Bringing Elizabeth Home Read Online Free Page A

ever be able to find the right person, but when I met Ed, something just clicked. I was twenty-seven and he was twenty-nine. I had traveled a lot, and I was working and enjoying life. Ed was working in real estate, buying and selling properties. We both knew what we were looking for, and we found it in each other. There was no use in wasting any more time. We were engaged after twelve dates and married a month later, in December 1984.
             
    Elizabeth has followed this example with a strong faith of her own. When she was eight years old, she was baptized as a member of the church. She had been taught that she could pray anytime, anywhere, and that a loving Heavenly Father would hear her prayers. At that time we took a weekend trip to Ed's parents' mountain cabin, located not too far from our home in Salt Lake City. It was springtime, and everything in the mountains was in full bloom. Elizabeth loves horses, and she was eager to go for a ride. It's often been said that she plays the harp like an angel and rides a horse like a cowboy. That completely captures the spirit and essence of our daughter.
    Her grandpa enjoys taking all of the children riding. His favorite trail, called “The Salt Trail,” winds its way up the mountain to a meadow, where the children could stop to let the horses graze and rest. Especially at that time of year, the view down at the canyon and meadows overflowing with blooming wildflowers is spectacular. Elizabeth dismounted her horse but didn't have a tight hold on the reins. Her horse pulled the reins from her hands and bolted back down to the pasture, leaving Elizabeth standing horseless at the top of the trail. Grandpa often said that you can never let the horse think he's the boss, because if you do, it's hard to break him of that habit, so it was important to find the horse. Since it was spring, there was no trodden-down path for her to follow. Elizabeth got lost and couldn't find her way back, and she thought for certain she would be in big trouble if she didn't find the horse. Despite her panic, she had the presence of mind to kneel down and pray. She asked our Heavenly Father if He'd help her find the horse and allow her to find her way back to the cabin. Soon thereafter, a rider came up the path and gave her a ride back. Her horse had returned safe and sound and was eating grass in the pasture. That is typical of Elizabeth's faith and prayerful way. It is also indicative of her survival instincts.
    I am honored and proud to be Elizabeth's mother. She's a wonderful girl who has been able to set an example that tells so many people to never give up hope. She has lived her entire life as a truly fine daughter of our Heavenly Father. She is exactly how we believe a daughter should be and act. She's considerate, strong-willed, a good student, an accomplished musician, and has a mind of her own. There is a real bond between us—and it's not always the case that a teenager wants to hang out with Mom. We genuinely like spending time together. She tells me she wants to be just like me when she grows up, and I truly appreciate hearing that—I'm not sure it'll always be that way, but for now I'll take what I can get!
    Elizabeth enjoys going horseback riding, playing her harp, running, skiing, and watching movies. She loves hanging out with her brothers and sister, but she's a teenager and really loves being with her friends. She has an especially close bond with Mary Katherine. Despite their age difference, Elizabeth seems to enjoy being with her. Before the kidnapping, the girls shared a bedroom, arguing only when Mary Katherine's things spilled over onto Elizabeth's side of the room. That problem has since been taken care of now that they have their own rooms. Likewise, Mary Katherine looks up to her big sister and wants to be like her in every way. She learned to play the harp to follow in Elizabeth's footsteps, starting right around the same time Elizabeth learned to play—five years