happy anniversary

It's been a whole year since Chris and I said I do.. Okay we said yes.

Let me just tell ya, they weren't kidding when they say the first year is the hardest. Especailly when you don't exactly know the guy you're going to marry.
Chris and I met through our wonderful brother and sister in law, Kai and Amy.
Kai brought Chris' younger brother Ryan to a Stake Dance and that was when I had first heard of Chris.
He told me his cool older brother was serving a mission and that's when it all started.. 
Later that week Amy and I had joked about getting his mission address so I could write him.
Then she gave it to me and I just couldn't resist.  Our first letter went a little like this..

February 16, 2010

Hello Elder Hendrickson,
 Amy sent me part of your e-mail about you hoping it wont be weird for me to write to some complete stranger, and it's totally not. I'm just writing to a missionary.. that I've never met before. haha so..
How are you? How is the mission going? Amy told me your in the Kennewick, Washington Mission. I use to live in Oregon so I know about the constant pouring rain. Hopefully you have an umbrella.. :)   
To start off, my name is Sarah Petersen, I'm from a little village in Nevada, also known as Mesquite. I am a senior in High School and I'm going to graduate this June, the 2nd to be exact.And I am so excited! 
Amy and Ryan both told me your into swimming and water polo..That's awesome! I have been swimming since I was about nine, and I have been on several softball and volleyball teams. Just giving you some background I guess. haha Wow, Im so boring, umm. I have lived in just about every state on the West Coast; Cali, Oregon, Utah, Idaho and Nevada. This year has kinda been a total bummer, my freshman and sophomore year my school didn't have a swim team so I played softball. Then my Junior year they started a swim team and the very first day of the season I injured my shoulder which required surgery. So I pretty much missed my whole junior year of swimming and my whole senior year of volleyball. We even went to state in volleyball and I got to sit the bench and watch. BUT.. I don't hate life, things are great. 
Kai and Amy have been trying to talk me into going to BYU-Hawaii.. I think when I said i would pray about it, they came up with the idea of this "arranged marriage" haha I just laughed and Amy was truly serious.. uhh? 
Let's see, I'm trying to think of other things to tell ya.. and hopefully this isn't wasting your time! Oh, I am the oldest in my family, I have two amazing sisters and one stud of a brother. I think Amy told you already but, my dad is the Bishop and his time is hopefully almost up. 
Okay, well I hope your doing well and I would love to hear back from ya! I really hope you don't think I'm some weirdo haha anyways.. I would love to hear about the mission!! 
Sincerely Sarah 

His response..

Hi Sarah,

  Well, its nice to hear from you. When Amy told me two weeks ago that she had arranged a marriage for me I was pretty shocked. I knew nothing about it. I'm glad she is looking out for me. I'm glad I get to hear about you from you too, though.

  You sound like quite the athlete! And you swim, that's awesome. I'm sorry to that you had to have surgery and miss out on so much playing time. That's a bummer.

 It sounds like you have a great family. I have a stud brother too. You met him, I call him whiteballer, but you know him as Ryan.

  Hawaii is definitely an awesome school. I love it, but its not for everyone. I think you would enjoy it though.

  Anyways, thanks for writing me. I'm sorry for not writing more, I dont have very much time. I love my mission. Its the best!

I'll talk to you later.

Elder Hendrickson

How cute. Oh I love these.. then we exchanged some pictures.

 My missionary flying home.

That's about how the letters went. I talked and he wrote a few sentences back. (I was a senior in 

High School when this was going on). 

He got home April 20th and we met May 1st. Out very first awkward meeting. Amy wanted me to meet him so she and Kai took me, along with the kids, to go to my now nieces baptism in Vegas. We got out of the car and the only word that comes to mind when trying to describe the moment is awkward. Here we are, suppose to "marry" one another and he is fresh off the mission. Won't hardly even look at me. 

He ended up coming home with us to Mesquite. We tried to "hang out" but it was just too weird. He was way more interested in my adorable nephew. (I don't blame him, I kept saying, Well, this is awkward".)

He left for home after a week and then called. We would stay up talking and listening to him and Ryan goof around for hours. There was something so different about this guy, he was so interesting.

I was going to say "long story short" but the story is quite short itself.

June came next and Chris and Ryan came up for my graduation on June 2nd and stayed a couple days then drove home. Chris came up on the 9th and had lunch with my dad. The 10th we were engaged. 

July was full short but very fun visits in-between work. 

Thanks to my mom, my mother and sister in law, the wedding was planned. I was too busy being on cloud nine. If it wasn't for them, it wouldn't have happened. 

We decided we would be married on August 21st in the St. George Temple. 

Always a goal of mine to find a man who would take me there.

We were married without exactly knowing who each other was. But for some strange reason it felt so right.  Almost like if we didn't get married something bad would happen. 

I remember walking into the sealing room with my soon to be husband, asking myself if I really loved him. 

I didn't. How could I? 

After walking in that room with everyone I loved, kneeling across from him, I knew it was meant to be. 

My wedding day was the most beautiful and special experience I have ever had. 

Chris and I have been through a lot  in one little year. We have been through many things that have brought us closer. I cannot see myself with anyone else. I love this man with all of my heart. Happy Anniversary babe, I love you!