Happy 6 Years To Us

Tonight as I was cleaning the kitchen I yelled to Cody from across the room (we could barely hear over the chaos of our children) "Hey, could you have imagined 6 years ago that our lives would be like this today?" He just shook his head and laughed. Lauren was climbing up into the refrigerator, Hailey was cheering her on, the sound of "Star Wars" was blasting from the surround sound, Ethan was jumping on the couch, and my shirt was covered in the days festivities. What a life we have formed in these six years and we wouldn't trade it for anything.

Cody and I met during a time when I was least looking for love. In fact, a mission was on the horizon for me and I was busy with school. George W. Bush was about to be elected president and it was fall 2000. It's amazing how one late-night study session in the library would change both our lives forever. I was in Texas, he was in Utah. We both happened to be online that night checking our email on an old college alumni-type website. That site is no longer in existence but things like Myspace and Facebook have since taken it's place.

Long story short, we began chatting and he helped me with my Spanish. He had served a mission to Chile and had an under graduate degree in Spanish. This mystery person was currently working on a masters degree in public health at the University of Utah. I was just trying to get my act together, trying to decided what in the world to major in and what to do with my life. Cody and I became regular email penpals and I looked forward to my daily messages from him. It was usually something silly like "Hey Veronica, today I'm going to tell you about my dog Maggie who I'd had since I was a kid......" We got to know each other that way. We'd send short letters back and forth about random things from our lives.

During those months we never once spoke on the phone or heard each other's voices. In fact, we had only seen one picture of each other. But during this time Cody grew to be one of my dearest friends. Sometime in February I was having boy trouble with a certain guy in my ward and I needed an objective third party point of view. Cody and I talked on the phone for the first time that night. We were instantly hooked on this new form of communication and we started talking on the phone at least once a day.

Oh there is so much I'm leaving out because it's too long to write, but between trips back and forth to see each other and enormous phone bills, we decided to jump in feet first and try out a relationship. I was 21 and he was 27. On June 1st, 2001 he flew down to Texas, helped me pack everything into my little car, and the two of set out on this adventure that has since turned into an eternal marriage, 3 kids, 2 mortgages, 2 cars, debt, heartache, tears, laughter, ups and downs, fights, and more joy than we could have ever imagined.

We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 1, 2002 and we have never looked back. We have had our share of pain and disappointment, but we have also been blessed in more ways than we'll ever be able to comprehend. Cody truely is my best friend and although he's by far imperfect, there's no one I would rather have by my side during this journey we call eternity. I love you Cody. Here's to another 6 years with my hand in yours!