I was born of Christian parents who raised me as a beloved child of God. They taught me to respect others, honor God with all that I am and all that I do, to always work hard and give my best effort, to care for others and to love myself just as God made me. They taught me to embrace and enjoy life, to experience its fullness and my dad, specifically, taught me to stop and smell the roses, that life is fun and life is good. They taught me that life is not easy, nothing is free, to expect adversity and embrace grace. They taught me by modeling these examples in their daily lives. I was watching.

My dad was a brilliant scientist with a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering. He was the kindest, most humble man I've ever known - I am so proud to be his daughter. He wasn't just kind to me, he was kind to everyone he met. He loved people and he made everyone feel special and important. He was a great encourager, always positive and always teaching. He loved my mom with pure devotion, which was a wonderful gift to me and my four younger siblings. My mom stayed home and raised the five of us with love and discipline. All five of us were good students, active in sports and we each graduated from college. One Lumberjack and four Sun Devils. Go Devils!

From an early age, my parents taught me to acknowledge and pursue the gifts that God gave me. Most of my gifts were those of athleticism, which came so easily to me that they had to be from Him. A total tom-boy who was placed in the boys PE class in elementary school, I completely enjoyed earning 10 high school and 4 college letters. An ex-jock, still fiercely competitive, I'm prone to mow over my own children to win. I'm a work in progress.

My husband is a no fluff, no frills cowboy who owns his own business and loves his horses. He's a follower of Christ who works each day to grow as a husband and father. Together we have four amazing kids....two daughters and two sons. Each of them love Jesus, enjoy school, love to read, play sports and each play the piano. They are extremely special, uniquely different and cherished beyond words.  

I'm a bit of dreamer, an idealist, forced by circumstance to live as a realist. An optimist, I see the glass half-full and hold tightly to an attitude of gratitude. I'd live on the beach in a heartbeat and also enjoy the peace of the mountains. I'm content where I am yet I itch to move on. Me - it's a strange place to be. 

Friends and family have encouraged me, for years, to write. About all I get out is a vaguely popular Christmas letter each December. This blog is intended to keep those who are interested (especially you, Grandma Della) updated with both the minutia and ho-hum, along with the exciting and crazy events in our lives. It's also a place to voice my philosophical ramblings and scratch my writing itch. If you have the time, you are welcome to check in and join me in this adventure. Feel free to post your comments.

As my dad always said.....cheers!