Happy Birthday Cori!

    Tomorrow is my daughter Cori's birthday.  I picture her at various stages in her life:

Being the best-natured baby in the world, sleeping through the night at two weeks.

Learning to talk (we wrote down the words she knew at 18-months, in the hundreds.)

Learning to ride a bike in our cul-de-sac.

Waiting at the bus stop for her first day of kindergarten (hard to watch, she seemed so young.)

Being awarded the Hope of America prize at Windsor Elementary.

Taking ballet.

Tending the kids and dealing with the injuries they inflicted on themselves.

Playing the flute.

Going off to college (I couldn't believe how soon the day had come when we dropped her off at her apartment in Salt Lake; I didn't think I'd prepared her enough.)

Serving a mission (When we left her at the MTC, it about killed me. I thought the next person who asked how I was would be hit with my cane--hard.)

Working at the Orem Library.

Serving as Relief Society President.

Marrying David Haskell in the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

Moving into their townhouse.

Becoming the mother of our first granddaughter and later our first grandson.

Leaving for Michigan--another heartbreaker.

Serving as primary president and later as YW president.

Having another son and another daughter.

  These are all experiences and accomplishments, but they don't really address who she is.  She is a loving, patient, helpful, creative, smart, talented woman.  I am so blessed to have her in my life, and so grateful we live in a time when technology makes it possible to talk, see each other and play word games whenever we want, even though we live far apart.

   Hope this is the best year ever for you Cori.  I love you!!!