Growing up on a family farm in Northern Wyoming as the oldest of 6 red-headed children (Yes, my parents both have red hair although my father’s maybe more red by association.) I learned about optimism, hard work, sacrifice, family, prayer and commitment.
Those were great lessons to have a safe foundation and to build upon in my young adult years. During that time I attended Brigham Young University where I: changed my major several times, had wonderful friends, met instructors that ignited a desire to learn, had to figure out how to repair mistakes I’d made, made the best and hardest decision of my life, married Jeff, was hit by a car as I was walking in a crosswalk as a pedestrian, had my first child and my first experience with bed rest, and graduated with a degree in marriage and family therapy.
I did take some breaks during this era of my life. A lot of them happen to be at the ski hill. I Also left Utah for a year-and-a-half to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. This fulfilled a girlhood dream, opened my eyes and my heart to many, and gave me a lot of practice in recognizing and following God’s will.
Life with young children is always an uncharted adventure. To turn up the volume of excitement our third pregnancy balanced the male female ratio in our home as twin girls were delivered to our family which currently consisted of two little boys ages three and one. Thank heavens that only lasted for a week as our oldest son turned 4. His birthday was followed by his younger brother’s 2nd birthday a couple weeks later. Needless to say that time of the year is filled with birthdays! At this time we started moving states with my husband’s job. We had the opportunity to live in Utah three times, Colorado twice, Wyoming once and Minnesota for 8 years.
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003. And although I tried to prepare for it’s slowing me down I have to say it really didn’t until 2011. So during that time I had a lot of fun playing with my children, opening a few businesses, working as a ski instructor, volunteer. I also loved the opprotunities I had to meet and love so many while being engaged in my neighborhoods, communities, church and work.
Within the last year, I’ve stopped driving (after wrecking my brand new car), sent my daughters to college, had my son return after spending two years in Ecuador (Yes, he’s in college as well bringing the grand total of college students in our house to 4), had a heart attack and moved from the Midwest to the West so we could be closer to family.
