12 Years of PURE BLISS!!

Who knew that you could wake up every morning and fall in love all over again! And who knew it could go on and on like that for the past 12 years! Every morning I wake up and see Ray next to me and I am reminded of how lucky of a woman I am. September 20, 1997 were were sealed together for all time and eternity in the Toronto Temple. Yep, that's us in the picture below just walking out of the temple for the first time as

Mr. & Mrs. Forbes....YEAH! :)

How did we meet?

ldssingles.com....Ya, I know! Still seems wierd when we actually say it out loud "We met online!" But let me share a little something with you. I was from a very small branch and stake. Singles were few let me just put it that way. I was a senoir in high school still. I had just turned 19. When i met him online and found out he lived close to me it was simply a "that's cool. Someone to go to the activities with" He was everything I was NOT looking for!!!

Return missionary?---NO

My age?---NO

Non-military?---NO

Worthy priesthood holder?---YES

Member?---YES

Gets along fabulously with family?---YES

(after a few background checks from my dad that worked on the post he was stationed on:)

OK, so the list goes on and there seems to be a few more yes than no answers...but the no answers were a big deal to me at the time! Not to mention, there was another girl online that was very fond of him as well as him for her. Nope, not interested in dating whatsoever! So we hooked up at the next singles pot-luck dinner and fireside at the stake. Now, keep in mind, the only picture I ever saw of him was in his full Marine dress uniform, hat on and and the picture was a full shot about 1 1/2 inches tall on the computer monitor! He had an advantage because he had my senior picture that was a face shot. So blah, blah, blah....we meet, we talk and next thing I know, he starts riding home with my dad from the military post more and more often.

When did we know?

I can't name the exact moment, but it was pretty quick. We met online April 24th, the day after my 19th birthday. By mid-May we were exclusive.

Engagment?

On June 14th we went for a drive to go to the 1000 Island Sky Deck with my parents. 400 foot high sky deck! Mom isn't all that into heights so she stayed in the car. Dad went up with us and back down alone. After dad left he got down on one knee and proposed. How could I say no 400 feet up in the air??!! Somehow my parents knew it was going to happen. I think a little birdy told them! We looked over the edge and they had "Say yes" written on top of the van...lol

That was a saturday and monday was my last day of school. Weird, I know! So I got to go back to school with my new engagment ring on. One of my dear friends kept dragging me around and showing everyone. She was too funny!

We flew to Salt Lake for a big 4th of july picnic for the singles online. We were one of 2 engaged couples from there. The site was still pretty new when we met. Now it is huge! You can still read our success story somwhere around page 260. And of course, by September 20th we were married. And yes, all in 1997!I can't explain the love that grows for each other more and more each day. I only wish everyone could experience it! It truly has been 12 years of pure bliss being married to each other! We are looking forward to many more!