What a Memorable Day!

May 19, 2001 was a memorable day for Adam and I. It is the day we got married. Seven years ago today we were racing for the LA Temple. My parents were driving me there in their car and Adam and his best friends were driving him in their car.

Everything was going so smoothly until I see Brian, Adam's friend driving, pull up along side of my parents car. I wave to him and think nothing of it. Brian starts honking the horn and then Adam, who is trying to get my attention, starts waving papers in his hand. I think, "what is he doing?" and continue to wave and smile. And then BAM! It hits me. The paperwork had been forgotten at my parents' house. We were about halfway to the Temple at this point in time. I frantically tell my mom and dad what has happened and my mom immediately whips out her cell phone to start calling everyone who might be anywhere in the general vicinity to their house to get the paperwork. She called her best friend, my uncle, my sisters, my brothers, (who were all in from out-of-town), more friends, but with no luck. No paperwork in the car and no one who is answering their cell phone.

So, what is a dad to do to fix his daughter's wedding day? He pulls off the I-10 freeway in some who knows if I'm going to live 10 more seconds kind of a neighborhood. My dad's parting words to us were, "don't ask me how to get out of here, or back on the freeway, because I don't know myself. I'll see you there." My mom and I (along with my dress of course) jump into the car where Adam and his friends are and off we go. Brian, the great (and single) guy that he is was making light of the situation reassuring us that we would have a story to tell about our wedding day. I didn't want any stories. This day was suppose to be PERFECT! Except for now my mom asks me "Janet, where's your recommend?" Yep, folks you guessed it. It was in the car that my dad was driving that is headed in the completely opposite direction as us, back to the house to get the paperwork. In the meantime, I called the house phone and left a message for my dad telling him my purse was in the trunk of the car and that I needed that along with the paperwork when he got back to the Temple.

We arrived at the Temple, explained our situation to the matrons there, and then I burst into tears. MY day has been ruined!!!! The kind sweet matron explained that this happens frequently and I was NOT the only one. (Quick side note, the sealing was suppose to take place at 10:00 a.m. When we arrived at the temple it was 8:30) Adam and I waited for what seemed like forever in the foyer of the Temple. We watched family members file in and then look at us with the look of "what are you doing out here? What's going on?" A brief explanation to them later and off they went to wait and wait in the Chapel. The matron took my dress back to the dressing room and had it waiting for me for when I eventually get back there

Adam and I decided to go outside and walk around the Temple grounds, which were amazing! We were outside for about 45 minutes when I saw my dad at the bottom of the hill and he was already back to the Temple?! (A one way trip from my parents' house to the Temple, with out traffic, living with "Lady Luck" and on a really, really, really good day is 45 minutes. My dad made the round trip in 45 minutes. He, to this day, has never confessed as to how fast he was driving on the freeway. We don't want to know.) My dad rolled down the window dropped the paperwork and my purse, literally, into my hands and Adam and I ran into the Temple. We got back to the room, another worker looked at the paperwork, and finds a problem with it. Are you kidding me?! A quick call to Salt Lake City and President Monson who told President Davies to go ahead and marry us and if there were further issues, the sealing would be cancelled, but we would be married for time and the day could go on.

After getting into my dress and ready to go into the Celestial Room, our families were gathered (finally) into a Sealing Room. When we finally arrived into the Sealing Room (45 minutes later than our appointment), we were married for eternity.

It didn't start out perfect, but that day certainly ended perfectly! I am so grateful that Adam and I were married in the LA Temple. We have had our ups and downs in the last seven years. But, we have been blessed beyond measure no matter the ups or the downs.

Happy Anniversary, Love. I love you more than you will ever know. I look forward to many more years and eternity with you.