Thoughts on Mother's Day

We were presented hats woven from bamboo on our latest trip to inspect a completed water system. We're going to have quite a collection.!

I love to look at my wall of pictures as I sit at the computer. You're on our wall and in our thoughts and prayers.

I wish I could be as articulate as Lucy is in writing her blog, but I'm not. I am so glad to be the mother of Emily, Maureen, Jonathan, Jennifer, Lucy, and Sarah and the mother-in-law to Jim, Tara, Jay and Christopher. AND the grandmother to Brendan, Caleb, Ansel, Seth, Connor, Alyssa, Jonas, Samuel, Ian, Owen, Erin, Natalie, Henry, and Sadie.

When I went to BYU I was teased that I was going to BYWoo, and I was quite sure that I wanted a university education and degree, to travel and to teach. I had my patriarchal blessing while I was at BYU and was told that I would be a mother and that my children would be the jewels in my diadem. So, I went on my way to achieving the goals I had, assuming that the promise of marriage and children would follow naturally.

And when the years went by, I began to wonder if my wilfulness had caused me to lose those promised blessings. In 1967 I went on sabbatical from BYU to UCLA to get a graduate degree in linguistics and to study teaching English as a Second Language. Sometime during that year, solemn assemblies were held for single adults and we were asked to come to the meeting fasting. I drove alone about an hour to the stake center. Stake presidents presided and passed the sacrament. I can't remember anything that was said, but on the way home, I had the strongest personal revelation that the Lord knew me, accepted me and my choices, and that the blessings of marriage and family would come.

I don't remember when that was but the spring of 1968 while I was at UCLA I received a letter from Carl, which prompted a response from me to come visit while I was in Los Angeles which prompted a response from him that he would come. He spent 10 days in California while we got reaquainted and caught up on each other's lives as well as seeing tourist sites in LA.

When he came home from his mission, we did a few things together at BYU and I thought he would be a good husband, but he wasn't ready then. As he prepared to go back to Helena, we talked of meeting again in Utah in June as I was obliged to teach summer school at BYU.

During the ensuing months, our courtship continued through mail, several meetings in Utah and Montana and married in September 1968. I was so grateful that we were both prepared and able to be sealed in the temple. And the rest is history that you know. We welcomed Emily in June 1969, Maureen in July 1970, Jonathan in September 1972, Jennifer in March 1974, Lucy in August 1975, and Sarah in October 1978. Carl's patriarchal blessing tells him that he chose his wife and children in the pre-mortal existence. So I'm sure there was rejoicing in heaven on September 13, 1968 and that each of you came as quickly as you could, and you were each welcomed.

There have been many occasions for joy during the almost 39 years and so few occasions for heartache. I am so glad that I (we) have been blessed with so much happiness because of all of you.

I'm not sure that my choice would be to be so far away from all of you for 18 months---though the first year in China was my choice--but I am sure that we are where the Lord wants us to be. There are times when I check the emails and there aren't any from you, that I wish you were more dependent and needed more to stay in contact. But I remind myself that means not that you aren't thinking of us, but that you each have busy fruitful lives to live, for which I'm very grateful.

I send my love to all of you on this Mother's Day, with gratitude of the blessings and growth that I've had from the privilege of rearing and knowing all of you.