Seven Denton families were spotlighted Tuesday with one of them, the Mo and Rosie Bernal family, honored as the Greater Denton Family of the Year.
The 14th annual recognition luncheon was held at Fremaux's Metropolitan Catering and was sponsored by the Denton Parks and Recreation Department, the Noon Kiwanis Club and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The event is a celebration of family, and several families were honored Tuesday for their values of love, respect, harmony and community service, with one emerging as Family of the Year.
"I'm not going to lie; I thought it was a joke," said 15-year-old Jonathan Bernal, who spoke for his family at the luncheon. "I was like, 'Why would they choose us?' I didn't see what was there until they nominated us and I saw what we have. We have a loving family with communication. I feel so blessed right now."
Kiwanis Club President Steve Mossman read remarks about each of the families before they were brought center stage for their honor. Each family received gifts.
In addition to the Bernals' Family of the Year honor, the Melinda Caeti family was honored as the Single-Parent Family of the Year; Russ and Sara Reeves were named the Family of Trust; Byron and Marcy Mecham were named the Family of Unity; Justin and Casey McConnell were honored as the Family of Inspiration; Gene and Nancy Jordan were named the Family of Love; and Jason and Pamela Alexander were named the Family of Faith.
Kurt and M'Lisa Hansen, who were honored in 2011 as the Family of the Year, were the keynote speakers for the event.
M'Lisa Hansen spoke about nurturing and its importance to families.
She said it is a role both men and women can fill, but women have a natural affinity for nurturing that isn't old-fashioned or chauvinistic.
She said there's an art to nurturing and gave examples of things she's done in her life to nurture her children and her husband.
"Anything that says to your husband and children, 'You are the center of my world,'" she said.
She thanked the mothers who provide that nurturing; such mothers, she said, know it strengthens families, which in turn strengthens Denton and society as a whole.
Kurt Hansen spoke about the role of the father in the family and what fathers should strive to do, sharing some experiences from his life.
He summed it up in three bullet points a man needs to do for his family: preside, provide and protect.
After the honors were handed out, Mossman spoke again and offered more praise for the families.
"Very seldom do we hear about things they're doing in the normal sense. Families like them - maybe your next-door neighbors - make this community the wonderful place it is to raise a family," he said. "You are what keeps hope alive in this world when so much seems to be tugging against the family."
BJ LEWIS can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is blewis@dentonrc.com .
