Thank You Wendy!!!!

Thanks to Wendy for allowing me to feature her this week on Incredible Women. I learned so much from her - hope you did too. If you weren't able to read all of her interview this week, I'll leave it up for the rest of today - then it will be listed under her name in the archive - Past Incredible Women.

Tomorrow, the blog will be UNDER CONSTRUCTION again, as I prepare to bring you another Incredible Woman.

Hope to see you next week. Be incredible!

Incredible Woman #21 - Wendy Neville. Friday's Questions

KARA: "Have you had the opportunity to do much service? What kinds of service? Etc. Give us some examples/suggestions of the kinds of things we, as women, can do to be of service."

WENDY: "Service... I think when you serve others you learn to find yourself and who you really are. I like the scripture in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 2:17 that tells us, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God".

That is so true and if we look at service that way it can become easier to serve others! I haven't been involved in organizations for service, but I have found that there are opportunities all around us to serve, we just need to look. I did help my son with his Eagle project this summer doing a food drive for the Family Connection Center for pets, we collected donations and food for animals. I was amazed at the love and the big hearts of people around us, we had collected over 1800 lbs of pet food. It was so humbling to go with my son to the Family Connection Center and drop it off, people were waiting for food so they could feed their pets. That was rewarding to know that we made a difference in someone's life!

I have had many opportunities to serve others and to have others serve me. It is always hard to accept help from others because we think we can do it on our own, but by turning people away and not accepting their service we are denying them blessings.

One thing I have tried to do, and have made it a goal, is to always look for ways to serve others when I am out and about, they are everywhere!! By taking yourself out of your comfort zone and reaching out to complete strangers you will be surprised how people react.

For instance, smile and look at people in the face,say hello to the Wal-mart greeter, help someone shorter than you reach to get something off the shelf, someone drops something - help them pick it up, compliment someone, help a mother with a child and the list goes on and on! Don't be shy, do it in front of your kids because I have and that is setting the perfect example of how to treat people. I try to stop and give a dollar or two to the homeless person in the parking lot and if I've just bought groceries, I have gotten out of my car and have given them food. One day I saw a lady and a grandma with a small child pushing a cart full of groceries down the road and it was cold so I stopped and offered them help. We loaded everything in the back and I took them home. I expect nothing in return, just blessings.

One day at Wal-Mart I saw a couple who had bought some furniture and was trying to load it in their car and I knew it would not fit so I offered my van. My son Casey was with me and asked,"Do you know them?" I said, "No, but they need help." We loaded the van up and I followed them to their apartment and had my son help the guy carry the item up to where they lived. Wal-Mart is a perfect place to find service. Another time I overheard a couple talking in McDonalds, not knowing what to do next because their car broke down and they needed to get to Salt Lake. They wanted to get to the nearest train station and did not know where one was. I went up to them and told them that I could take them there. They were relieved and turned to my son Colby who was with me and said, "You have a good mom". They talked to my son in the car the whole way there and thanked us over and over.

You never know the impact you will make on someone by serving them, what a shame if we always pass by on helping someone in need.

A thought to remember
You are the piece to the puzzle of someone's life.
You may never know where you fit, but others
will fill the holes of their lives with pieces of you!

KARA: "One other service that Wendy probably doesn't even consider one - her sister, Tina, told me that she made a book about her breast cancer experience, and I think she left it in the Dr.'s office for others to look at. Apparently, it was hilarious - that is SO Wendy. Believe me when I say, she can make you laugh at anything. I'm sure that other patients pick that up, and after laughing their heads off, feel a little bit better about what they have to go through!"


KARA: "Will you tell us your beauty secrets? What do you do to stay healthy and happy? If you had one day to do anything you wanted, what would you do?"

WENDY: "My beauty secrets? Ha ha, very funny! Lets just say Nice and Easy color in a box! I have been coloring my hair for over twenty years, I guess you can say I take after my mom who went gray very early too. I think going to bed early and rising early has helped me and has created good habits for myself and my children. I love to eat salads and I haven't been a big meat eater. Seeing like the Carl's Jr. commercials really gross me out with the dripping hamburgers. I like chicken dishes the best. I could do better exercising, if I was to exercise it would be walking or Tae Bo exercise video. I also do not miss any check ups when it comes to my health, When things don't feel right, they probably are not right, we need to listen to our bodies. God did not give us pain for no reason, our body feels pain to tell us something is wrong, so we should not ignore the signs it gives us.

