The Richest Family!

As we have visited people on our mission, we hear so many stories of awful abuse and heartache that I can't help but feel extremely blessed. Our children were all wanted and welcome into a home where their father worked hard to support them and to love them. Your dad provided a home where there was plenty of fresh air, the best water to drink, space to run free, a love for and a reverence for nature (laying on the lawn at night to watch the stars, even shooting stars), walks to the west desert, making whistles from dandelion stalks, eating peas from the garden and gooseberries. He has taught a healthy respect for the constitution, and the great leaders of this nation. We have taught our children to be independent and to work hard. When they all left home, they knew how to cook, bake bread, do dishes (what's a two legged dishwasher?), change diapers, babysit, clean the kitchen, do laundry, pull weeds, mow lawns, a little landscaping, care for their pets, and basically all of the things it takes to make a home.

They may have thought they were poor when we went on picnics at ward outings or reunions, and we were the only family without potato chips, or lots of candy, but their mother, in an attempt to raise healthy children, just didn't want to spend precious grocery money on junk food - chips, cold cereal, candy, pizza, etc. I used to wonder where the nutrition was in most of the grocery carts I saw at the grocery store. People used to comment on my grocery carts full of fresh produce. I guess I kind of prided myself on trying to feed my family right.

Maybe we couldn't afford all of the frivolities of life - dancing lessons, acrobatics, music and voice lessons, but you all have managed to cultivate some very impressive talents and abilities to meet setbacks and hardships.

We did have our challenges with health, teenage rebellion, dad out of work occasionally, disagreements - you know - opposition in all things that helps us to appreciate the good times. I have very fond memories of getting up early in the mornings to read scriptures together after our missionary son rebuked us for not doing so. It became a way to dress our children in spiritual armor for the day. I also faithfully wrote letters weekly to missionary sons and daughters.

The greatest satisfaction now comes to us as we recognize what good parents you have all become, the wonderful sense of humor which you can go through life with, the great love you all have for one another, the way all of the cousins enjoy getting together and what a blast we have had sharing memories, laughing, laughing, laughing, rolling on the floor, laughing, and recognizing everyone's talents. We are grateful for your political interests, the way you are all becoming informed and desiring to make right choices as we all face this very critical time in our history, and the challenges to our freedoms. We are grateful for all of your tender feelings for President Hinckley, but most of all for your knowledge of Heavenly Fathers great plan of happiness, and gratitude for the atoning sacrifice of His Beloved Son.

We are grateful for the exotic cultural opportunities our lives have been blessed with and enriched by. We are indeed the richest of families. Love Mom and Dad