Just Thoughts

So this is a picture of Dan while in the Navy. It was near the time he was done with his enlistment. I can only tell by the rank on his sleeve. Dan isn't real fond of this picture, but I really like it.

I have been thinking a lot lately about fate. What is fate really? Does it actually exist? Or is it that we were doing what we should have been at a certain moment? One could argue that it's the same, but I'm not sure that it is. I feel like there is a difference between something just happening because of some kind of cosmic thing, and listening to your "gut" and following it, even if it seems illogical. I have been in a lot of discussion lately regarding Dan and I and the fact that we are together and doing pretty well. We have a home and 4 children and are now raising teenagers. I don't feel like it was fate, but I truly feel that we were supposed to be together. We simply followed the illogical path and listened to our "gut". We have had the opportunity to go through some pretty hard things, but I believe that we are the perfect match for each other. One balances the other. Many of the things that have been going on lately in our family have been things that we have had to really listen to each other and what we really "feel" is correct. Our lives have been and could still be changing. Once again, we are chosing to take the illogical path that we aren't sure where it will lead us; however, we know that however and wherever we end up it will be the right place for our family.

This is a picture of me, before we were married, sitting at Dan's parent's house after coming home from church. Dan's family used to make homemade burritos on Sunday's. Dan and I would go there and have burritos, then go to my house and have dinner. Sometimes we stopped off at the Thomas' and had taco's as well. We called it dinner hopping. Sometimes we would bring Stephen along as well. We usually ended up at M&M's (Marsha & Mike) house for dessert or something. Good thing we had better metabolisms then. Life was good and fairly carefree then.

As I said before, I have been thinking about these times a lot lately . It wouldn't be hard to look back and say "Oh my gosh, I was crazy", but it is quite the opposite for me. Dan and I really are the completion of each other. I see this in many people. My wish is that more people would see their significant other that way.

This is a picture of Dan and I with Stephen. The three of us could be found together at almost any time. As we now have 2 teenage kids we have started to understand and more appreciate the importance of having good friends. We stayed together and helped each other through A LOT of things as teenagers. Again, I believe that it isn't fate, we were looking for good friends and found them. If I had not met Stephen I probably wouldn't have met Dan, and if I had not met Shannon, she may have never met Stephen. One more was added to complete our little group and we still to this day are friends who are there for each other. Not as much as before because life gets busy and things pull you away, but still there. Shannon will kill me for putting this pic in here, but it is so far the only one I can find. We were always

together. The 4 of us even went through the Temple and were sealed to our spouses and our kids on the same day. Not sure why I can't find more pics. Just four days ago we were all sitting around talking about what things are going on in our lives and making plans. Good friends are important. There is no argument there.

My hope is that those out there who are looking for answers as to why things happen will listen to what their hearts tell them. Keep good friends and give their loved ones credit for the part they play in their lives. Things don't just happend for no reason, there is always a reason, it's just a matter of looking for it and then following what you know to be right. Even if it seems illogical. Dan and I are living proof of that.

~Christy