Three

August 1st. A beautiful day this year as it has been the last several. Todd and I started our anniversary the usual way, although we did actually have to celebrate on July 31st since the 1st was a Sunday. We got up in the morning and put on our Sunday best. The temple grounds were as beautiful as they were three years ago. I know a lot of people choose any temple except the Provo temple, citing the reason "It's ugly." However, I disagree. I think our wedding pictures turned out beautiful- though I must admit the grounds are much prettier now than they were before they were reconstructed. The flowers are brightly colored and the fountains add a serene atmosphere. Plus the symbolism of the building adds to the spiritual nature of whole experience. I admit it is a simple design, but I don't think it needs to be fancy. Anyway, enough of my soap box. It was wonderful to kneel across the altar from Todd and remember the promises we made together three years ago. It is one of my favorite traditions.

If you look in this picture (unless it's too small), you can see our reflection in the windows of the Temple:

Anyway, I wish you could see the pictures bigger, the colors are so vibrant. I think our pictures turned out wonderfully. I just thought I would prove how pretty my temple can be.

For lunch we ate at Mimi's, which is where our wedding luncheon was held. We also went there on our first date and always seem to enjoy ourselves when we go there.

We came home and relaxed for a while, then drove up to Park City, stopping along the way to catch the view of the lake. We drove around for a while, then ate at Jean Louis Restaurant. We were very impressed with the food. I was smart enough to order one of the specials that wasn't listed on the menu, but being a special I assumed it would be cheaper or at least within the same price range as the other dishes, so I didn't ask the price. Instead I spent $10 more than I would have on my second choice of a meal. Todd comforted me by telling me it was ok, I deserved something nice, and that we hadn't spent money on anything else so a few extra dollars was no big deal. He is so sweet. He got some "Les Escargots Classiques" which I of course did not taste. How do people eat snails anyway? However, Todd thoroughly enjoyed them so I was ok to watch.

My expensive steak:

Todd eating his tuna, which is the main reason we chose this restaurant. He wasn't disappointed.

I know I recently gloated about my husband, but what better time to throw out a few nice words than when talking about our anniversary. He isn't perfect. Sometimes he still drives me crazy with his procrastination or his seeming inability to keep anything picked up. But he tries. He works hard, and any time I tell him something I am worried about or struggling with, he does little things to make my life just a bit easier. I recently taught a lesson in my "Marriage and Family Relations" class about the role of mothers. I only teach every other week, and the week before was the class on Father's roles taught by a high council member. While I listened I was thinking about my upcoming lesson on Mothers. I almost started tearing up as I realized how much Todd had taught me about the role of being a woman and a mother.

I have struggled my whole life with wondering how important I really am as a girl, clouded by the millennia of the world's treatment of women as less than men. Even today with all of the women's rights stuff I still had a hard time appreciating my part as a woman. But that day I realized that I haven't really wondered about that stuff lately. For quite a while actually. And then I realized that the reason it hasn't been bothering me, is because Todd does understand the value and the role of women. One day he came home, so excited to tell me about a scripture about how "a virtuous woman is worth far above rubies" or something like that, implying that to him, I am worth much more than any precious stone. He gets somber and reverent when he tells me what a good mom he thinks I'll be, and how that is one of the things that attracted him to me most. His grades have gone from basically worthless before his mission to almost all A's, and he spends a lot of time and energy studying so that he will be able to provide for me- not because he thinks it's a woman's place to stay home as some might, but because he understands the eternal nature and importance of a mother's role in the home with her children.

In church we often hear about how women need to support the priesthood holders, and how while only men hold the priesthood, it couldn't have it's full power without the women's support. But what I realized more and more as I prepared my lesson, is how much we need the support of men to be able to fulfill our potential. I feel so lucky to have such a great guy that understands my responsibilities as a woman and helps me to see them myself. Who could ask for more than a husband who makes her feel not only worthwhile, but priceless.