Wendy Steenhoek

DATE, 2010 Dear Friend, Time has just flown by, and it s hard to belie!e the "o!ember 2 #eneral Ele$tion is just around the $orner% &t seems like it was just a few days a'o when my husband, (had, de$ided he was 'oin' to run for State )ouse ri'ht here in Distri$t *+, "ow, after a few months of $am-ai'nin' with (had, &.!e met hundreds // maybe e!en thousands // of 'ood folks all around this area, 0ut sometimes it seems there.s only time for a 1ui$k handshake, or just a few minutes of $asual $on!ersation, That.s why & ho-e you will take a few moments to read this letter and let me helyou 'et to know my husband on a more -ersonal le!el, We both 'rew u- in Ames, & attended elementary s$hool at "orthwood Elementary s$hool and (had mo!ed here in +th 'rade, We both 'raduated from &owa State 2ni!ersity, (had and & were hi'h s$hool sweethearts // we met our freshmen year at Ames )i'h S$hool and be'an datin' our junior year, 3ur friends ha!e known us as 4(had and Wendy5 for almost as lon' as & $an remember% We were married in 1667 // the ha--iest day of my life // and $elebrated our 17th anni!ersary this 8ay% Whether it.s mana'in' our small business Steenhoek En!ironmental, or bein' a father to our beautiful $hildren, (ole, 9ake and Anna, (had has ne!er been anythin' short of wonderful, &n fa$t, wat$hin' (had hel- raise our $hildren has been one of the bi''est blessin's

in my life, )e is su$h a 'reat e:am-le to them, )e uses e!ery o--ortunity he 'ets to -lay ball with the boys, read books to Anna or e!en sit in the floor and -lay !ideo 'ames with them, This -ast summer, (had took (ole and 9ake on their se$ond annual 4Sur!i!or 8an5 $am-in' tri- // modeled after the -o-ular T,;, show // on a sand bar on the 0oone <i!er, Ea$h of them were only allowed to take se!en items with them and then use those items to 'et throu'h the three days and two ni'hts of the tri-, This year, thou'h, (had $om-letely for'ot to brin' enou'h military meals to feed them for the whole tri-, & $ouldn.t hel- but $hu$kle when & re$ei!ed a te:t be''in' me to meet them with 9immy 9ohns subs and 8ountain Dew the day before they were su--osed to return, They had lots of ad!entures, and an absolute blast, but were star!in'% &.m thankful e!eryday that (had is the kind of man who takes time to in!est in his kids and instill in them the !alues of hard work, inte'rity and res-e$t for fellow man, )a!in' a man of inte'rity to rely on when times 'et tou'h has made all of the differen$e in our marria'e, This -ast year has been one of the most tryin' we.!e had, =ou see, for the -ast twel!e years, & ha!e worked as a sales re-resentati!e in the -harma$euti$al industry, 0ut this 8ay, my em-loyer of nine years announ$ed that they would be layin' off >0? of the $om-any due to the stru''lin' e$onomy, & lost my job in mid/9une, With (had bein' self/em-loyed, we were relyin' u-on the health benefits and stability that my job brou'ht to -ro!ide for our family, We.!e s-ent the last few months tryin' to sort throu'h many tou'h de$isions // and & thank #od e!ery day that &.m married to su$h a stron', smart man that has been our ro$k

durin' this diffi$ult time // $onstantly remindin' me that worryin' doesn.t sol!e anythin' and workin' throu'h our stru''les lo'i$ally, At the time, & $ouldn.t understand why this $ould ha--en to us, but now, it seems like su$h a blessin'% &.!e been able to s-end more time with our kids and hel- (had with his $am-ai'n, While & do not know what the future holds for us, the loss of my job has definitely hel-ed us reali@e the reality of what.s at stake for many families a$ross &owa if our 'o!ernment doesn.t 'et its a$t to'ether, &t has moti!ated my husband e!en further to work to 'et our bud'etary mess in Des 8oines sol!ed and work to $reate new o--ortunities for &owans, 0eyond his de!otion to faith and family, (had is -assionate about the future of &owa, (had lo!es this state, and relishes the thin's & took for 'ranted 'rowin' u- here, )e truly belie!es that we need better leadershi- in Des 8oines, and that s why he is runnin' for State )ouse, &f ele$ted, he will be $ommitted makin' our s$hools the best in the $ountry a'ain by -uttin' lo$al -arents and tea$hers ba$k in $har'e, and makin' sure that e!ery -enny s-ent on edu$ation a$tually makes it into the $lassroom, & 'uarantee that if you and others here in the *+th Distri$t $hoose (had to re-resent us in Des 8oines, you will $ome to trust and a--re$iate him as mu$h as my $hildren and & do, & ho-e (had $an $ount on your !ote on "o!ember 2% Sin$erely, Wendy Steenoek