Randy and Tara Celebrate 13 Years!

Towards the end of my mission I was contemplating working in Zimbabwe as a Safari and river running guide. I had a connection there who could easily get me a job in their family-owned company. When I received pictures of the beautiful sunsets and animals there, I was sold on the idea. I then received a letter from my previous boss at Brush Creek Ranch, a working cattle and guest ranch in Wyoming where I had worked the summer before my mission. In the letter I was offered my job back as a wrangler for the summer. I was pretty set on Zimbabwe but still took the two options to my mission president, with whom I was very close, and asked him, "Pres. should I go to Zimbabwe or Wyoming?" Without any hesitation at all, he said, "Wyoming. You need to go to Wyoming." I took his straight forward advice and decided to go to Wyoming. I remember calling my boss, accepting the position, hanging up and saying to my companion, "I have no idea why I am doing this."
I returned home in June (2006), spent a month at home and every time I would talk to my boss on the phone she'd mention this cute, fun guy she had working at the ranch as the head wrangler, a blond haired, blue eyed guy from Mexico. I headed to the ranch July 1st and worked very closely with this "head wrangler" from Mexico. We spent hours together working; building fence, moving cattle, riding all over the 7,000 acre ranch, and entertaining people from all over the world. Of course there was also a little time spent together having fun; swimming in the creek, dancing in the barn on Friday nights, sunrise and sunset rides, wrestling with the kiddos at the ranch, and many long talks in our office (the tack room) talking about life, our families, and our dreams and desires for our lives. We built a strong friendship between us. I remember leaving the ranch after a couple of weeks to go visit a guy from my mission in Denver, Colorado. I remember so clearly Randy's sincere concern for me in taking this trip alone. He fixed me all sorts of food to take and kept asking when I would be back and kept asking me to be careful. I could really feel his love for me and I remember crying the whole way back to the ranch because I was so touched by this genuine and real love and concern I felt from him.
When I got back to the ranch the two of us went on a drive and Randy told me he was in this relationship for the long haul and not just for a summer romance. I pretty much panicked! I had been able to run in the past but I knew I couldn't anymore; I was almost finished with college, I'd been on a mission and the next step was naturally to get married. I had such a deep fear of marriage, because of experiencing a divorce while growing up, but honestly I had never trusted anyone like I trusted Randy. I just knew the depth of his love for me and that is exactly the one thing I needed; I knew he would always love me and treat me with respect and kindness.
Our boss sensed my fears and took me aside one day and said to me, "Tara, you need to give this relationship a chance and find out why you are here and why Randy is here. When I first met Randy, I instantly thought of you. I had offered the job to others but I feel very strongly that you are both here at the same time for a reason and you need to figure out what that reason is. Tara, we can all see in his eyes how much he loves you and it isn't a possessive love but one that is comfortable with letting you be you and have your freedom but he will always be there for you." At that moment it clicked for me. Was it easy from there on out, no way, not with me involved. But looking back I can very clearly see the Lord's hand in our meeting and courtship. What are the odds of finding the one man who completes me in every way, in the middle of nowhere, doing what we both love, and having so many great people guiding our way and bringing us together? We were married April 4th, in the Salt Lake Temple, and the rest is history! 13 years later our love is deeper than I ever imagined!