Mother's Day love

In the past I have woken up early on Mother's Day to make breakfast for the family to honor THEM for making me a mother.  This year, I decided I wanted to sleep in....even if it was only for an extra hour!  It was wonderful and everyone had their own breakfast and everyone was giving hugs and saying "happy mother's day".  The sun was out, birds were chirping and it was a wonderful morning.  I let them know we would be taking some pictures BEFORE church....

We were running a little bit late, which was making all of us a bit anxious.  Matt snapped away and he was able to capture a good-ish one.  Drew has a phobia of smiling nicely and Brayden just didn't want to look at the camera.

So, I thought we'd hurry and try a different pose.  

How do you think it went?

Do you ever feel that way as a mother?  When everyone else is doing their own thing, regardless of what you've asked them to do, begged them to do, bribed them to do?  You just close your eyes and wish the moment would pass and fix itself?  This is how the photo session ended....I got up and left to the car and maybe not so nicely said "thanks for the great pictures".  Okay, not my best moment, especially on Mother's Day.  Maybe I should have made breakfast for everyone instead of enjoying that extra hour of sleep.

Then in the car on the way to church, Drew and Morley nearly killed each other.  Brayden was crying about something and Ella was trying to boss the kids around to stop fighting....which of course made the boys mad because she was being "bossy".  I tried to just tune it out in the front seat and count the minutes until we were at church.  Some mornings that 20 mile drive seems REALLY long.  Thankfully, everyone decided to calm down and behave by the time we arrived.  I nicely informed the children that, "yes, we will be taking pictures again after church."  They all agreed to be angels.

Church was wonderful, I cried during the Primary songs the kids sang, during the talks, during the wonderful Relief Society lesson on prayer.  I felt the love of my family, the love of my Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ and my heart swelled with my love of being a mother.  I said a little prayer during church and Heavenly Father softened my heart and I forgot about the "picture incident" that morning and I was just in the moment of the day.  Enjoying it.  

After apologies were passed around for poor behavior earlier in the day (including me) everyone put their best smiles on, attitudes to match and  after church and we tried the pictures again. 

So much better!

I wouldn't be a mother without this amazing guy.  He works so hard to support our family, be a great dad and a wonderful husband. 

The rest of Mother's Day was wonderful, truly.   Matt and the kids couldn't wait to share their gifts with me and they did a great job spoiling me!  Drew and Brayden gave me handmade gifts they worked on at school, Morley and Ella picked out some new perennials and Matt bought me new bike tubes so I can finally ride my bike, Pampered Chef items and hangers for my hanging basket.  He is going to make some hangers to attach to the front of the columns by the front door!  SO excited about that!  I was a little sad I didn't have anywhere to hang them at our new house.  Oh, and I bought flowers over the weekend and planted them in two pots by the front door!

I am so happy that we have more moments like this than moments of frustration.

I didn't do any dishes, make any food, clean up or raise my voice!  Matt and the boys cooked steak and burgers on the grill, dutch oven potatoes.  I didn't eat the potatoes or the delicious brownies but they knew that would happen ahead of time!   

I am so thankful for my beautiful mom, Matt's wonderful mom, my amazing sisters and sister-in-laws and all the moms I know who are wonderful examples to me.  We all have something to share and learn from each other.  We are not in this role of motherhood alone!  Some days it seems as though you and the children may not make it to the end of the day alive.  Some days you just want to run away or lock yourself in the closet.  Some days you are so thankful for your role as a mother and you can't imagine doing anything else.  Each of these I experience on a regular basis.  I could not do this without the knowledge that these little people who call me mom were waiting in heaven for ME to be their mom.  I was supposed to be THEIR mom and my Heavenly Father has enough faith and trust in me for me to raise, teach, and nurture them on this earth.  All too often I forget this but when I do remember what an amazing blessing it is, my attitude changes and I do feel so blessed.  Today I recommit to be the best mom I know how to be.  That is the best I can do.

Happy Mother's day!

Elder Holland says, “May I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you.”

Elder Ballard affirms mothers’ divine role in cherishing and teaching their children.  “There is no one perfect way to be a good mother,” he says.  “Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children.” Elder Ballard acknowledges that some women are “able to be ‘full-time moms,’ [and that] some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work,” but that “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.”