How We Met

      Lyle and I met on a blind date.  My best friend lived in his ward and told me about someone she'd like to set me up with.  It was December and I had tickets to an acapella group's Christmas concert.  We met at my friend's house so she could introduce us and then we went to the concert together.
     My friend had told me that Lyle is a quiet person when you first meet him and then when you get to know him, he opens up more.  This, I have found out, is true most of the time.  I didn't have a problem with that since I can be outgoing.  I remember thinking part way through the date, 'I thought she said he was quiet.  He's been talking a lot more than I thought he would.'  For some reason Lyle felt pretty comfortable with me right off and so I never saw the quiet side of him that I now notice he shows to most people when they meet him.
     That date was a success and the very next day Lyle came to my primary program (I was serving as Primary President at the time) to see me.  We had a few more dates in the next few weeks.  I was a little nervous getting involved with someone again and Lyle wanted to see me more often.  I was pretty heartless and made him wait a whole month before I was ready to see him more than once a week!  Can you believe it?
     During this time I met Taylor and Annie.   The first time I met them, Lyle brought them on a date and they showed up at my doorstep with flowers for me.  We went to Jungle Jim's and I rode some of the rides with them.  Taylor was 8 and Annie was 6. Annie and I found out that our birthdays are 3 days apart.  The kids from the beginning were very nice and accepting of me and fun to be with too.
     Lyle and I decided pretty quickly that we belonged together.  In February we went to visit Lyle's sister in Arizona with the kids and Lyle's parents.  While we were there Lyle proposed to me in the celestial room of the Mesa temple.  Wait to get it right, babe!  I don't think there could have possibly been a better place!
     During the months of our engagement, Lyle and I got to know each other even more and I had some of my first experiences taking on a parental role to his kids.  The  relationships with Lyle and with the kids were challenging but very rewarding.  At the end of July Lyle and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple.

     Both Lyle and I had been married before so we were partially prepared to live together, but thankfully we've had a great marriage.  It gets difficult sometimes, but not only do we love each other, we've also committed to work out any issues that would cause a problem between us.  And so our marriage has been quite a different experience for us from our first attempts.  We've grown a great deal and learned much.  We've been married for 5 years now and still happy together.  Love you, Lyle!

Laura

P.S. Didn't Taylor look good?  I think so considering he cut a chunk of his own hair off a couple of days before the wedding!