What keeps me happy is when I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I have found when I let things slip on taking care of myself spiritually I'm not happy. We try to take care of our physical bodies, but I feel we need to take care of our spiritual body too. Praying, reading the scriptures and going to church each week, just keeping the commandments which God has given us can keep us happy.

If I had one day to do anything I wanted? I would take some time out for me, because I give to everyone else and never take time for myself. If I had no limit with money I would get a make over head to toe, get a massage and then attempt, if I'm brave enough, to go skydiving.(I've always wanted to try that)."

Incredible Woman #21 - Wendy Neville. Thursday's Questions

KARA: "What are your top ten favorite things?"

WENDY: "My top ten favorite things?

1- My husband

2- My Children

3- My Testimony and knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ

4- The Book of Mormon

5- The ability to go into a deep sleep and they next thing you know it is morning. ( I say this because I can't ever get a good nights sleep and when I do, I love it!)

6- New born babies

7- Baby puppies and the puppy smell

8- A hug from a child and they say, "I love you"

9- Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

10- Peace of mind- to know that I'm safe and my family is safe"



KARA: "Tell us about the relationships in your life – (For example: What makes your marriage work? What do you do to be a good mother-in-law? How important to you is friendship?)"

WENDY: "What makes my marriage work? Well, we are going on 25 years now and I will say that we have had our ups and downs - mostly ups! But like any marriage it takes work, work, and work! Lots of communication and forgiveness. My husband and I have always tried to date on a weekly basis, it's nice to just get away for a few hours together. I have found when we don't get along it is because we are being selfish and not putting the other ones needs and concerns before our own. When we were first married we went to see one of my friends get married and the man that was marrying them gave them this advice and we have used it all through out our marriage.
He told this couple to always remember to use these words in their marriage and that is "I love you", "I'm sorry" and "Please forgive me". So, I've learned to say I'm sorry even when I think I'm right just to keep peace, and ask for forgiveness, and admit when your wrong.

About being a good mother-in- law?
Well, when my daughter first got married they lived right around the corner from us and I did not want my new son to think I was a nosy mother in law and so I tried really hard to stay out of their business. They have come to us with advice and we give it and then let it go, we don't want push our opinion too much. It is their life to live and they need to learn and grow as a couple and learn from their mistakes with out parents butting in or saving the day. If we always step in to save our children from wrong choices or mistakes how will they learn? I love them no matter what and then let them grow into who they are to become.

Friendships are important to me, but over the years I have been very guarded because I have been burned too many times by people who say they are my friends and they really are not. I feel safe being with my only true friend and that is my husband. I guess we all need to work on being the good friend and then we will have many acts of kindness and friendships in return. Maybe I haven't been a good friend? Hmmm?"

Incredible Woman #21 - Wendy Neville. Wednesday's Questions

KARA: "I know you’ve gone through some trials in your life. Talk about those if you can, and tell us what has been the most difficult of those trials – what has helped you to overcome those trials? And, how have they changed you?"

WENDY: "I have gone through my share of many trials just like every one else in life and over the years when I have been going through them and I'm about to feel sorry for myself, I look around me and find that there are people who are far worse than myself and then I don't feel so bad, it could be worse.

In one of the paragraphs of my Patriarchal Blessing (a blessing we can receive for ourselves in our church by one who has proper authority)says, "Problems and difficulties will confront you throughout your life, but be mindful that your Father in Heaven stands constantly ready to sustain and strengthen you." Wow! That is so true! I have been through a lot, but the Lord has been there too for me. He has been the one who has carried me though them and given me the strength to conquer them!

