never finished this story, so I decided I had better tell the next part of it.  Click here if you missed Part 1.

The next year, I had my summer fairly planned out.  I was going to the World Scout Jamboree in England, attending SOAR for myself at BYU, and competing in FBLA Nationals in Chicago (where I ended up taking first in Computer Applications, but that's another story).  That left me with one week where I could go to camp, so I wasn't expecting to get paid at all.  I volunteered.

When I arrived, they assigned me to work in scoutcraft, helping the scouts earn the Totin' Chip.  As much fun as it was to repeat myself over and over in demonstrating ax safety, it got old quick.  But the shortage of staff at camp soon came to the rescue.

I soon found out that they were in need of help in the kitchen.  I instantly volunteered, knowing that anywhere was better than where I was.  And that was where I first met Hayley.  She had, through a series of strange circumstances that are beyond the scope of my side of the story, become the head cook at camp.  I ended up staying until the end of the day.  When I was leaving, I asked if she needed anything else.  She mentioned that she was going to be there the next morning at 5 to start getting breakfast ready.  I ended up being at the kitchen at 5 every morning that week.  And then Saturday came, and I went home.