lost and found

when we moved from mapleton to orem in 2006, i knew we brought my wedding dress. i remember seeing it, i remember putting it in my closet. later that year, i was looking for it and couldn't find it anywhere. my mind was completely blank. i prayed and prayed for any inspiration on where it could be. i was devistated. my mom did the bead work on the waist, and it was my wedding dress. for 5 years i prayed and prayed and nothing. doing all of these things... (some of them 3-4 times)
-calling my aunt to get the phone number to the home we used to live in mapleton
-calling the home owner in mapleton begging her to find it
-calling every dry cleaner in orem, knowing full well i would never have left it there
-calling a bunch of neighbors to see if they borrowed it years ago for a relief society thing
-drilling paul over and over
-scowering dad & mom's house
-turning my own home upside-down
finally at the end of last year, i prayed to heavenly father and told him i left it in his hands, and that i hoped someone was enjoying it.
paul's sister is going on a mission. she came down to take a couple of our suitcases. i was in the kitchen talking to her as he pulled them from the basement. as he walked past, i told him i hoped he would find a million dollars and giggled. as we were talking, paul said my name. i looked at heidi and said "looks like he found a million dollars!" i headed down the hall. paul was standing in the middle of the hallway holding my wedding dress!!! i burst into tears. as i snotty bawled in the hallway clutching my dress, i rattled off to heidi all those things i did mentioned above in a very incoherent way. thinking about it now, i feel bad that she had to witness that. i took a picture right away and then knelt in prayer in my room. my heart is so full at the love my heavenly father has for me. i know it is just a wedding dress, but i love it. i called my mom right away and sent a text to all my sisters. katie sent this..."Look the blessings of a missionary are already paying off!". i thanked heidi over and over for going on a mission. paul and i talked about last night and can't remember for the life of us why it was in that bag, and why we never looked there, even though i swear i looked under every "rock".
this experience is such a testimony builder to me on the love of my heavenly father, faith and prayer. i know i had to get to the point of leaving it in his hands, and trusting him and knowing that it would all work out.
-ash