Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Mom's Answers

1.  As you look back, do you have any favorite years?  Is there a time in your life that you'd like to live over again? 

I have several periods of time that were my favorite.  The first would be the very young years; when innocence reigned supreme!  The ages between 2-5 when I was uninhibited and able to be myself without fear of judgment, disciplin or scorn.  The age before the burdens of the world or challenges and trials.  If I could live my courtship and marriage to Ken over again I would.  It was such a special and fun time!  Also, I would love to live over again the times when our family was young.  When my kidlets would gather on the bed and we would just have fun and giggle.  I would like to go back to that time and better appreciate the time spent together as a family.  I would like to live my mission over again to see if I could have been a little bit more effective.

2.  What holiday traditions did you have in your home while growing up?

Homemade valentines, making our own easter baskets out of lunch sacks, and straws, easter egg hunts in the yard, having Thanksgiving at my Grandpa Goodmans house with all my cousins, a talent show on christmas night along with enacting the birth of the Savior with towels on our heads and robes on our bodies.

3.  What historical events stick out in your mind that you lived through? 

 The death of President John F. Kennedy.  I remember being at school and having the teacher somberly telling us that the president had been killed and the total silence from the faculty, and my parents glued to the television watching the events.  The killing of his brother Bobby Kennedy and the confusion and disbelief of another death.  The attempted shooting of Ronald Reagan ( I was in the hospital having Kjerstin), Watergate with President Nixon and not really understanding what was going on.

4.  What do you love most about your life right now?

Being able to spend time with my husband Ken, being able to nurture our relationship after 30 years of raising our children.

5.  When you were dating and first married, what kind of long-term goals did you have as a couple, and which of those goals have been met?

The most important long term goal I had as a mother was to have children and raise them in an environment where they knew they were loved, to teach them the gospel and have those principals be internalized by them so that they could have a testimony, and be protected from the world by their testimony and be able to help build the kingdom of God on the earth.  To teach them to be independent and self reliant so that they could live a successful life.  I believe that goal has been met.  Another goal was for Ken and I to serve a mission as a married couple.  That is still in the future.

6.  As a child, what did you do with your spare time?  What were your favorite pastimes?

Oh, the carefree days of youth!  Summers were spent running carefree and barefoot through the neighborhood playing with friends, playing "kick the can", "Ollie Ollie Over" , sleeping outside in my sleeping bag, making rafts out of boards and trying to stay on it in a pond.  As a teenager I loved music and spent alot of time just improving my dance skills.

7.  After 29+ years of marriage, what are some of your favorite bits of advice for a happy marriage?

Not to take life too seriously.  Enjoy the simple times, enjoy each other, have a sense of humor, go on dates, express your love for your partner through word and deed, serve them. Enrich your marriage through studying the scriptures together and learning a new hobby or past time to share with the other.  Be patient with each other.

8.  What do you remember about your wedding day?

I remember that Ken was late coming to the temple.  I knew he was on his way and I teased him that he was having second thoughts.  I remember the confirmation and peace I felt when we were at the veil that our decision to marry was right.  I remember the confirmation of the spirit when I gave my name to Ken in the temple.  I remember being surrounded by loving family and friends.  I remember the car getting broken on the way to Park City (our honeymoon spot) and grease getting on my dress.  It was a beautiful day.

9.  Please share your testimony.

I have a testimony of the restored gospel.  The gospel of Jesus Christ has been literally restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I am grateful that I have been blessed to have the gospel in my life without having to search for it.    I love the scriptures, they are true.  I have had the opportunity to really study them in the last 12 or so years of my life.  They bring me such joy and peace.  Reading the scriptures is better than reading a novel!   I am grateful for the second witness of my Savior Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon.  I know that it was written for our time, and that we can learn from its principles.  I am grateful for a living prophet, President Monson, and for a loving Heavenly Father.  I am grateful for faith and prayers.  We must have the faith to understand how the Lord answers our prayers.  I have learned that sometimes the answers to our prayers is asking that we will be able to understand and endure the answer he has for us. 

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