We met in the library at BYU. I (Landon) saw Julie studying
there for a week and knew she looked familiar. I finally walked up to her and
asked where I knew her from. We soon realized we had been in the same group at
EFY (a Church camp for youth) a few years earlier. I asked her out for that
weekend, and we were inseparable from then on. One year later, on February 15,
2008, we were married in the Salt Lake Temple. We were young and still had lots
of schooling left, but we worked hard, lived cheap, and graduated without any
debt.
Julie grew up in Meridian, Idaho where she was trained in
voice lessons and spent every other waking moment playing soccer. Landon grew
up in South Jordan, Utah where the piano became an integral part of his life
when the ski slopes weren’t covered in snow. We both graduated from BYU.
Julie’s degree is in Advertising where she specialized in management, strategy,
and market research. Landon graduated in American Studies and has a deep
passion for the history and founding of the United States. He also plans to go
back to school and get a masters degree in business administration. Julie is
now the Marketing Director at a craft company, and Landon is the SES Manager at
an education software company.
(Landon) From the moment I first saw Julie in the library,
her smile has captivated me. No matter what she is doing, she has a smile on
her face. (I call it a perma-smile)! Julie has the ability to love people
unconditionally and does it with me on a daily basis. From our first date to the
present, we are in constant awe at how similar we are. I feel so lucky to have
a found such a stalwart and faithful woman who loves me and makes me want to be
better in every way. I find myself falling in love with her all over again
every single day. Julie is the first to volunteer to join me on the many
expeditions I enjoy taking, including camping, backpacking, fishing, and
snowshoeing. Julie believes in family and the central role it plays in God’s
eternal plan. Watching her interact with children in her church
responsibilities recently gave me an insight into the kind of mother she will
be. From the moment I met her, I knew that her ability to love would lead to a
very loving home for our family and know she will be great a mother.
(Julie) I married a combination of my dad and my best
friend’s dad, and it was the best decision I ever made. Landon is so good to
me, but he’s good to everyone. Landon overheard my grandpa say his yard needed
help, so he got the tools, and we spent a Saturday cleaning it up. A young man
at Church mentioned he didn’t have basketball shorts to attend an activity, so
Landon gave him his own pair. He is always thinking of others and thinking of
me. (In fact, he’s cooking dinner for us right now). He has big dreams and
makes me laugh every day. One of his best qualities is that he always has an
eternal perspective. He knows that God has a plan and that things will work
out. Landon is a gentleman. He always opens my door, and if there’s a crowd
coming in behind me, I know I need to wait inside because he’ll be holding it
for everyone coming through. He’s an incredible craftsman and has built some
beautiful furniture for our home. One Christmas he surprised me with a stunning
piece about 4 ft. high for my jewelry. I’ll always treasure it. He is
completely adorable with kids. They think he’s a jungle gym, I swear. Kids just
instinctively know that they can jump on him and wrestle. Parents sometimes
apologize that their kids get so hyper when he’s around, but he loves keeping
them entertained. Landon is my best friend, my adventure buddy, my confidante,
and my cheerleader. Marjorie Hinckley once said about her husband, “You’ve
always given me wings to fly, and I’ve loved you for it.” Landon encourages me
in all of my goals. I wish everyone could have a husband as incredible as mine.
I treasure the time we spend together. It doesn’t matter what we do, I just
love being with him.
We complement each other. Our home is a place of peace and
love. Together we camp, hike, exercise, ski, and fish. We love to beautify and
organize our home, including building and refinishing our furniture.
We are very involved with our Church. We both have
responsibilities working with the youth, which involves teaching lessons on
Sundays, taking them camping, and organizing weekly activities. We love to
learn and give each other books for anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays. We
enjoy country music and attend at least one concert a year. Our song is, “Me
and You” by Kenny Chesney.
Our dog Copper is a Bassett Hound/Sheltie mix, and we enjoy
training him and playing with him. He is constantly rolling over and having us
rub his belly. He has a really sweet temperament (except when it's bath time).
We’re completely smitten with him and enjoy taking him on walks. He’s very
social and so good with kids. The kids in the neighbor always come running up
to us when they see us with him outside.
We love our families very much. We are blessed to have been
raised by incredible parents and have wonderful siblings that we’re very close
to. There are no grandchildren in either of our families right now, so they're
very excited that we’re going through the adoption process.
In March 2012, we were chosen for adoption by an amazing
birth mother and were so excited. On May 18, 2012, she delivered the baby, but
he was a stillborn. We mourn his loss but love him and our birth mom so much.
We think of them both every day and are grateful for the happiness, excitement,
and hope they gave us.
We have a wonderful relationship with our first birth mom.
If you would like, we are open to communication through letters, pictures, and
some visits. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. It is our
prayer that the Spirit will guide you in making this important decision. We
wish you the very best.
With Love,
Landon & Julie
