Living the Good Life, as a "Mormon"

Monday was my 41st birthday. Where I'm at in my life is directly influenced by my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and by my testimony of Jesus Christ. As Mormons we are free to make choices in our lives and those choices are directed by our culture, our beliefs, and prayer. While my choices may differ from other Mormons, they are a result of my beliefs in the importance of family and having children.
At the age of 18, after graduating from high school, I chose to attend Ricks College which is now BYU-Idaho, a church-sponsored school. I made my choice through prayer and by choosing where I was offered the best scholarship. While there, at the age of 19, I started dating my future husband, Alden Holm. It was almost exactly on my 19th birthday. He had his cousin sing to me at my apartment.
Just before the age of 20, I married Alden in the Arizona Mesa Temple. That was also a choice made with the assistance of prayer. We then attended Boise State University. When I was 21, we had our first child. I was still in school. We had been married about 18 months. We were prayerful about having a child and influenced by attending a married student ward where there were lots of cute babies.
With lots of support from my husband--he took a job cleaning the temple at night so he could be home in the day with our daughter--I graduated from college at 22. That next fall when I was 23, we had our second child. Then when I was 26, another and our fourth when I was 29. Then a break and at 33, I had my last child. During this time I stayed at home with my children. It was hard and wonderful. I wrote my first story and submitted it in 1996. I've devoted countless hours to being a mom and to writing. Now my children are all in school.
Last year, after I turned 40, my oldest child was married.
I used to think that if we had children young, then we'd have lots of time later to pursue our dreams--when they were grown. It turns out that my family will keep on needing me and our family will continue to grow with in-laws and grandchildren. But I wouldn't have it any other way. And through it all, my husband has loved me and supported me and listened to me.
Now at the age of 41, my life is full and happy and there's lots more to come.