MATTHEW'S FAMILY

Matthew grew up in Utah with a large family. He has five siblings who were all 2-3 years apart in age. He has two older sisters, a younger sister, and two younger brothers. He loved being able to have friends at home to be with all the time. All of his family members loved spending time together, whether going on vacations, playing games, or even just talking and laughing long into the night. Part of why Matthew loved his large family was the closeness that his parents engendered among the siblings. In fact, even today, Matt and his siblings keep in contact through weekly emails, phone calls, and blogs. Currently, 4 of his 5 siblings are married, and they have a combined total of 7 nephews and 4 nieces. Matthew loves playing with all of them, and they love to be with Matthew as well. Matthew has a way of making children happy, and his siblings' children are no exception! Matthew's dad is a chemical engineer who worked as the general manager of an oil company for many years, and who now has started a couple of his own businesses. He's brilliant, and has a real talent for thinking outside the box to solve serious problems. Matthew's mom worked full time as a stay at home mom, and Matthew was careful to ensure that she got overtime hours! She taught all of the children about God and Jesus Christ, and was an example of faith and devotion to all of the kids. She is a very happy and friendly person, and she instilled that trait in many of her children. Matthew's oldest sister is married with 4 little boys and one girl, all under 9 years of age. His next oldest sister is married with 2 sons and 3 daughters, all under the age of 7. Matthew's immediate younger brother is also a chemical engineer, and his wife and 2 year old daughter, and newborn son recently moved to Utah from Texas. Matthew's youngest brother is newly married and going to school for chemical engineering (yes, another one) at BYU, and his younger sister is planning on going to PA school in the near future.

Matthew feels strongly that family is the most important thing in the world. Of all the dreams that he has, having a large family with loving relationships is the one he wants the very most. No matter how important work or other activities may seem, he will always put Renee and the children first. Matthew feels it is very important to not only have a large family, but to do whatever it takes to make sure that friendship, kindness, and love define the relationships of everyone in his family.

RENEE'S FAMILY

Renee’s family has taught her many things. Her mom is incredibly selfless. In college, Renee got the flu for several weeks and got behind in classes. Her mom came to care for her. Renee didn’t find out until later that her mom had finally gotten a new dishwasher after it had been broken for five years. She returned it to get the money she needed for the plane ticket. Renee’s mom created an environment in their family where they watch out for each other and will doing anything for each other and for their friends and others in need. Renee’s dad is probably the kindest person she knows. Growing up, he loved to talk and play with her after work. She always felt that she could go and talk to him, even when he was reading or working on something. He would stop what he was doing and answer her questions or tell her about the interesting things he was learning. He never allowed family members to be mean or sarcastic and made sure that people spoke positively of others in their home. Because of her dad, Renee gained her insatiable curiosity about the world and learned how to find answers to her questions and felt confident in her ability to accomplish even difficult tasks. She also learned to be kind to others and to put personal relationships above money, prestige, or her own pride (still sometimes working on the pride).

Throughout her teenage years, Renee’s sister Julie fed her sense of adventure and their quest for fun. Julie took Renee to care for her horse every day and to play with friends. They’d go hiking, play games, go to the beach, and make everything into a mini adventure. Renee’s older brother, David, had her help him make his various inventions and airplanes. She learned to love craftsmanship and how to use a variety of tools and materials. Her younger brother Brian taught her how to deal with disagreements when they were young. Brian loves music, art, and photography. Being with him deepens Renee’s interest in music and exposes her to new genres. All of Renee’s siblings are amazing artists and very creative. Growing up in her family helped her appreciate different sorts of genius found in their unique thoughts and creations and taught her not to measure people by standards set forth in society such as schooling, wealth, fame, or recognition by various awards and honors.