December 29, 198_ began like any other winter morning in northern Alberta. But when they laid a tiny bundle in my arms early that afternoon, I knew my life would never be the same again. Six more children were born to us through the years. But there is something special about the firstborn child. As I gazed into her wonderful blue eyes and nuzzled her fuzzy blonde head, I prayed that Ian and I would be all she needed in a mother and father.

And as I watched her grow and blossom into the lovely, godly woman she is today, I know that prayer, repeated often through the years, has been answered.

Irene faced plenty of challenges as the eldest in a large family. I know a little about that, for I was the eldest of five children. She was the one who taught me how to be a mom… the first to become a big sister, the first toddler, the first to be homeschooled, the first teenager, the first to get married, the first to move far away, and the first to give me a grandchild.

There have been many days and events that changed my life dramatically, for better or for worse. But the day I became a mom stands out in a unique way. It wasn’t just me any more… or Ian and me. We were responsible for a whole new person, and would play a powerful, tremendous role in what kind of person she would grow up to be. She has always done us proud!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IRENE!