Happy Mother's Day!!!
Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's out there. I hope your day was as fabulous as you are. We had a great day. We spent the day at my Mom's house. We went to church and and came home and just enjoyed being with each other. My mom didn't even take a nap on the one day that she should have enjoyed a VERY long one! She didn't want to miss one moment with her kids. My mom is the greatest. She just LOVES to have her kids home. Everyone was home except for Brent. We all missed him. She loves to make dinner and have all of us there at the table together. Her dream is to one day have her house FULL of all of her kids, their spouses and the grandkids there. It will be great...a little chaotic, but great. She was making popcorn (the homemade kind) for us and she just made the comment, "I just love doing this." I asked her, "What? Making popcorn?" Then she said, "No, I just love doing things like this for my family. I love making popcorn and having my family enjoy it." My mom truly is the best mom out there. I guess that is what makes Mother's Day so special. Everyone has a mom and everyone gets a chance to reflect on how much they love an appreciate their mom. So, I am going to brag a little more about My mommy.
I always hoped that I would get the chance to speak on Mother's Day in church. I never got that chance growing up, maybe someday I will be able to. I always wanted to get up and tell everyone why my mom was the best. Yeah, my mom yelled and got mad at us, but really, what mom hasn't done that? It has only been out of love. She has only ever wanted what was best for me and my siblings. I always went to school with a good breakfast. I hardly ever had cereal. She would get up and make us either breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, oatmeal, or at least, a bagel with cream cheese. And, she would make our lunches when we didn't want school lunch. She probably still does this for my other siblings as well. My mom is an amazing cook. So great, that quite often, she is getting phone calls from her older kids about recipes for something. Sometimes, my husband and I even have a little argument because he thinks that it is ridiculous that I am calling my mom about how to make something when he has already told me how. But hey, I want to make it like my mom! I don't think that there is really anything more comforting when you are away from home, than being able to cook something "just the way mom did" and have it taste like home. I will probably forever do this. My home is something very special to me. It has been a difficult transition for me to not think of my family's home as my home. More and more I am enjoying making my own house my home. I just hope that someday my kids will feel the same way about the home that I am creating for them as I do about the home that I grew up in.
I really don't know how my mom does it sometimes. She is taking care of 4 kids at home, and worrying about 2 who are at college. I am sure that she still worries and cares about me, but now that I am married, I don't think that she worries as much because I am blessed to be married to a WONDERFUL man who takes care of me and our little family. In the midst of all of the running around, attending games, taking kids to piano, to guitar, to clogging and attending herself, she is also helping to take care of my Grandma and Grandpa. Thankfully my Grandma's health is in a great condition right now, but occasionally, she needs to be taken to the doctor. My Grandpa, however is having a really hard time right now. He soon will have to have a triple bypass and my mom has been right there at the doctor's appointments with most of them an hour plus away from home. She is not only dealing with the fact that her papa is really having serious issues, but also, she has to deal with him!! He is one of the most stubborn people I know. He too is having a difficult time realizing that he is having all these problems and is, at times, not much of a joy to be around. She has NO help from his other kids because frankly they don't care and that is very unfortunate. (their not my mom's real siblings) My mom is the only person that he has and she has very willingly stepped up to the plate and helped him out. Now, I am not saying that all of this doesn't stress my mom out, it does! But really, who wouldn't get stressed out and burnt out every once in a while? The funny thing is, is people will say, well, that is what you get for having 7 kids. But my mom wouldn't have it any other way!
Last year we had the opportunity to send her and my dad to Hawaii. We all pitched in and some other family members helped out too. Thank you to those of you who helped. (Thank you Mitch and Susie for REALLY making this all possible in the first place) I just wish that all of you would have been able to be there when we gave them the news that they were going. That moment will forever be in my heart. I LOVE seeing my mom happy. She was so touched that so many people felt that she deserved that. I am sure that if we could, we would send her and my dad away every year on a trip like that. They both truly deserve it!!!
