This is really OUR life story, Phyllis and me. Written with love, mostly for the benefit of our ever-growing progeny. We were both blessed to grow up in small-town, rural Minnesota. Our depression-era homes were filled with love, laughter, discipline, and example. Our lives became one on June 23, 1951, and nearly 73 years later we look back with awe and humility at how richly God has blessed our family. These stories are told in my own words, unadorned by any professional wordsmith. Embrace the authenticity of our experiences as we traverse the tapestry of lives lived, unfiltered and unapologetically real. Let me just say that writing (and re-reading) a book of one's experiences is a wonderful way of reliving all the joys and sorrows of life all over again. Robert (Dr. Bob) Van Sant Harris.