THOMPSON FAMILY: Happy 24th Anniversary

Happy 24th Anniversary to this guy. We have been through so much together. More than most couples. We started out so young. We were both 15, he turned 16 a month and a half after we got together. We basically raised each other. We were so immature when we got together. It's amazing all the drama and we are still together. We had Dustin when I was 16 and he was 17. We survived break ups and other short relationships, but we ended up back together. We gutted and remodeled his parents house at age 27, doing most of the work ourselves. We totally redid the 1 acre yard. Poured our own concrete (I mixed the batches and he poured and smoothed the curbing) that went the whole way around our yard. We laid all the sod, planted all the plants, put in the drip system, and put the vinyl fence in and all the rock. We worked our butts off, but it was so nice and beautiful when we were done. We moved to St. George 11 years ago not knowing how we were going to make a living, with no family close, and only a couple of people we knew. We started a business that was real successful until the economy upset and then we lost our home, our vehicles, our toys, and closed the business. We both got jobs and have since reopened the businesses. We have 4 children, 3 of which are raised and are productive members of society, and Jayden is only a few years away from being on his own. We have survived the 3 major causes of divorce and or break ups. It hasn't always been easy, but we love each other and have made it work. We are told all the time that we are an exception and I believe that's true. It's rare that marriages last these days let alone with all that we have been through. We were high school sweet hearts and you don't hear of that very often. I attended all my high school dances with Jayson and have only been on a couple of dates that weren't with him.

I asked Jayson why he loves me and these are the things he said. Michelle is always steady and never changes. She is never moody and I know when I come through the door she will always be the same person each day. She is funny and a hard worker and isn't whinny or spoiled acting. She doesn't have to have things her way and is very easy to live with. She is fun and always puts me and the kids first. She has always taken good care of me and I can be myself around her. She loves me for me and I always feel loved. She is never too tired for me or the kids and works hard to take good care of us. I always feel real lucky to have found her at such a young age and that things have worked out for us.

This is why I love Jayson. He is strong and very independent. He has a lot of courage and is never scared to try anything. He doesn't let much stand in his way and he gives it his all. He is a perfectionist when it comes to his work and projects. He is so talented. He can fix anything mechanical and if he doesn't know much about it he will study up and figure it out. He amazes me with all the things he can do. He does electrical wiring, plumbing, he can fix our sprinkling system, any appliances in the house, and he can do diesel and auto mechanics (so he can fix big equipment, trucks, and automobiles). He can design mechanical things in his head and build them. He has built pickups from the ground up. (When we were dating I used to go out to his shop behind his house and help him sand on the body of his impala he was fixing up.) I spent lots of time out in the shop cleaning and helping him just so I could be around him. I have always liked being with him and am glad he loves spending time with me. He isn't into toys or being at work for hours, he always wants to be home with me. He doesn't like being away from me and I'm thankful he loves me. We rarely go to bed without each other in 24 years. We spend most of our spare time together. We just talk or watch tv or take drives and we love to get ice cream or a treat. I love that we can just be ourselves. Jayson has changed a lot over the years and I'm thankful that he has taught me to stick up for myself a little better. He has a powerful personality and doesn't let people walk on him and I used to be so worried about other's that I wouldn't say anything. We are definite opposites that make up for each other's weaknesses.

We started out not having a lot in common. I grew up in an athletic family where the guys played sports, we watched sports, and hunted and fished. We went camping and on family vacations and worked hard together as a family. I had lot's of friends and I loved having fun and being around people. Jayson grew up in a house where they did their own things. He didn't spend much time with his parents and he had a lot of alone time out in the hills on his dirt bike and working on vehicles in the shop. I have learned to like watching his car shows and going out in the hills on 4 wheelers and off road vehicles. I spend lots of time around grease and mechanical things. He has learned to have lots of family get togethers, he likes sports more and more, and he will even watch a chick flick once a year or so. Lol We have learned that we want to be together so we have to be unselfish and do what each other likes. He always says he was so thankful to have had my family in high school because he spent a lot of time hanging out at my house eating dinner and being with my family. He loved being around my dad and brothers and we even took him on a family trip to Yellowstone the first summer we were together. He loved being a part of what was going on.

I sure love this guy and don't know where I would be without him. It's not all peaches and cream, but it's worth it and I'm thankful we ended up crossing paths and for the life we have built. Would I do this again, not at age 15, but I'm glad we made it!