My Valentine's gift from Heavenly Father

I got a Valentine's gift from Heavenly Father this year.

A real, tangible, loving, amazing gift.

I cried over this gift.

Let's back up a bit.

March 4th, 2006. This is the day I got engaged to my wonderful husband Ryan. What do girls most often get when they get engaged??? A ring.

Mine was perfect (despite my mother saying "I know a fake when I see one" when we told her the news) She was just in shock. It's ok Mom :)

I couldn't have picked a better one out myself. I cried when I saw it.

April 15, 2006. This is the day that ring was put on my finger as a symbol that I was married. When the "for better or worse" times came, this ring would remind me of the promises I made to my companion, and help to keep us together.

July 15th, 2008. This was the day my first son was born. As I thought about the little miracle in my arms and what his future would hold, I thought about the ring on my finger and what it would be like to pass it on to him and his future wife. I wanted my ring to be passed down generations and generations to come. I wanted to have a bit of my history be in this ring.

February 9th, 2009. This is the day I lost that ring.

I didn't even tell Ryan for a whole week that I thought I'd lost it. I knew it would break his heart. My heart was shattered. All those things I had promised with, hoped for, dreamed of, were part of that ring. And I so carelessly lost it. How? My fingers were swelling on our way back from SLC, so I put it on my watch for safe keeping. We made a stop at Daniels Summit Lodge. That was the last place I saw it.

My heart shattered again when I told Ryan. He helped me look for it. We tore his truck apart looking for it. No luck. With a heavy heart we stopped looking. I would never forgive myself.

Mother's Day 2009. This is the day Ryan forgave me (of sorts) and bought me a new ring. Not like my first one, but one to show that he loved me and wanted the world to know it. My heart sunk because while I was happy to have that symbol back on my hand, it was a reminder of what I lost. I decided that I needed to move on. I needed to forgive myself.

But I had a hard time doing that.

I even kept looking. Called to see if anyone had seen it. No luck.

For 2 years. No luck.

Feb 15th, 2011. This is the day I got the best Valentines gift from Heavenly Father. We just moved (#2 since I lost the ring) to our new home in SLC. It was time to tackle my room. Clothes to go through and put away for later days. At the bottom of the tote was a brand new, never been worn, vest that Ryan bought for warmer days 2 years ago. I don't know why he never wore it. I don't know why it escaped the DI pile. I just didn't throw it out. So I picked it up to put it in the tote to go downstairs and... plunk...

I looked down.

There it was.

My ring.

The one I had made my promises with, had hopes with, had dreams about. The one I never stopped looking for. The one I never forgave myself for losing.

I picked it up. Immediately I felt like I was in a dream. I kept saying "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh". I even had Jace witness all of this. (when I showed him my ring at lunch time he said "oh my dosh, oh my dosh, oh my dosh")

I put it on. It fit. I put my watch on too. It was really there! I kissed Jace and texted Ryan that I had witnessed a miracle. I needed to tell him!

No answer.

I texted my sister Cami. I HAD to tell SOMEONE!

No answer.

I called my Mom at work. THIS WAS BIG NEWS!

No answer.

So I called my Mother-in-law. She said, "Oh I didn't even know it was lost" AHHHH!!!!! (I know I told her).

So I tried my Mom again. FINALLY she answered. She was just as amazed as I was! It was the reaction I was looking for! Just the utter feeling that this happened was overwhelming.

FINALLY Ryan texted me back and I sent him a picture of the ring on my finger. His reply?

-What? You serious?!?!?!?

-Dead serious.

-Where?

-In that vest coat thing of yours

-Wow.

What boggles my mind is everything that happened or didn't happen in those 2 years for me to really lose the ring. Like the vest not dropping it the dozens of times I packed and unpacked it, or moved it to and from the DI pile. What's even more hilarious is that I had just mentioned to Ryan LAST NIGHT that it's been 2 years since I lost it.

So there you have it. The story of my Valentines gift from Heavenly Father. I know that's who it's from. Only He knew where it was and it took 2 years to get it to me. That's ok. I'm just glad it's back on my hand and not plowed in the snow or buried in the dirt.

Next on my list is to get it re-sized so I'll never have to take it off!

p.s. SORRY for not having any pictures!!! They are ALL on my other computer and my camera battery is DEAD!!! I'll post some soon!!!