This Grateful Post is also going to be about a special person in our life. This wonderful person is the reason me and Sharon are together. If you haven't guessed, it is my dear dear cousin Alisa Christman Jons!
Alisa has been a huge part of our life and especially my life! Our families have been close to each other ever since we were very little and I have had the great pleasure of having them as some of my very best friends as we were growing up. Many of the values my parents taught us as youth were strengthened by the examples and teachings of my extended family and especially the Christman Clan. I feel that I was blessed to be born into the best family and extended family there is. I hear of so many people that do not have good relationships with there cousins and it deeply saddens me because many of my very best memories of my youth were from my family reunions each year. These reunions were the highlight of every year. Spending time with my cousins was like a huge party and like meeting up with my best friends that we only got to see all of them a few times a year.
Ok now that you know a little about how I feel about my family you will now that I already had a good relationship with Alisa growing up but after graduating from High school I ended up moving in with my cousins while going to my first year of college. Alisa is a few years older and many years wiser than me and it didn't take long before I grew to Love her very very much. She became one of the people I could always turn to who would always listen and love me no matter what. She was a rock for me at a time when I was struggling with who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. As I grew up I was always expected to go on a mission but High School was hard for me and I caught myself doubting myself and my testimony. There were many times I was not sure that I wanted to go on a mission.
When I first started looking at college there was one thing I knew for sure and that was I did not want to go to ISU because I hated Pocatello. It is funny how the Lord sometimes chooses things for me that I would never choose for myself. Anyway one thing led to another and pretty soon I was looking at housing in Poky and as soon as my cousins found out they asked me to move in with them. It was a good thing to because I had very little money and had no idea what I was going to do about a place to live. Moving in with them was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I often look back on it and wonder what would have happened to me if I had gone somewhere else or even lived somewhere else while at ISU. I can tell you it probably wouldn't have been pretty. We Had so much fun and my cousins quickly became my best friends and I will always cherish those times.
After my mission I went back to school at ISU and for the first year I lived with my older brother (which was awesome except I was so busy it was hard to enjoy). After that first year back I moved back in with Alisa and rented a room from her.
Before I even moved my stuff in Alisa set me up with Sharon and pretty soon me and Sharon were a thing... Not only did Alisa Help me adjust to life after the mission, feed me way to much good food, and set me up with Sharon, She also kept me sane during a time when I was working 50+ hours a week while taking anywhere from 18 to 21 credits a semester, and spending every spare second I could dating Sharon. As many of you know Sharon is amazing but she is also a little indecisive. Once I knew I wanted to marry her and I had received my answer from Heavenly Father the struggle became waiting for Sharon to receive the confirmation she needed to marry me. I spent many late nights after work or on the weekends pouring out my frustrations and doubts about myself. The answer I received when asking God if I should Marry Sharon was the strongest answer I had ever received and it happened withing a few weeks of our first date. It was nearly a year before we were finally engaged which made for a hard year for me. My confusion and impatiences were a struggle for me and Alisa was always there to reassure me and help me to be patient. No Matter what hour of the day or night she would drop anything for me (or really anyone since that is the type of person she is) and listen! So in a way she not only got me and Sharon together she Kept us together! I will eternally be grateful for this and for who Alisa is! She is an example of greatness to me and everyone she knows and who have had the privilege of knowing her! I count Alisa not only as a treasured cousin but as a sister and as one of my best friends! I love you Alisa and I thank God that He knew enough to put you in my life!
Alisa is the most righteous and fun loving, happy person I have known!!
Anyway now that I have written a second novel for the evening I think I had better stop writing for a while.
We Love you Alisa!
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