The earliest trial I remember is when I was 6yrs old, living in Van Nuys, California. My sister who was 8yrs old and myself were walking down the street and around the corner to a corner store to buy treats and on the way home we were approached by a Hispanic man who was a hunch back and spoke no English with handfuls of money he wanted to show us. We were intrigued and as we got close enough to hold it in our hands ourselves he grabbed us both and dragged us up some stairs to his apartment. I remember trying so hard to get out of his grip, but it was too tight. Once we were inside we sat on his couch and he offered a sprite and we turned him down, we noticed he had several locks on his door and he had locked all of them.
My sister, wise for her age said, "We are going to call the police!" He understood the word POLICE and went to his door and unlocked a few locks to make us think he was going to let us go, but that was not so. We tried several attempts to run to the door, but each time he stood in front of the door to block us. He then gave one of us a pair of binoculars to look out the window while he molested the other and vice versa. I don't know how long all this took place, but it seemed like hours to me. We again were sitting on the couch and my sister whispered to me, " This time we are going to run to the door and not stop!" We ran and of course he jumped in front of us and my sister kicked him right in the balls, he fell to the floor (that must have been a really hard kick from an 8yr.old) and we were able to run out the door and run home. I later found out that he was an illegal immigrant and was just sent back to Mexico and probably came back and did it again to who knows how many more children.
Then when I was 16yrs old I was again molested by my bus driver who was my bus driver thought grade school and Jr. High. I don't want to go into detail about that, but I had to go to court and testify against him. From what I understand I think he only served 3 months in jail and over the years I have found out that he molested several girls that I knew. Several years after I was married my dad called me to tell me that the bus driver had died, my comment to my father was, "Good, I hope he burns in hell!" My dad then said, "Well there is such thing as repentance". Well, in my opinion if he repented, then he should have gone to every one of those girls he hurt and asked for their forgiveness for what he had done to them, that is repentance.

What I learned from this? Well, for a while I hated men and did not trust them and through my loving husband I realized that not all men are bad, there are good guys out there. Also, I DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG AND IT WAS NOT MY FAULT. Once I was able to sort though these things, I put them on a shelf and left them there. I have not let this control my life!

Next trial (and this has been my hardest) July 7th 1981

At the age of 14 I lost my mother tragically in a car accident. We were coming home from a vacation in California and had been driving all night and we had stopped for doughnuts and milk and gas in St. George, Utah. (My last happy memory of my mom is running with her to the bathroom at the gas station and seeing who could go to the bathroom the fastest and then back out). When we were done there we all piled into our custom big van and my mom was driving, we got about 15 miles out from Cedar City when the accident happened. Either a tire blew or I think she fell asleep no one knows for sure, but the next thing I know we were going off the road and I heard my mom calling out for my dad. He was back sleeping on the bed in the back with my brother Chris and tried to get up,but tripped over me who was sleeping on the floor and could not make it to her, it was too late. (For years I blamed my self for that, thinking, if only I wasn't there on the floor then dad could have gotten to her) We went off the road and hit the median, flipping several times and I remember at one point opening my eyes and seeing myself hitting the inside of the van as it rolled, we then landed on the opposite side on the south bound high way.

I remember my sister and I were okay and not thrown from the van and I was able to climb out of one of the windows in a complete daze and it took me a while to figure out what had just happened(I was in shock) I saw people running everywhere to help. I walked around and found my brother Chris (age 9) on the road hurt and crying, but there were people helping him so I walked around and found my brother Todd (age 7) on the road hurt and crying and at one point he looked up at the sky crying and said,"Oh, Heavenly Father please help me" I will never forget that. I left him there for he was being helped also, I then found my dad(age 41) surrounded by many people and he was bleeding from his nose, mouth and ears and flinging his arms at everyone screaming in pain, I was so shocked at how he looked I had to turn away.

