In our family, we believe a formal education is a springboard for the rest of your life. If you have the foundation of an education, you can achieve anything you can dream up. We both studied at Brigham Young University and learned to think for ourselves. Moreover, learned that getting a diploma is like a refiner's fire, you do not come out the same person.
(Doug graduating with Honors in Industrial Design in April 2003) We feel that through an education we have the capacity to learn anything we are interested in or have a desire to study. Through study and research, we find that we have a better appreciation for God’s creations.
Because of Marianne’s study of International Relations, she has found great joy in working with people from diverse backgrounds.
( Marianne graduated in December 2003 but walked in April 2004 ceremony)
Traveling
We believe that we are the adventurous type. We love trying new things. Doug speaks German because he lived his high school years in Vienna, Austria. Marianne speaks German because she was a nanny for five children in Germany. We have traveled to several countries in Europe. Travel cultivates a different kind of education and we love experiencing the uniqueness of a different culture, or language. Since living in the US, we have tried to keep this travel bug alive by discovering places through road trips. By educating ourselves about new places and gaining new friends, we add real life experiences to our formal education.
(Above Doug in Kassel, Germany in 1994; Below Marianne in Kassel in 2002)
We hope to cultivate in our home a place where the study of other nations, other languages, and love all people will be fostered. We hope that our children will love traveling and learning from these experiences. We believe that this attitude should be established early in their life.
Traditions
In our family, traditions focus on the family. We have enjoyed being part of a large family. Doug is the last of six. Marianne is the fourth of seven children. Combined we have 32 nieces and nephews.
In this life, we have learned that we have to seize the opportunity to make each holiday, birthday, or anniversary a special one. As a kickoff to summer, we go camping whether rain or snow for Memorial Day Weekend. Celebrating the 4th of July means sharing it with extended family and watching fireworks. For Thanksgiving, we like to have a feast on Thursday and then spend Friday working it off by sledding or cross-country skiing in the Mountains. In December, we celebrate St. Nicholas Day. On Christmas Eve, we bake and deliver treats and carol to our friends and neighbors and follow it up with testimony evening. Every summer we love visiting our extended family at Grandpa and Grandma’s farm in Utah. In addition, we enjoy the mountain air from Gram’s cabin in Island Park, Idaho.
For birthdays, Marianne makes unique cakes because you only turn that age once. It is always a new recipe and a new creation. She does not make a typical cake, you can find in the store but a cake with character like an apple/apricot torte or a chocolate cake filled with cherries. It is a one of kind of masterpiece.
Honesty always the best policy
While we were dating, we had a saying that has now become one of our family mottos. “You can be honest and open (with me).” We have incorporated this into our marriage and our family relationships. We find that by communicating with family and being honest that we are true to ourselves and to others. We are better friends if we can tell them how we feel. In life, we feel it is always important to be honest in all of our dealings with each other. We believe having integrity is vital to making friends and keeping them.
Performing Arts
Together we enjoy making music, listening to music and dancing to music. We value music and believe music enhances life. It can give you a pick me up on a bad day, or inspire you to create or try something new.
Marianne enjoys whistling or humming while working. At work, Marianne’s co-workers can tell she is coming because they can hear her before they actually see her. Marianne plays the piano and believes that playing the piano is a great way to meditate, or relax after a long day.
Doug always has a song in his head and can find a line from a song that fits into conversation. Doug is not shy about singing anywhere or with anyone. He can break into song from a famous musical or children's primary song. One of Doug’s great qualities is his imagination and knack for acting. Some of his memorable roles were acting as a leaping frog, SOS man, and the God of Death. He has been in over 40 theatre productions. He can make people laugh at the drop of hat with a silly accent or a silly face.
Getting your Hands Dirty
A main passion in life is getting our hands dirty by working in the yard. We know that life is work and can reap a great harvest from our labors.
We love to garden, whether flowers or veggies. We plan a garden for next season before the current season is over. We love to plan, plant seeds, nurture them, watch them grow and then slowly harden them off to endure the elements outside. Our garden is a larger metaphor for our future family.
Forgiving Others
We realize in life that life is precious and that the moments we share together as a family are indeed special. We understand that we are human that we make mistakes, we fall down, we error and we must repent. God’s plan of repentance is one that we practice in our home. We believe children learn from their parent’s examples and that we, as parents are not perfect. We have to seek forgiveness and apologize when we have erred. We believe that saying sorry and meaning it is important value in our home.
On the Go
As a family, we believe it is important to be active in different clubs, school activities and sports. While growing up, Marianne was active in several school sports. (Gymnastics, Basketball, Volleyball) Through these experiences, she learned team building, and coaching skills. She has developed a skill for showing positive reinforcement, and encouraging people to develop their skills and talents. Many of Marianne’s good friends are also her teammates.
Doug’s family enjoyed soccer since they had half a team already. He has a great love of running. Whether it is running through vineyards or hiking to a mountain peak. He is like the energizer bunny he cannot be stopped. He likes to keep going and going.
We love to hike in the mountains. We love to run in a race. We love that there is a fixed point when the race or hike ends. It gives us a sense of completion, and reward for the effort we have put forth.
