Happy Mother's Day!

So, it's another Mother's Day, and I find myself evaluating my own mothering skills and where I stack up to all the great mother's I know, and then my sister-in-law (Thanks Shanie) gives me this book, "A Mother's Touch" today at church. I started reading through it and came across a quote that has just become one of my favorites. It goes like this, "Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow, too. Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a perosn develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own."-Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons

I love that because being a mom is hard. It is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I think it's hard because it's not what I expected it would be. And, I am not the mother I thought I would be. It is exhausting some days and I wonder if I am really doing any good, but I am slowly learning to cling to the little joys that happen, maybe not every day, but when they happen. I love each of my children so much and they all bring something different to our family. Our life is going to get a little crazy this summer with another little one on the way, but it will be fun to see how each of my children reacts to their new sibling. It is crazy how with each new baby I wonder if I will be able to love them as much as I do the children I already have and then I see their tiny, new face and all doubt disappears, and it's like they were always a part of the family.

I just want to tell my sister, my sisters-in-law, my mother-in-law, and all those woman in my life who are examples to me of great mothers Happy Mohter's Day! I want my own mom to know that I thought she was a great mother, too. She helped mold me into the woman and mother I am today. She had such a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she was a strong example of living an honest, virtuous, and service filled life. Oh, how I wish she were still here so that I could call her today and complain about how big and uncomfortable I was getting and to hear her say that it would all be worth it once I held that baby in my arms. I miss her a lot! But, then I think of my mom and my sister, Kay, and both of my grandmothers all on the other side, and I have to laugh because, for those of you who know these woman, can you imagine the good they are doing over on the other side? Can you imagine that foursome coming in to teach you the gospel? And what fun they are having together? That is a comforting thought because I know that those who are for us are more than those who are against us. I am grateful for these good women who helped raise my parents to be my good parents. I strongly believe I was "born of goodly parents", not perfect, but they were what I needed and my life has been blessed!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!