Wade and Heather Ovard Family
What a wonderful time we live in. I am finally a blogger!!! Yeah! I see this is the only way to go to have our family history. After seeing what a wonderful family book my niece Gretchen Terry made about her family I knew I had to get started. My darling neice's Chelsi Starks and Kassie Leavitt came over, set me up and now I am an official blogger. This blog could be very boring to you. It is going to be our family story. It will be a story of successes and failures, and hopefully a very happy ending for the six of us along with our posterity if we all ENDURE TO THE END!
Once upon a time.......My handsome young prince named Wade and I met in the spring time 1989 at Dixie College at the Rebelette Review. My Rebelette advisor Pat Roper told me she had someone to introduce me to after the review. I was an alumni dancer in the review. We met in Pat's office and it was nothing to write home about. I had a missionary that I was somewhat waiting for and he had the last name Ovard...I thought that Gubler was bad enough. He looked at me and thought Red Head.... I don't think so! It was definitely not Love at First Sight.
I finished my education at Southern Utah University in the summer of 1989 and I had a job to start teaching 2nd grade at Santa Clara Elementary. I did think that I was going to be an old maid, by starting my career at such a young age, so I thought that I would teach for 1 year and then go back to get my masters the following year. As I was preparing my classroom for the upcoming year I went into TriState Office Supply to get supplies for my classroom. With my arms loaded with supplies a young man walked up behind me and asked "Can I help you Heather?" I dropped everything. I mean everything! He did help me get everything together. I couldn't remember him and I didn't know how he knew my name. I remember getting into my car and thinking I wish I could marry someone that nice.
Wade worked for Mark Hendrickson at TriState Office Supply. Holly was Marks wife and my friend. She and Mark told Wade to ask me out. So yes, we were set up twice. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Wade asked me on a date and we had a good time. We went up to Gunlock reservoir and had a cookout.
We really had a lot in common and liked the same things. I was impressed that he liked to hunt (he didn't make a big deal out of it, I didn't know he was as big of a hunter as he is) I was just glad he told me he liked to hunt and he could dress my deers for me. I'm sure I made a big splash with him because I was doing all of the hunt talk. I liked to go hunting with my dad, I had a blue card from hunters safety, and I had bagged a few trophy's of my own. Wow! I think he thought he really hit the jackpot. Truth is I like to hunt once a year at the deer hunt. Wade on the other hand was playing it really cool......I had no Idea that he liked to hunt all year long and couldn't get enough of the sport.
Wade took me on a few dates and then let a little time lapse...He finally asked me out again and we continued to date. He didn't kiss me for 5 dates. I thought that he was a real gentleman. 19 years later looking back, I realize he isn't much for kissing. Advice for my boys....kiss your wives when they are your wives not your girlfriends. Advice for my son inlaws.....kiss my daughters when they are your wives, not your girlfriends.
I really knew Wade loved me on our first hunting trip. I told him I would take him to the family hunting spot on Pine Valley Mountian at Blake and Gubler. He bought some sandwiches at Subway and a drink and headed up the mountian. The ride up the mountian is really really bumpy. Wade was holding the drink and driving. I told him that I would hold the drink for him because it looked pretty hard to do both. I put that big drink in my hands, Wade hit a big bump in the road, and swoosh it went everywhere all over me and the seat I was sitting in. I was dying. It ruined the trip because I had a hard time hunting in pop pants. When we arrived home he used a rag and soaked up all he could in the seat. He didn't even act the least bit mad. He kept his truck so nice and tidy. I felt so bad. That hunting trip didn't go so well ,but we have had many more on that mountian that were successful. (for me!) I am a dead eye. I've shot every deer that I have ever aimed at.
We were engaged in November and married February 9, 1990. The engagement was a wild one. We couldn't decide on anything, especially our pictures. I wanted a certian picture and his family wanted another one. I ended up choosing the one his family wanted and have regreted that ever since. My mom was so mad at me because I called the photographer the morning that we had to have the decision in to change it to the picture that his family wanted. I don't blame her for being mad she was paying the bill. I can't imagine addressing all of those invitations and not liking them as a mother. I have always tried to be a people pleaser.....note to my children. It is great to please people and we should always strive to make everyone around us comfortable and happy but there are times when you can make yourself happy. It isn't about being selfish....please don't be selfish but seek council with the Lord that you will make correct decisions on everything even if it is just a wedding picture. I did get one copy of the picture that I wanted. I keep it in our room. I love that picture of us and funny thing Vicki, Wades mother, commented how much she liked the picture of us one time. I smiled on the inside.
I had 3 weeks off of school when we were married because we were a year round school. Our wedding was really really fun. I will never forget that permenant grin that was all over my face. We had a big day at the temple. I had my endowment in the morning and then we were married right after that. (I don't reccomend doing that in the same day to anyone.) They are two special experiences that need to happen seperately if at all possible. I would have enjoyed the temple so much more. After the wedding we had a wedding lucheon and then that evening our reception. Our reception was the talk of the town. I remember it being written about in the newspaper. (Obviously there wasn't much news back then) We had all of my little 2nd graders come and there families. That was a real change for them to go back to school and call me Mrs. Ovard instead of Miss Gubler.
We visited Washington D.C. on our honeymoon. We choose to do this because Aunt Marsha worked for the airlines and we were able to get free airline tickets. We also knew that everything to see and do in Washington D.C. was free. So we just had to pay for our room and our food. It was a lot of fun to go there but 19 years later it is also a blur. I don't remember to much.
We had a cute little apartment in St. George. I loved fixing it up. It was pretty new so that was nice. It was really close to Hurst Ben Franklin and Lins market place (Lins has since moved) I loved being this close to the grocery store. I loved to cook and tried really hard to be a good homemaker. Looking back big mistake. I wasted so much money on food that we didn't eat. I should have froze it. Wade was never hungry. I think he ate out for lunch at work. I always wanted to eat but was embarrassed to eat more than him. This is when I started to lose weight. I was a little heavier when we were married.
I remember what an adjustment it was for me to be married and get everything done. I was overwhelmed with the wash, cleaning, cooking, teaching 2nd grade and the choirister for primary. I wanted to be the best at all of it. I worked hard and it started to come slowly. Just as I was getting use to all of my new chores.......you guessed it....make way for baby!