I then proceeded to look for my mother(age 37) and I found her some distance away on the side of the high way face down with her head in a pool of blood. I sat by her and talked to her trying to wake her thinking she was alive, but she was gone. I could not understand and I remember being angry because no one was helping my mom and they were helping everyone else. I stayed by her, I did not want to leave her alone and kept trying to wake her thinking she was alive. A police officer came and took me away and put me in his car and told me to sing primary songs. He then walked right by my mom and I got angry again, why did he not help my mom? I got out of the car and sat by my mom again and cried. He then took me again and put me in his car and walked by my mom. I then got out and found my sister Tina(age 17) who was wondering around like me in shock and as we stood together we saw the police officer cover our mother with a blanket. We both looked at each other and said, "Mom is dead". The reality was sinking in.
I won't go into any more detail for it will be too long, but my brothers and my dad were life flighted to a Provo hospital and were in the hospital for a while and were not able to attend the funeral of my mother.
My grandparents, bless them forever were there for Tina and I and they helped us plan our mothers funeral. I remember our grandma going with us to the funeral home and helping us decide all the details of the funeral and in the end she let us make the final decision on things.
There are many other details in between all of this that I can go into, but I can't for it is so personal and even sacred to me. Basically my sister and I buried our mom on July 11th 1981 and it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! As I have had kids of my own I begin to miss her even more because she would have been a wonderful grandmother!!

What I've learned from this? Life is short and we will never know when we will be taken from this life. This trial made me who I am today and it made my testimony grow of our Fathers great plan for us here in mortality. It has made me a fighter and has made me more determined than ever to live my life the best I can so I will be able to see my mom again. I know I will see her again and I have envisioned our reunion so many times in my head, I can't wait to hold her again and tell her I love her! I know that she is aware of all her children here for I have felt her in my life and have had a couple of special sacred experiences with her that I know are real and I will not deny them.

Next and latest tria

I was in my annual woman's check up and my doctor said, "Now Wendy, you will be turning 40 in a couple of months so you need to go get a mammogram". He had been bugging me since I was 35 because he had said that he has been seeing more ladies younger and younger getting breast cancer and so he was encouraging all his patients at the age of 35. I had managed to ignore him for five years and this time I listened to his council and went in. I always heard all the horror stories of how terrible mammograms are and when I went in and had mine I thought it was no big deal, it was not bad at all!!

After I got the screening done I got a phone call the next day saying that they wanted me to come in for they had found something suspicious on the film. My husband went with me and they showed us the films and why they were concerned. They encouraged me to get a biopsy, so on Halloween of 2006 I went in for my wonderful biopsy. Now the best way to get through trails is you have to have a sense of humor and take it as it comes or you will drive yourself nuts! I walked in and told the nurse and doctor that I had searched and searched for a costume for that day, but I just had no luck finding a boob costume! That broke the ice for every one being so serious.

I then went home and waited for the news and it came November 2nd 2006 as my kids were walking in the door from school and just two days before my sons birthday that it was CANCER.
How do you stay happy and positive and try to throw a party for your son with that kind of news? We were honest and up front with our children with this news and did not hold anything back.
I then went in again for a chest MRI and that was so much fun! You lay on the table face down with your boobs placed in two holes with your arms stretched out straight in front of you and put into a tube for I don't know how long. You have head phones on to block out the noise and you can hear the lady speak to you in them. The lady rolled me in the tube and asked if I could hear her and I said, "YES!" Then I told her that I felt like a topless Wonderwoman flying in the tube! She began to laugh. That got me through that humiliating experience.
I then went in for another biopsy which was so fun too. All in all we had caught the cancer early enough that it was just a stage one and they went in and did a partial mastectomy on my left breast and then they found some precancerous cells on the right breast so they did surgery on that one too. My friend and her husband named my boobs for me and we took this whole experience with humor! They are called Rocky Righty and Lumpy Lefty.

Because we caught it early I did not need chemo, but just 6 weeks of radiation which was a whole other fun experience.
When I went in to do prep for my radiation the radiation tech called me back and looked at my chart and said, " Now you're here for your prostate, right?" I stood there looking at him and laughed saying, " I don't have a prostate!" He then said, "Good I was just making sure that you had a sense of humor." I had to strip down naked from the waist up laying on a table and two men come in with markers and began writing all over my chest and taking pictures, talk about awkward! I asked them if they were playing connect the dots?

The whole experience was hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. I then found out that my cousin Kara was now starting to go through the same thing and my experience was a walk in the park compared to her experience. She ended up having both breasts removed and has been going through reconstructive surgeries.

Sometimes I forget that I have had cancer and when people come up all concerned and ask how I'm doing it takes me a minute to figure out why they are asking. Oh, yea I had cancer! Really it has been a much easier trial for me than I thought it would be.

