HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!

Mom and Dad the morning they left our house to go to Baltimore after taking care of me, MRSA, and moving! They could have had a nice long road trip from the MTC to Baltimore but came and took care of us while I was in the Hospital and we were trying to move. Shawn and Kristy were great to drive their car out for them so they could come help us.



We want to wish Mom a Happy Birthday! We sure love you! The kids think you are just the best. Adam thinks your a great-mother in law too! We are sure happy you are on a mission, we miss you and can't wait for you to get back. This may embarrass you mom, but I want to remember these things too!
A few things about Mom is that she can always find the bright side to anything. She never gets too upset and is real forgiving. What I appreciate the most is that she taught me the best job is being a wife and mother and to give it your all.Mom instilled a desire and belief that the most rewarding thing I could ever do is be righteous wife and mother. She dedicated her life to Dad and to us kids and she still does. The best thing is she never complained about it. I never remember her having lunch dates, only drive thru lunches when we were picking up parts for Dad. I don't remember her going on any girls-nights out, only Homemaking. She made us kids feel like we were 2nd only to Dad. My mom is very selfless. I think that is why she is so happy.I have great memories of my childhood and so many of then were in the car. I remember running parts with mom all the time. I remember sitting on the counter in Valley Auto wanting a piece a bubble gum from the machine. I liked going to Pioneer the John Deer store in Hermiston because they had tractors to play with while we waited. Then there was Les Swab where we might wait a long time to get tires changed. We didn't have any DVDs to watch in the car, we listened to KONA and Anne Murray.
Another thing I am really glad she taught me about was Food Storage. I don't think she meant to, it was just what we did. She always had food storage. I am sure lots of it had to do with the fact we lived too far from town to just go run and get something so she always had to have stuff on hand. I am so glad she taught me that it is okay to buy cases of food even the cash registers look at you weird and ask what you are doing. I know the ladies at Food Depot eventually got used to mom and her cases.
I remember lots of times when we would run out of water. We would have to take the laundry over to Hermiston to get it done. It was not the favorite thing to do but mom never lets laundry get out of control. One summer we lost water and power so many times it was crazy. I remember thinking I would go without electricity rather than water. We would use the big yellow water jugs till we got more water. I am thinking about myself and if I was in that situation I would have went crazy with all the dirt and dirty clothes coming in the house and no way to clean it up. I don't remember mom ever getting upset and I really don't think my kids could say the same thing about me in that situation.
One thing I am trying harder to be like my mom is that she really worked on Saturday to get ready for Sunday. I remember her making a dessert, and jello salad for Sunday Dinner. We always had pancakes or waffles for dinner on Saturday night. I also remember her washing the cars on Saturday afternoon and usually having us mow the yard. Then on Sunday morning she was always up early getting the meat in the oven so when we came home from church the food was ready for us to eat.
My mom always supported my dad is whatever he did. She always made sure he had a meal before he had to go meetings, so she needed to be home by 5. If she was going to be gone for lunch she always had lunch ready for him when he came in for lunch. She washed his filthy muddy pickup so many times for him too so he would have something clean to go to town in. She would get the garden going and take care of it for him. She would go to Ballgames with him, she has even went hunting with him.
She helped him so much with the farm and still does. I think it is just great that now they are missionary companions!
There are lots of times I think what would I do if I didn't have my mom to talk to and then I remember that she lost her mom when she was younger than me. I do feel bad thinking that she has had to go through trials without being able to talk to her mom. I love my mom and if I could be half of what she is I would be happy. She has been my solid example of how to be Christlike and how to be a wife and mother.


Happy Birthday Uncle Brent! I think the only time you twins have been apart from each other is when Uncle Brent was on his mission and now when mom and dad are on theirs.


Mom and Dad with President Stapleton after being set apart.