Gratitude # 16

So where did all of these grandchildren start?  I guess with Joe.  I met Joe's sister first and she was always trying to set me up with her brother.  I can honestly say the first day we met we were less than impressed with each other.  Our church was having a summer BBQ.  Joe had just gotten out of the hospital after a week.  (He still looked like a sick ghost.)  I walked into the park with a large group of girls.  (He said I looked like the leader of a gang.)  The thing that got us together was young adults.  We got to know each other there and to make a long story short the rest is history.  

Joe has had a calming influence on me.  Joe has always been very quiet.  I have always been the one that wanted to yell and rant and rave.  But not Joe.  Whenever I would get mad, Joe would become silent.  I soon learned I could not argue with him.  So, when I would calm down I could talk to him in a rational manner.  Most of the time just calming down would help me to see the problem more clearly and any problems were easier to solve from there.  

Another great influence on our marriage has been the church.  The scriptures, a living prophet, a knowledge that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that He lived and died for us, has given our marriage a solid foundation to build upon.  I always wonder what people do if they don't have a common goal to work toward.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has given us that.

We have two goals that I look froward to doing together.  One we have had since we were married and that is to serve a mission together.  Now that we have a temple in our area our other goal is to serve in the temple together.  We still have a few years until retirement, and the bodies are wearing out, but we look forward to serving the Lord in any way we can.

Life just keeps getting better and better!  I love you Joe!