Saturday, May 9, 2009

Mothers

So it is Mother's Day again! I have been trying to think of a fun post to write in celebration of this day, but the only thing I can think of is to mention some of my favorite mothers in my life!


First of, my own mother. My mother taught me a lot of important things (she is probably rolling her eyes right now trying to figure out what those are!) Well, the one thing that always stands out in my mind is that my mom taught us to be dependable. This started at a very young age. Young Women's for example. If I was asked to serve my class, my mom taught me to always attend my meetings and to make sure I participated in my activities. This has been carried out through my life. To this day, it is so important for people to be able to depend on me and to trust that I will follow through with my commitments. Another thing my mom taught me by her example, is service. I often watched her volunteer to take dinner to someone, feed the missionaries, or provide a salad at a potluck. This may seem small, but I often think of my mom when the "feed the missionaries" sign up comes around or when they ask for someone to provide brownies at an activity. Because of this, I try (sometimes not hard enough) to serve whenever I can.

My Grandma has a special place in my heart. I have so many memories of me sitting by her side listening to her reminisce of years gone by or having conversations with her about what was going on in my life. One of my most vivid memories is that I loved her shoes and her jewelry box. I will always remember seeing my grandma (and grandpa) right after a dance concert. They were always there to see me perform. We always went to Wendy's afterwards! Maybe that is why Wendy's is my favorite fast food place today! I also love my grandma's cooking and I long to be as good as her one day!

I am also thankful for Kelly's mom. She raised such a fine man, that I am lucky to be married to today! I know that because of her support and her encouragement, Kelly is the way that he is! I am blessed because of that!

I also have so many friends and other relatives that are such great examples of motherhood. They are patient and loving and have taught me so much through the ways they love their own families.

To finish things off, these are some favorite quotes by M, Russel Ballard.

"What can . . . young mothers do . . . to reduce the pressure of raising young children and enjoy their families more? . . . " 'Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction. "

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: 'The biggest mistake I made as a parent is the one that most of us make. . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of my three children sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."



“There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be ‘full-time moms,’ at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part- or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else.”

Hope you all had a very happy Mother's Day!


2 comments:

Z said...

I know this is your blog and you can't talk about yourself, but what a great mother you are!

Not only do you do a great job keeping up with your two rambunctious boys, and a red-head spitfire girl, but you still have time to look after me.

You keep track of all appointments, (I'm the soccer coach and I don't even know when the games are), you stay on top of Connor's homework, my lunches, and the bills. You clean the house, mow the lawn, pull the weeds, shop for groceries, prepare the dinner, and you squeeze in time to write a blog about other great mothers.

No one knows where anything is, except you, and you’re still manage to keep yourself as beautiful as the day I met you. (Stop rolling your eyes, YOU ARE!)

I love you and you are equal (even better) then any mom you can write about or think of. (If you would only make bread you would rival your grandmother’s cooking)

You are doing a great job. Keep it up. I could not fathom doing this myself. I may not say this enough but you are a wonderful mother and a fabulous wife.

I Love You Forever,

Kel

ashley said...

Hey! Mothers are great! I Know I havent been able to see your family as often as I would have liked to, but when you guys did manage to come visit I always noticed how well behaved your kids were. I never heard those boys talk back or argue with you or kelly. You have such a great family and I really do miss you guys. You have to be a great mom to teach your boys how to be so well behaved. I havent really been around Kate but I am sure she is a sweetheart! Your a great mom and I have always looked up to you in that way. I hope you enjoyed your mothers day!
Love ya