Dear"Children",

    I am very excited for this adventure we are preparing to have.  I hope all of you are working to earn your "Finding JOY in the journey" award, not for the award but for the spiritual growth we will gain by preparing for this journey.  I have learned so much from reading the journals written by the very faithful saints in who's footsteps we will follow.  If you have already had a special experience in your preparation I hope you will share it with us on this blog.

Since I am your designated "Ma" I will tell you a little about myself.  First I would ask use to call me Momma T instead of Ma.  A few years ago when my girls were in High School and I worked with all of their friends as the High School librarian and Drama coach, they wanted to call me something not as formal as Mrs. or Sister Draper but not as casual as my first name Teresa so they dubbed me "Mother Teresa" but that was soon shortened to Momma T and that stuck, so if you feel comfortable with that, so do I.

My father was a B-52 navigator in the USAF and we moved often when I was a child.  I went to school in Washington, Texas, California, New Mexico, California again and finally when I was a senior in High School, my father was transfered to Hill Air Force Base in Utah.  I graduated from BYU in Dance.  I married a Utah boy and my husband and I have also traveled around quite a bit, not by plan but just by circumstance.  I had my first child in the Virgin Islands where we were working for a resort on St. John, USVI.  We spent a couple of years in Utah Valley but since then have lived in Georgia, Wyoming, Minnesota, Arizona, Utah and Alaska.  We spent approximately 10 years in Alaska living in several different communities from a small fishing village to a coastal tourist community.

While living in the fishing village there was no organized church unit so we held all of our meetings in our home, including seminary and choir practice.  It is a highlight memory for our family.  I have six children, three boys and three girls and a gaggle of grandchildren.  

I like almost everything and am willing to try "almost" anything.  Music was an important part of my childhood and I made it an important part of my children's lives.  I have done a lot of theatre, starting out as a choreographer, musical director and the past few years have included directing.  I enjoy photography, gardening, quilting, golfing, sailing, traveling and crafty things.

I love the earth that Heavenly Father created for our use and am very grateful to have had the privilege of living in and exploring so many areas.  

I look forward to hearing all about each of you and getting to know you better as we follow those who made it possible for the gospel to grow and flourish on this earth.   Momma T

(I have a new computer and this was the only picture of me on this computer but it is me so I guess that will suffice)