What have I learned through all my trials? That you're not alone in them. That we have an older brother Jesus Christ who already had carried that cross for us and he bore the pains for us and that through Him we can accomplish anything!

Trials have made me strong and I have learned so much about myself through them, I even have thanked my Heavenly Father many times for the trials that he has given me. Some make think that that is strange to thank Him, but I have learned so much and learned to appreciate who I've become and I have to thank Him for molding me into this, I guess... Incredible Woman."

Just a thought:
Adversity is not a punishment, but rather a blessing,
for it is through adversity that we become strong!


KARA: "What inspires you?"

WENDY:

Inspire- To stimulate to think and to act, to influence

"What inspires me? My knowledge of who I am, a daughter of God. To know that I will some day stand before him and give him an account of my life and be accountable for my actions inspires me to try a little bit harder and and do a little bit better in my life, I just don't want to disappoint Him.

My mother inspires me!
Even though I only had her in my life a short time she has inspired me to be the best mother I could be! Life is short and we never know when we will be taken from this life and the lives of our loved ones and so we need to make the best of it! My mom was so beautiful to me and was a great example to me of how a mom should be. I know she loved me through her words and actions and I know she still loves me, I have no regrets with my relationship with my mother.
The only thing I do regret is that she did not leave behind a journal. The only thing that I have is a few handwritten recipes. I would give anything to have a journal with my moms handwriting and her thoughts and concerns. Because of this I have been inspired to leave my children part of myself through my journals. I don't want my children to have the heartache of having nothing to hold in their hands and not being able to read my innermost feelings in my heart and my feelings of them.
I want to leave my children happy memories and stories to tell and the ability to share that love for generations to come! Thanks mom, I love you!

KARA: It's often very hard for us to share some of the experiences we've had with others. I'm glad Wendy was willing to share her trials with us. I learned so much just reading through those trials. Thanks so much, Wendy. Tomorrow the interview continues with questions 7 and 8 - Wendy will tell us her Top 10 Favorites, and about some of the important relationships in her life. Please come back.

Incredible Woman #21 - Wendy Neville. Tuesday's Questions

KARA: "You’ve got an LDS missionary son serving in another part of the world. Talk about him, where he is serving, and tell us what it’s like to be a missionary mom."

WENDY: "Being a missionary mom... WOW! I never thought this could be so hard and yet rewarding at the same time! My son Casey has served a mission now for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for one year on January 14th of this year. I can't believe it has been a year already, it has flown by for us here at home as well with him! He is serving in the Colombia Bogota South Mission and is currently in a city called Ibague'. He has learned Spanish and has mastered the language, it seems so cool to hear him speak!!
When he got his mission call I was scared because you hear "Colombia" and you think drug cartel and when we looked it up on the internet it had said that in the mid 90's Colombia was ranked number 4 of the most dangerous countries in the world! I had to look inward and find the strength and faith to turn him over to the Lord for two years and trust the Lord to protect him.
He has told us of missionaries in his zone that have been robbed at gunpoint and that there are places that they are not allowed to go or they will be shot. For some reason I have been at peace with this and know that he will be safe as long as he is obedient to the rules. I have never cried so much and have had sleepless nights of worry though.

We were able to talk to him at Christmas which was nice although the phone kept breaking up. We did have a nice surprise about a week before Christmas. I had a message on my phone from a man who had recently returned from Colombia from a business trip and had a package for us from our son Casey. I stood in my kitchen crying. I called him and found out that he lived in Provo, so I had my daughter, who lives in Orem, go and pick it up for us. She brought it up on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning we opened it and found lots of little souvenirs, coins, and some camera files. We stuck them in the computer and he had videos that he had made showing us his house that he lives in and everything you could think of. He spoke nearly 45 minutes, talking and bearing testimony of what he was doing, then to my surprise he said this through his tears, "I would like to extend my mission if that's okay with you, I love all of you, but I need more time, more time to serve my God!" This did not phase me, that is so Casey!! I could never be so proud of him and how could I tell him NO you can't stay, that would be so selfish on my part! I told him on the phone to go ahead and put in the request for the extension and I hope he gets it and I will support him 100%!
He loves the people and the work that he is doing, he has had great success and is lost in the service of the Lord, I wouldn't want him anywhere else right now than out serving the Lord!!"

