Blessed twice on the same day

9 years ago today
Just as this little girl was being born...


Katelyn Michaele Thurgood


Dennis and I were getting engaged. He had asked me 10 days before. It was such a romantic evening at Roger Rockas for dinner and a play. Afterwards we were both sleepy and I thought he was taking me home. When I noticed we were on a different route I asked him where we were going. He said he wanted to show me something. Huh?

He drove into the parking lot of the Fresno Temple. The temple was just barely under construction at the time. All we could see was the cement foundation. He parked the car and we just sat there. I felt like he wanted to tell me something, and I knew what it was. He was having a hard time getting the words out. But it's not like I could help him. So we sat there and looked at the temple's foundation. I saw tears well up in his eyes and then he said, not even looking at me, "Will you marry me?"

I wanted to say yes. I felt I was suppose to say yes. But I couldn't. So we sat there a while longer and finally I said, "I don't know...I want to...but I don't know...Can I have some time?" I'm sure this was not the answer he was expecting. (Looking back how utterly CRAZY could I have been????)

He told me yes, to take some time and then let him know.

I asked him how much time I had. He said he wasn't going to wait forever.

The next day was Father's Day. I got my answer right during Sacrament meeting. Ammy Moore, in our ward at the time, mentioned her step father in a talk she was giving that day. She talked so fondly of him. I think my main concern was my boys...how would it affect them if I got remarried to a man who was not their father? I realized that just because it worked for Ammy Moore didn't mean it was going to work for my boys. Yet, there was something about the spirit of her talk, the spirit in that room on that day. I can't even explain it. Just that, I knew, in the middle of her talk.

Still, it took me another 9 days to get the courage to make the plunge and say yes. I called a florist in Corona where Den was living at the time. I asked them to send him some flowers with a card that said, "YES, I will marry you." It was months later that Den told me the florist actually wrote on the card, "YES, I will merry you." You would think "marry" would be one word a florist would know how to spell.

1999
So when Kris called to tell us that Katelyn had been born, we shared our news that we were engaged.

Happy 9th Birthday Katie!!
So happy we got to celebrate with you while you were here.
For more about Katie, check out the last 10 posts before Brock's episode. *smile*

8 comments:

Kris said...

Oh I loved reading that! I don't think I knew that story and I appreciate you sharing!

We love you both! I want you to know that the day you and Dad got married was one of the happiest days of my own life. I loved seeing Dad so happy.

And an added bonus was to have 4 new brothers in my life!

We are so blessed.

Kris said...

Oh, and thank you for sharing about Katie as well! What a fun birthday she had! She is our sweetheart.

Ammy said...

Jill I am so glad that I could have played that part in your life and was inspired to say the things that I said. Little did I know what you were going through and little did I know that I could have brought a spirit to sacrament meeting. I am so glad it was the right spirit and that I said what I did about my step dad. I always say that I miss my dad and I would love to have him here with us but I am so thankful to have Bryan (my stepdadp) in my life and in my childrens life.

The Gage Cage said...

I love Happy endings! I am so glad for both of you! So great!

threelittlebackseatdrivers.blogspot.com said...

I still remember being up at college and hearing that you had met someone,but I had not heard that full story, so fun...my mom sent me pictures of your bridal shower at a restaurant with all of the Clovis III ward gals...I was so happy you had found someone...what with Kat and Lorena and I being gone at college...who was going to come over and make sure you were ok? :) What ever became of the foster care thing? Is Sis. Maskovich still doing foster care?

Grandma Honey said...

NATALIE
We were going through the foster care classes, etc when Bill died. So I decided I better switch gears and concentrate on my own kids.
I don't know if I ever told you how much I loved all your visits back then. Tyler still has the box you made with him that he keeps all his dad's things in. You were and are amazing. Little Whitney Kate is a very blessed little girl.

Grandma Honey said...

NATALIE
Oh and Sheila finally stopped taking in foster care...after she adopted 3 of them.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know this part of the story! Wow! We are so grateful to have you in our life -- and so happy you said "yes." :)

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