Sep. 11 -A lot of Memories

September 11, 2011 brings to mind a lot of memories. Not only did the events of the day impact our nation, but other events of that day effected my family.

It was my sophomore year of high school and I was sitting in math class working. The teacher next door came over and told us what happened. Not ever really knowing much about the economics of our nation, I had no idea what the World Trade Center was, so I didn't completely understand the reality of what had happened. After watching the news for a little while, I soon understood why it was such a big deal. The news really hit me when I heard about the plane hitting the pentagon. The rest of the school day consisted of watching the news and discussing the events of the day. These events would be the ones that impact our nation for years to come.

My family experienced other events that afternoon that will never be forgotten as well. It was only 4 days earlier that my oldest brother's wife delivered their fourth child. For reasons only known to our Heavenly Father, this child never had the chance to live on earth. He would have been Tony and Angie's only boy, but he was needed in heaven more than we needed him here on earth.

It was Tuesday, Sep. 11, 20o1 that we buried our little angel. I remember wearing a dress to school that day because Mom would be picking me up and we would be going straight to the cemetery. It was a beautiful service for our little angel. Nathan will always be in our hearts! Still, to this day, I count him as one of my nephews when asked how many I have. He is our angel!

So, every year on September 11th, I reflect upon the life I have and the blessings that I have recieved. I also think about all those that have returned to the presence of our Heavenly Father to do the work they have been called to do. May we all remember and honor those who endure so much heartache and pain in losing loved ones.

Life is precious!

The sacredness of life has been weighing heavily on my mind this past weekend. I found out Friday night that the wife of a couple I had gone to high school with was killed in a tragic auto accident. As soon as I knew something was wrong, I asked a friend what happened. He told me the horrible news and I just started to cry. I wasn't personally close to these two people, but I would see them in the halls and had a lot of friends that were friends of theirs. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but feel deep anguish for what the husband is going through right now. My heart and prayers go out to him and his family. The couple was sealed in the temple last summer and have the promise of being together after this life. They have the gospel to cling to and the promises from our Lord and Savior that if they live righteously they can be with their loved ones again.

This tragedy has got me thinking about my own marriage and how precious it is. Though most of the tears were shed in behalf of this family, some of those tears fell as I thought about how I would feel if this happened to myself and Jared. I can't even imagine life without Jared. He is my best friend, my eternal companion, and my loving husband. In just the few short weeks that we have been married, I have grown to love this man more than I could have ever imagined!! I love him more than words can describe and am so incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to be sealed to him for eternity. He is an righteous priesthood holder who lifts me and blesses me everyday.

Jared, I love you this much!! 1234