KARA: "Wow, Wendy, as the mom of a previous missionary, I know how hard that would be to hear that your son wants to stay longer than 2 years! But, I also know that there is no better place for him to be."


KARA: "What are your goals for the New Year? How will you reach those goals?"

WENDY: "Probably the most common one everyone says, lose weight!! I would like to lose about 30 pounds, though, and to accomplish this I would like to walk, I love walking. The problem is time, isn't it? We never have enough time, but I know that is just an excuse!!
I also would like to have better control over my thoughts, no I'm not thinking bad thoughts. I tend to misjudge people and think wrong of them until I get to know them better and then I feel bad later. I feel that I should be better about thinking positive about others and look for the best in people."

Tomorrow, Wendy will talk about some of the trials she's been through, and also about what inspires her! Also, I'll be posting a slideshow of Wendy and her family tomorrow morning. Please come back.

Incredible Woman #21 - Wendy Neville. Monday's Questions

This week is a special week for me. I get to introduce you to my cousin, Wendy Neville. We are a little less than a year apart in age. We grew up near each other. Have you ever gone through a horrible trial, and there has been someone there to buoy you up? (I looked up the word buoy and it said: to keep afloat - to keep from sinking, and to sustain or encourage. That is the perfect word for what Wendy did for me.) Wendy had breast cancer 2 years before I was diagnosed. In fact, I was at the Cancer Walk with her right after I got a call to come back for a second mammogram. I was nervous and she calmed me down, and told me not to worry until there was something to worry about. Great advice! Pretty soon, there was something to worry about, and I called her - she told me everything she went through, and what I could expect. Then, as I continued on my breast cancer journey, she would call me every once in a while - always right when I needed to hear from her - and she would make me laugh, cry with me, let me vent, etc. She was there for me. She selflessly did for me what I didn't do for her during her trial, and I'm so thankful that she was there every step of the way. What a kind, loving person she is. I've learn lots of new things about Wendy and her family as I've interviewed her. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

KARA: "Tell us about yourself (talents, hobbies, likes, dislikes, etc.). What makes you an Incredible Woman?"

WENDY: "Well, where do I begin? I'm the second oldest in my family, I have an older sister, Tina, and two younger brothers, Chris and Todd whom I love dearly!
I was born in Salt Lake City on January 9th 1967, yes I just turned 43! Scary, and I feel it too! Places I grew up in were Van Nuys, California, West Jordan, Utah and Layton, Utah. I currently live in Layton, Utah, I just could not leave this great city.

I recently went into the work force to help my son on his mission - that was hard for me because I stayed home for over twenty years raising my family and it was a big adjustment. I cried the first week driving to work, I felt guilty leaving my empty house. I work for the Davis School district and Sand Springs Elementary in their Functional Skills Unit, working with all the special needs children. This is my third year working and I've grown to love it. I love special needs children!!

Some talents, hmmm... I laugh at this because I feel that I'm the least talented person there is!! As I thought about it, there are some things that I feel I'm good at. First I feel that I'm very talented in being a mother and staying on top of things in the home. I'm not musically inclined, although I have always wanted to learn to play the piano. I love to sing in the choir at church and have done so for years and years - I don't have the most beautiful voice, but it's the singing that I love because music brings the spirit into the room and your life!! I guess you could say I'm talented in this area because I cannot read music at all, you just play through a song or play my notes, and I will get it and sing it.
I'm good at drawing and doing crafts - give me any craft and I will master it! I also have a knack at figuring things out when they break, I've fixed my washing machine twice. I have saved lots of money over the years by cutting my childrens' hair. I can cut all four of my boys hair in about 30 minutes. I got a system down and have their heads memorized! I can also talk like Donald Duck! (Wendy told me that she talks like this to the special needs kids at her job, and it gets their attention! Haha, that is so like her!)

