Celebrating 24 years of Bliss!

Ana: I met Alan January 1984 on my way to church. My good friend and roommate Diane Bender introduced us. My first impression was; He was so good looking but what an ugly suit!

Alan: Are you kidding? It was shiny and silver and was very flashy! But yes, I'll agree. I was good looking. However, I was nothing compared to that sweet-looking Latin babe I saw with Diane.

Ana: I honestly thought he was more interested in Diane. I really thought I didn't have a chance. After our first meeting I saw him everywhere I went. I got flustered every time he talked to me and I would run away.

Alan: It wasn't easy to pin her down. Just when I thought we might have time to get to know each other better, she'd find an excuse to leave. But I guess it's true that a hunter is much more interested in a challenge. Indeed, she was a challenge in the beginning.

Ana: Long story short, I finally gave in on March 31, 1984 at a Stake activity. He hugged me and melted my heart . I was hooked!!!

Alan: Ana won me over with her athletic ability. It was actually the stake olympics. She won the sit up, pull up and push up competition. I think she may have won a ribbon, but that's hardly enough of a reward. I hugged and congratulated her, took her out for ice cream, and we crashed a dance on campus. The kiss came later that night after an evening of heightened anticipation. What lips! What warmth! I had to have more of that.

Ana: Oh yes, the kiss was good, right before he kissed me he sang to me "If I Fell" by the Beatles. If I wasn't hooked before the song and the kiss sealed the deal!! From that day on were together every day and night for a whole week, until I got cold feet.

Alan: And what was that about? Here things are going great guns and she slams on the brakes! She wanted some time alone, perhaps a week or two. I think we lasted one day before the sparks brought us together again.

Ana: Not to worry one day was all I needed to know I couldn't live without him. Hey, I'm not a stupid girl! Anyway, We got engaged May 24, 1984. Banana splits for everyone!!!

Alan: We decided to get married long before we looked at rings. And it was going to take a while to have hers sized. She didn't know when it would be ready, and I picked it up without her knowledge. That night, we were planning to go out, but I did some home teaching first. I arrived a little late and Ana was upset with me for not letting her know. So I said, "So you think I should have given you a ring?"

She said, "Yes!"

And so I did. I pulled the ring out of my pocket and gave it to her.

Ana: I screamed at the top of my lungs with excitement! My roommates came in the room and joined in the scream . You know you have a winner when he's late because he's been home teaching. And yes, I feel bad for getting mad at him.

Alan: All that was left was setting a date and meeting the family. Ana wanted to get married in the Seattle Temple. I was cool with that. The meeting the family part was a bit more complicated. Ana's mother, sister and nephew Ben came down to Provo. But there was no way anyone from my family was coming out West. That would have to wait until the wedding day.

Ana: We were married on August 17, 1984 in the Seattle Temple. I met my Mother In-law for the first time in the temple. I didn't know what she looked like. She recognized me from pictures. She gave me a big hug and welcomed me into the family. It was the best day of my life. Being in the house of the Lord with my family and friends who loved me and most importantly, the love of my life. We were so unaware of the example we were setting for our posterity, neices and nephews who we loved with all our hearts.

Alan: It has been an absolute joy to see Ana's face each day. Twenty-four years is just a small slice of eternity. We've loved and welcomed each of our four children and work, hope and pray that they will make the choices that will bring them the kind of happiness we've been able to enjoy.

Ana: We took our first steps side by side through the doors of the temple. We've been side by side for twenty four years. Building our lives on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The temple was where Alan went to pray to know if we should get married . It was through pray and fasting that I knew he was the one. There was no doubt and it's been that way throughout our life together. All important decisions we have made we made together knowing it's what Heavenly Father wanted us to do. We have had many trials but we have endured with the strength of the gospel.
Alan: Our mothers obviously supported our union in the temple, even though Ana and her mother had to say goodbye at the temple doors. But thanks to an inspired temple president and matron, Ana's mother was allowed to go into the matron's office in order to help Ana get dressed. It was just another extraordinary event on an extraordinary day. My mother traveled in a van from Ohio all the way to Seattle to be there. It was greatly appreciated.

Ana: That was then And this now. Though we look older, we are wiser, just as happy and our love is deeper than we could have ever imagined.