My parents raised some good chicks

I, of course, being one of those chicks.

They've spent more than a few decades wielding their influence on the rising generations.

One period of time that comes to mind is the three years they spent in Tampa, Florida as Mission President and Wife.  I was thrilled to have them serving a mission as grandparents to a large number of potential future missionaries.  Their influence and example as missionaries was priceless.

I also marvelled as I received regular updates of what my mother was emphasizing as a healthy value of the month.  I remember one period of zone conferences at which they handed out a box of Smart Start cereal to every missionary in the mission.  I still think they should have gathered the the Elders and Sisters with their boxes, and taken a picture for Kelloggs.  She told them that they needed to be aware of their daily intake of vitamins.  They were not allowed to have a bowl of "sugar" cereal for breakfast until they had had at least one bowl of Smart Start.  It made me think twice about what we were eating for breakfast.

There was the hand sanitizer phase.  In an effort to curb illness, the missionaries were instructed not to shake hands with each other so much.  Upon entering the chapel for meetings, they were greeted with a large pump-bottle of hand sanitizer.  We at home got busy and became the hand-washing police.  Mini bottles of hand sanitizer found their way into care packages for grandchildrens' lunch boxes and backpacks.  Such practical folk!

Then there was the month in which they strongly encouraged the missionaries to change their sheets regularly.  Mom started to realize that these young adults would transfer to an area, make their beds, and then never change their linens until it was time to move on.  She put together a presentation that included an enlarged picture of a dust mite...

...those interesting creatures that feed off the skin cells that are shed into your bedding while you slumber.  Mmmmmm.... Such a nice thought.  She also mandated that with each changing of the sheets, a good vacuuming of the mattress occur.  It was a very stressful enlightenment for me--I felt a sudden urgency to be changing all seven beds in my house weekly, as well as wielding the vacuum and investing in sound mattress covers.  I'm pretty sure that I successfully freaked out a few of my fellow mom friends, as well.

Another beauty is the month she enlightened us all on the amount of fiber we needed to be eating.  I have never been able to get through the day without thinking of my bowel health, since.  It became challenging to get in a minimum of 25 grams of fiber per person over here, and not contribute significantly to the ever present problem of global warming via natural gas emission.  Certain of my offspring will not go near a fiber bar with a ten-foot pole.  The results were usually hard to control, and inevitably embarassing, as they spent the majority of their daylight hours at school, or away from home.  I tell you, it is still a challenge.

All of this might help you understand, then, why I LOVE the following pictures so much.  Not only were my sisters and I and countless other chicks nurtured and nourished at the hands of this uniquely endearing pair. 

Their work has not ended.  BEHOLD their holiday greeting photos:

Lucky chicks!

:)