My Royal Wedding. Happy Anniversary!

So this past Friday was the "Royal Wedding." I didn't really get that into it, but I do admit that I did watch some parts of it online throughout the day.  It certainly was fun to see a "Prince" marry a now "Princess".  I thought Kate looked very elegant and all of the tradition and pomp surrounding the actual marriage was rather intriguing and beautiful...the grandeur of the building, the long walk through the Abbey, the Carriage awaiting the newlyweds, the balcony wave and kiss, the feathered hats, and of course the dress.  William and Kate had the world watching their wedding and their every move...

3 Years ago, today, I got to have my own "Royal Wedding".  It didn't involve crowds of people, carriages, or fancy hats, but it very much was a "royal" occasion.  Ben and I were married for time and all eternity in the Portland, Oregon LDS Temple, a beautiful castle for our Savior and King and his royal children.

There was not a huge, elaborate ceremony with long walks down the aisle or fancy hats, but a simple, intimate gathering of our most loved in a single room; and a sweet, perfect covenant to join two hearts, souls, and lives as one.

This is a picture of the Vancouver, B.C temple sealing room, not Portland, but the room we were sealed in is very similar.

 There were not huge crowds of people watching our every move, or waiting for us outside of the Temple, but I'm sure there were many spirits rejoicing in heaven to see us together in the Temple.

Of course we had a Celebration later that evening with all of our friends and family who could make it!

OUR STORY
Ben and I met in the year 2000. We were both Freshmen in High School and we were in the same early morning Seminary class. I thought he was goofy and immature and didn't really care for him as anything more than an acquaintance. I'm not sure he even noticed me back then. :)  He was really good friends with a lot of my girlfriends, but I didn't really get to know him until our Junior year in High School.  We had always been in the same Seminary class and by Junior year, it seemed like a lot of our friends were mutual. Towards the end of Junior year, our groups of friends started hanging out together and we started developing crushes on each other. It was around prom time and there were rumors among friends that Ben was going to ask me.  Well, he didn't...he had some excuse like he was too busy or something. ;)  So I asked him instead!  Junior Prom 2003 was our very 1st date.  It was lovely!

Junior Prom 2003

We dated all of Senior year. From here, the rest is history.  I went to BYU, dated other guys, Ben went on his mission to the West Indies.  The first time we spent some time together when he got back from his mission (July 2007), we both knew that we would get married. 

This is Ben's first night after he got home from his mission.  We knew we were meant to be!

Ben proposed on August 18, 2007...just before I headed back to BYU and he stayed in WA to work and do some school at the community college.

Right after he proposed!

Ben moved down to Utah in January of 2008 and we got to spend the last 4 months of our engagement actually in the same vicinity! We were married in the Portland, Oregon Temple on May 3, 2008.

Since then, I have graduated from BYU, taught a year at an elementary school, we took a trip to visit Ben's Mission, we had a baby girl, we lived in Washington D.C. for 4 months, we are about to have our 2nd baby girl, and Ben is almost done with school at BYU. It has been a fabulous 3 years and I look forward to the rest of eternity with my best friend!