How did we get so lucky as to stumble on one another? Here is our love story...
When I was 20, I (Janalyn) graduated from Ricks College with an Associates Degree. After getting the degree I was determined to go to Utah State University for a Bachelors Degree, because I have always loved Logan, Utah. I lived there and worked full time to save the money I would need for the Elementary Education program, and to become a Utah resident. When I finally hit the one year mark of living in Logan, Heavenly Father threw me a curve ball.
It was announced by President Hinckley that Ricks College was now to become a University and students would be able to obtain a bachelor degree there. When he spoke those words, I really felt like President Hinckley was talking directly to me. I felt like I should go back to freezing cold Rexburg and get my degree.
Meanwhile, Jake was on a 2 year mission in Ecuador for the Church that we belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was literally having the time of his life, and growing in so many ways. He did not have a girlfriend before he left on his mission and thought that it would take him years to find "the one."
So while Jake was on his mission, I was studying in college and had the time of my life with some very fun roommates. One of which was Jake's sister Heidi. Heidi and I quickly became friends and we stayed up late talking, laughing, and just having fun. One day she showed me a picture of her brother. I thought he was gorgeous and I really remember thinking, "That looks exactly like the guy that would go perfectly with me. He looks just as I pictured my husband would look." I didn't want Heidi to think that I would use our friendship to get close to her brother, but I would sneak into her room to look at that picture-no kidding!
So, because Heidi is such a cutie, she got snatched up and engaged quickly and was getting married 2 days after Jake was to return home from his mission. I agreed to go to Salt Lake to see her after she got married, and to go to the wedding reception. That is when Jake and I met. He didn't know that almost the first girl he talked to after he got off that plane would be the girl he would marry! We saw each other and Jake says he noticed my blond hair and thought I was pretty. I noticed how tall, dark and handsome he is, but I wondered if we would connect spiritually and in a friendship.
I went to Jake's mission homecoming, when he was in church and relating experiences about his mission and sharing his testimony. When he shared his testimony, I looked at him and was amazed. His desires were identical to mine, I felt like he was reading my mind. I was so moved by the sweetness that he had about him, I was crying.
Jake and I met up at college, because he too had decided to go to BYU-Idaho. Of all the luck! We started dating and everything went very smoothly. On our dates we would talk for hours, and the pace that we dated was perfect for us. We dated for about 7 months and were married about a year after we met. Looking back on our courtship, Jake and I realize that not only are we extremely lucky that things worked out to find each other, but God's hand was in our love story. We have differences in personality, but when it comes to core personality and values, we are so similar it's uncanny. We have been married since 2003, and we believe that our friendship and love will grow forever!
