I was born and reared in Utah except for brief periods in Nevada when my father’s career in ranching took us to that state. I graduated from Brigham Young High School in Provo. Before my sophomore year in college was completed, I had met and married my husband, Corrin, and we left for a semester of study abroad in Salzburg, Austria, followed by some European travel.

After returning home my life became centered in our growing family and we eventually had 12 children, though one daughter died in infancy. I continued my education through those years in small ways as time and circumstances permitted and by the time all the children were in school I began to focus more intently in that endeavor. Fortunately, the family participated willingly in my efforts and even sealed and stamped hundreds of letters that went out in my first field research study. Getting Mom through school was a family affair. Over time I completed an Associates degree at Dixie College, a B.S. degree at Southern Utah State College, and a Master’s and Ph.D. from Brigham Young University.

In later years I taught some classes at Mojave Community College, Brigham Young University, and Dixie State College.

After Corrin’s retirement we taught in the China Teacher’s Program sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the Kennedy Center at BYU, and enjoyed two separate years teaching in China’s universities.

Presently, we live in northern Utah, where I research and write. The parallel experiences of continuing education, and the years of being an at-home mother, came together to make mothering my work and my passion and I continue to speak for and write about its divine importance in any way I can. The stories and insights I have received from other mothers have enlightened this subject, and I hope such participation will continue to contribute to our understanding of mothering.