Hobbies - well it is crafts when I can find the time. Family history work, writing in my journal, watching the Antiques Road Show, watching or reading about history, watching old movies and serving my family.

When I asked my boys what talents I have they all said, "Being a good mom, singing, cleaning, cooking (I hate cooking) and making sure they stay out of trouble."

Things I like are my favorite color (purple) first off, I guess I'm my Grandma Anderson's granddaughter, she loved purple too. I love Lilacs, sunsets, mash potatoes, kids, good music like Josh Groban and Christian music, rainbows, thunder and lightening, sitting on my porch when it rains, a good sense of humor ( you can get through anything with a sense of humor), hot chocolate ( even in the summer), and all Gods creations!!

Thing I dislike are bad breath, being constipated, not being able to sleep, someone who is not humble, a zit that needs to be popped, the ocean ( it scares me because of the constant movement and I have no control when I'm in it), clowns, seafood ( I don't like the fishy smell, maybe that's tied into the ocean thing) and people who are always over dramatic about everything!"

KARA: "Tell us about your family. Use one word to describe each of your kids, and your husband. What is a typical day like at your house?"

WENDY: "About my family... It all started when I was 16 yrs old and I met my husband. He had recently returned from his LDS mission (three days in fact) and he came to my stepbrother's mission homecoming because they were good friends in high school. He came around to hang out with my stepbrother, but really he was coming around to see me. My dad would not let us date because he said Kevin was too old for me, I was sad. So, I would sneak out my window at night and meet up with him and he would take me out on dates, that worked for a few months and then I got caught. That shut everything down for sometime and I did not speak to my dad for a long time. Then one day he called me into his office and told me I could go out with him once a month. I treasured those times! My senior year we dated all the time and I was engaged in December, we were married two months after I graduated on August 15th 1985 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Kevin is my husband - one word to describe him: Committed. He has been a wonderful husband, committed to me, our family, his job and church callings. I have never doubted his faithfulness to me, I have complete trust in him. He works for American Linen Supply Company or ALSCO. He is an internal auditor for the general office and his job requires him to travel all over the world. His international trips include Brazil, Italy, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. His current church calling is the 1st Councilor in the bishopric.

We have been blessed with five beautiful children and they have been a joy to have and to raise!! I never could imagine being a mother could be so much fun, I have loved every minute of it! Sometimes I feel that I don't deserve to be their mother, they are so good (So far).

Kasia Marie(age 22) is our oldest child - one word to describe her: Beautiful. Not only on the outside, but on the inside too. We couldn't ask for a better older sibling for her younger brothers, she has been a great example to her brothers. She has always had a kind heart and is a friend to everyone she meets. She is high strung, meaning she gets stressed easily. She was like that her whole life, always worrying. She excelled in school and has been working at America First Credit Union since she was 17 yrs old, it was the first job she ever applied for and got it! She married Cory Christensen on July 12 2007 in the Timpanogas Temple and they live in Utah. They are trying to expand their little family and she has been stressed because each month she is let down, I remind her that she is not in control, but Heavenly Father is and He will send them down when He is ready, so have fun practicing in the mean time! I could not have asked for a better daughter and I'm proud of her!

Casey(age 20) is next - one word to describe him: Honest. He has always been so honest with us that it is scary, he tells us things I wish I did not know at times. For instance, he would come home from school and tell me every detail of his day, girls he liked, when he would get in trouble and many other things. He was always happy from the time he was born and he was my only child that had blond hair and blue eyes. He thought he was adopted sometimes because he looked different from the other kids when he was younger. His hair is light brown now, but he still has those beautiful blue eyes. Sometimes people would come up and ask if Kasia and Casey had two different dads because Kasia was so dark and Casey was so light. Casey loves taking pictures and videos and always was doing stuff on the computer. He is so smart and good with his hands and good at problem solving. He did well in school and played football, although he did not play his senior year because he wanted to hang out in the stands (really he didn't like hitting people, he doesn't have a mean bone in his body). Casey is an Eagle Scout and accomplished this when he was 15 yrs old. He is currently serving an LDS mission for our church in South America, Bogota Colombia and has been gone one year on January 14th. I'm so proud of him!

