June 9, 1995

Let me tell you about a fateful day, 15 years ago today.

I was 17. Young with entire life ahead of me. I was in High School and on the Drill Team and that kept me busy and in decent shape. I had also recently decided to try my hand at jogging and I would run almost 3 miles a day. I had long permed hair and dark tanned skin. That day I had decided to wear a sundress with sunflowers on it on top of a cream short sleeved shirt and to finish it off, black sandals with a small heel. I had a HUGE zit on my nose that hurt SOOO much, grr, maybe it was from working at Arby's as a Cashier.

That day, me and one of my best friends, Nicky Hart, were going to see the movie "While You Were Sleeping". For some reason, my mom had snapped a picture of me and Nicky on this day (I wish I had a scanner to share this pic). I remember that it was at the Mann Theatre (5400 South and 2200 West). We had a great time visiting with each other, but Nicky had to hurry and get me home for my BLIND DATE that night.

Another one of my best friends, Jami Nelson had been dating this guy, Greg Lovato for a few months and I knew Greg had an older brother and I had been telling him that he should set me up with him. I had met Greg a few months earlier when he just appeared in my Religious Education class with his West Jordan High's Letterman's jacket and we had become instant friends...jokingly calling each other "brother" and "sister" because of our last names being the same. Greg called me on June 9th and told me that his brother wouldn't stop bugging him about going out on a date with me. We had agreed that the four of us would go out together that night. After Greg's call and before my time with Nicky..my mom and I grabbed the yearbook and checked out his picture.

When he pulled up, my mom was in awe of his car, a 1978 Camaro. He came in the house to meet my parents, he was wearing a dark green "Deer Valley" shirt and tight white jeans. My dad asked him what our plans were, he mentioned bowling and I told him that I better get some socks (remember, I am wearing sandals-and he thought that I was pretty smart for thinking ahead). We went to eat at a Pizza Hut in Sandy, which is no longer there-btw. Then we went to go bowling in Sandy as well. After bowling, we head back to their house. We watched "Malice", at least a little bit of it. I had to be home early because I was taking the ACT test the next day. It was a nice first date with Mathew Laurence Lovato, my future husband!! Who would have known!! There was so much about him that I admired-that he had a car, that he had a job (a Tire Technician at Grandma's Tires), that he was going to school up at the University of Utah, that he was CATHOLIC (a rare find). He was everything I wanted.

Throughout the years we have had our ups and downs for sure. But from day one, I know that he has always been there for me. We got engaged October 31, 1997. We called it off January 1998 but got re-engaged on October 31, 1998. We built our first house in May 1999. We were married June 12, 1999. We had our first child in 2004 and our second in 2007. We built our second home in December 2008. We have been with each other through hard times like losing his grandparents, his mother, our dog, my cousin. Yet there have been so many great times and great achievements, like us both getting our Bachelors Degrees and him getting his Masters. We have been by each others sides during promotions at work (figuratively and literally because we both work for the same company). I really can not imagine going through this journey of life with anyone else. He is my best friend, my confidant, my security, my hope, my dreams, the one who I would rather spend time with more than anyone else. He is a a great dad, a hard worker, an honest person who is independant, smart with money and who seems only to become better looking with age. I can't believe that it has been 15 years...but now I look back and can't imagine my life with ANYONE else, I can't imagine my life without him...and I hope that I never have to.

Matt, if you are reading this..here is to our future....for many more years to come..I know the best is YET to come. Happy 15th year of knowing each other Anniversary babe. Also...on Saturday...Happy 11th WEDDING Anniversary. I am still shocked about how time flies...but how some things stay the same-like how you are always "home" to me. I LOVE YOU!