Happy 82nd Birthday Mom!

Mary Ann, Janet, Gary, baby Vonnie and Mom in Rupert.

Me, Dad and Mom, probably in Providence

Mom in front of our home in Rupert. Mom and Dad in our living room.

Grandma F. Aunt Rhonda, Mom and Aunt Gayla

High school graduation in 1973.

Lee, Carol, Me, Mom, Paul and Dad. Graduation from BYU 1979.

Mom and her mother-in-law Grandma Mayme at Bear Lake.

Mom on a family vacation with us in California at the beach.

At the Clarkston cemetery decorating the graves with Mom, Gary, Aunt Sarah, Lee and me.

Seeing Mom and David off at the SLC airport before their mission.

Visiting mom at the London temple.

Mom showing her adventuresome side! She is intrepid and is always up for a good time.

Snorkeling at Cozumel on the family cruise at 78 years old.

Mom with our family after Dave got home from his mission.

Me and Mom in her home last year. Isn't she beautiful?

My mother is an amazing woman. She has lived 82 years to the fullest and she is still going strong, enjoying good health and energy. Here are some interesting tidbits about Mom:

• She was born in Providence, the oldest daughter and second oldest child. She grew up in Providence and she has come full circle, living there again during the summer months.
• She learned to work hard on their family ranch during the summers. Her parents had some money and she didn't want for much.
  
• She fell into a cistern filled with water and nearly drowned when she was small. Her dad fished her out and saved her life. She was sent back to finish her life on earth by her deceased relatives.
  
• Her mother was a gracious woman who taught her how to cook, clean, entertain and keep a home. We owe much to Grandma F. for her influence on her son & daughters
  
• She met our dad and married him three months later. Their match was made in heaven and it was meant to be.
  
• Her father LaVon died suddenly of a heart attack when Mom was a young married woman while he was out deer hunting. She said it was the greatest shock of her life.
  
• she and her husband left Utah and moved to Idaho to take a good paying job teaching school. They thought they would be back in a couple of years. She didn't return for 32 + years.
  
• Mom and Dad raised seven kids on a 40 acre farm in Idaho. She worked hard from sun up to pretty much sun down. She taught us how to do many things that have blessed our lives immensely. She is a great cook, a wonderful seamstress, a organized entertainer and a gifted homemaker in every sense of the word.
  
• We lost our dad to cancer when she was 56 years old. She mourned his loss for many years, but she wasn't one to sit around and mope forever. She got some training in medical assisting and went out and got a job. Once she found out she had to show up every day, it cramped her style too much and she gave it up. But she was trained and willing to work if the need arose.
• She met Darwin P. about eight years after our dad passed away. They were married on her 65th birthday and they lived in Logan during the summer and in Mesa Arizona during the winter months.
• She served in the church in many capacities. She was Relief Society president at least three times and taught the gospel in various classes. She has been a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and she has a firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  
• After Darwin died, she met a very nice man named David E. in Mesa. They were married and later served a mission to the London temple as temple workers. They enjoyed that opportunity and experience very much. They also took up playing tennis and they have had a great time competing with their friends. She is still going strong playing tennis!
  
• For her 80th birthday, we had a family party at Timp Lodge. All of her children were there and almost all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It was a memorable time to be together celebrating Mom's wonderful life.
• Mom has had some hard trials to surmount and she has done it was determination and faith. She survived breast cancer and is an example to us all of one who doesn't complain and who moves ahead amid the challenges of life.

I pay tribute to my mother. She has been a wonderful example to me of how to live life and never give up. She has shown courage and guts and she is always positive and productive. I have always known that she loves me and she is generous with her praise and unconditional love. She had high expectations for all of us and she always encouraged us to do our best. Thank you Mom for setting such a good example for all of us. Mom, you are my hero and I love you very much.