Kyle(age 17) is my third - one word to describe him: Determined. He has never been afraid to try new things and he will work at it until he gets it! He was my most handsome baby when he was born, he had a full head of hair and before his blessing day I had to cut it. He looked like a little man with his hair parted on the side. He never liked to snuggle as a baby and still to this day he hates to be touched. I ask him, "What are you going to do when a girl wants to hold your hand or rub your arm or something?" He just says that it would drive him nuts, but he'll deal with it. Kyle is very athletic and his goal is to get a 4.0 in school, but he always gets a 3.9 something. He has wrestled and played football. He has taught himself to ride the unicycle, snowboard and play the drums. He saved his money and bought himself a drum set - sometimes I wonder why I said yes to that as I watch people walk by and stare at the house wondering what the noise is coming from our house. He is going to work at Camp Loll this summer and when Casey comes home he wants to work with Casey at Camp Loll too, before he leaves on his mission. Kyle is an Eagle Scout, he accomplished this when he was 13 yrs old and I'm very proud of him!

Caleb(age 13) is my next joy and one word to describe him: Obedient. I never have to tell him more than once to do something and he never makes me angry. If I raise my voice at him or seem to get mad at him he gets so sad - the thought of mom or dad being angry at him makes him so sad, which is so cute to me. He loves to read, read, read! Sometimes he reads two or three books at the same time and I don't know how he keeps all the characters straight. He loves World History and studying about the Civil War and World War II. He loves to collect different coins from other countries, he has several treasure chests full of money. Caleb has always been a momma's boy and always hugging me and giving me kisses, which makes up for the loss of loves that I did not get from Kyle. Caleb loves to snowboard and recently at the Canyons Ski Resort tried to go on the rail and fell and knocked himself out and got to have a toboggan ride down the mountain. He loves school and just got a 4.0 this last report card, he also is an Eagle Scout which he just earned in November and had his Eagle Award Ceremony January 10th 2010. I'm so proud of him!

Colby(age 12) is my surprise baby and one word to describe him: Enduring. I thought I was done having kids and I accomplished my goal of having my family of four before I turned thirty. He thought different and blessed our family 18 days after I turned thirty-one. He has endured much from the day he was born with health problems - he has been my most sickly child and I hope with age he will grow out of some things. When he was one week old he got RSV and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital and spent a week and a half in the hospital. He nearly died. The doctors told me he was the sickest baby on the floor and that he was very lucky to be alive. Colby has asthma (so does Caleb), but Colby has struggled with this so badly his whole life and has endured it well. When Colby was six he was attacked by our neighbor's dog and got his face bit up - that was horrible. We rushed him to the ER and the nurse came in and began giving him shots all over his face to numb him for stitching. His screams were all I could endure, I had to leave him with my husband and I stood outside the room and cried. When I returned the doctor came in and began stitching him up, he was screaming and screaming! The doctor said that he should not be screaming or feeling this and then questioned the nurse and found that she shot him with the wrong stuff and he was feeling everything. So, here we go again with shots all over the face to numb him and finally it worked. He had over 70 stitches in his face, looking at him now you would never know that happened because he was sewn up so well. It nearly killed me to see my child suffer and I wanted so badly to take his place, but this was a trial to endure and learn from. It gave me a glimpse of maybe how Heavenly Father must have felt when His Son was suffering and he had to watch it happen and allow it to happen to fulfill His plan. Colby loves sports and plays football and basketball, he is busy in scouts and is currently ranked a Star. I'm proud of him!

A typical day at our house? It starts out with scripture study at 6:30 am every morning followed with family prayer. Just like we won't send our kids out the door with no coat when it is cold, I don't want to send them out into the world without their Armor of God on to protect them from the evil they are surrounded by each day! With boys in the house it is never a dull moment, either broken bones or stitches. Lots of laughter, music, drums, fighting, screaming and farting. I have thought and wished that someone could find a way to make use of our "Natural Gas", like gas for our cars and stuff. Between my husband and my boys and myself we could fill up all four of our cars!! I love my home and the whole experience of being a mom, I would not trade it for anything in the world!"

Join us tomorrow for 2 more questions/answers from Wendy.