15 years

It's been 15 years since I moved to Indiana permanently. WOW! By the way, this is Jeff. Cherie writes a lot more than I do so I figured I should introduce myself. Anywho...I've lived here for 15 years now! I cannot believe it. Time has certainly gone by quickly. So much has happened in my life since living here, too. Many huge events in my life have happened here in the Hoosier state. I do like living here.
I moved here from Pottstown, PA where I was staying with my Aunt during the summer of 1993. Before that, I had moved from Provo, UT with my best friend Cindy (Cherie's sister, and yes, there's a story there, too!). I dropped Cindy off in Indiana with her family and visited for a week or so and then visited with my dad and stepmom in Michigan for a week and then headed East to Pennsylvania. The original goal was to find work in the Philadelphia area and then Cindy would join me there. We would find an apartment and live the 'city' life. Obviously, that never happened. What did happen was a long arduous summer of promises unfulfilled and heartache. Eventually Cindy and her sister Denise came and rescued me from PA. I was not only sad but downtrodden because I felt like I had failed at my goal. However, I ended up finding a job here. It wasn't the sort of job I was expecting but it provided some much needed income and new friends, which I needed. I had left a very socially conservative area in Utah for a much more diverse and realistic world in Indiana.
Cindy, my friend, ended up passing away suddenly about four months after I moved here and that is where the story of Cherie and I begins. We had been friends, obviously because she was Cindy's sister and lived in Utah near us. We also did a lot of things together - she had the car! LOL Cherie used to come over to my apartment in the evenings and study while watching, or should I say listening, to the movie "Pretty Woman". We both love that movie and can still quote most of it verbatim.
So, my life in Indiana changed and eventually Cherie and I married. Things transpired from there, but here we are 15 years later. A lot has changed. I bought my first car here, got married here, loved and lost here, grown and matured, too. Life has a way of doing that to you. This year will also mark my 25th high school reunion. I have never been to one and don't expect to this year - if they even have one. The high school I attended no longer stands and the new one bears a different name, colors and mascot. Things change. Even, BYU, my college alma mater changed the school colors - not once but twice since I've graduated. They say there is nothing more contant than change. I'm not sure who said it or even made that up, but they certainly got it right. My family has grown by leaps and bounds, too. I have neices and nephews who we adore and even our wonderful kitties have added much to our family. We bought a house, sold it and now live in an apartment. It's not so bad, though. We like it a lot (read Cherie's post prior to this one).
I've had religious growth and challenges. I served as a Branch President in our church for four years and enjoyed most of it. There were a lot of things that I will not miss. Even learning more of other things has challenged me on a religious and spiritual level. I find myself more accepting of all the diversity in our world. I actually cherish it. I find that conformity is annoying and frightening. So, before I start rambling on about something else I will just say that sharing these last 15 years of my life with those I love has been more than I could have ever expected - good, bad, fun, sad, scary, depressing and joyful. I'm sure time will bring much more of the same. We'll see...