Now, I have the opportunity to be a mother. My first real Mother's day was yesterday. It was a great day. It has always been my dream to be a "mommy" to someone. I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with that chance. Kennedi truly is such a blessing in my life. Being a mom is a lot harder than I ever expected, but I don't think that I would love my daughter as much as I do if I didn't work that hard for her. We really grow to love people through serving them. Her smile really makes everything worthwhile. There is a commercial that says that something like 80% of moms admit to "letting themselves go", I find this interesting because when I had Kennedi, that is when I really found myself and my purpose here on Earth. There is NO GREATER job than being a mother. To me, there is no job or career that could be better than being a mom. I had a very hard time focusing on school and just getting it done because in my heart I knew what I wanted to be. As much as I wanted to be an Elementary Ed teacher, or a Social Worker, I desired nothing more than to be a wife and a mom. I think that I have my mom to thank for that. She taught me what a mom is. I want so bad for my kids to come home and talk to me about their day and have it annoy me because they will just go on and on about other kids that I don't even know. I did this to my mom! I am so excited to be able to take Kennedi to the store late at night with me and just laugh the whole time that we are together. I did this with my mom! I am excited to teach my children and be their mentor and friend. My mom did and still continues to do this for us. My mom instilled in me the deepest desire to be a mom myself and have and do these things for my kids. Really, i could continue to go on and on. I just hope that someday I will be able to be a great mom like my mom is.
That cycle is what is really beautiful. It is never-ending. I am thankful for all of the other mother's out there. I am thankful for my Grandma's who raised my own parents to be such wonderful people. I am thankful for my husband's mother who raised him to be such an amazing man. I think that it is a great thing for a mother to raise a daughter to be a great woman, but I think that it is even more amazing for a mother to raise an son to be an amazing man. I am also thankful for Jerrod's grandma's who raised his parents. It can just go on and on.
Heavenly Father knew that Adam couldn't do it on his own! We all needed mother's. And it started with Eve, the mother of all living.
So, after all of that, I wanted to thank all of you mother's out there who are raising our future. I know that your kids feel the same way about you as I do my mother. I truly believe that our greatest calling in life is to be a mom. I just hope that we can all remember that as we are ready to pull our hair out and think that we are done. We will never stop being mothers. I also want to thank those out there who do not have children. Whether it be because you aren't married yet, or because you can't have kids, thank you for all that you do. You are still helping to raise the next generation. You don't have to bear children to be a mother. Every woman who is out there in a child's life is a mother in a sort of way. So, thank you.
A real quick update on Kennedi. It is amazing to me how much she can change in one week! She has really mastered the rolling from her back to her tummy. She is so funny because she gets so frustrated when she realizes that she is on her tummy and can't go anywhere. When I lay her down for a nap, she gets so mad and cries a little more than normal because she flips onto her tummy and can't get back over. Eventually, after a few minutes, she settles down and gives in and falls asleep. Maybe by next week she will have the rolling over from her tummy to her back down and I will have to be chasing her because she will just keep going and going!! She is doing great with her eating. She is so much fun. We are staying with my mom for a few days. It will not only be a break for me, but also it will be lots of fun for Grandma, Grandpa and all the aunts and uncles to spend time with Kennedi. They adore her and have so much fun with her. I wish that we were able to go to Oklahoma a lot more so that she can spend time with Jerrod's family. I know that they all miss her so much.
Well, I better wrap this up. I just hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. I know that I did and I am so excited to be able to celebrate many more to come! Even if you didn't get that spa package that you were hoping for, just know that you have the greatest gift of all, your children.
Have a great week!! I love you all!
I always hoped that I would get the chance to speak on Mother's Day in church. I never got that chance growing up, maybe someday I will be able to. I always wanted to get up and tell everyone why my mom was the best. Yeah, my mom yelled and got mad at us, but really, what mom hasn't done that? It has only been out of love. She has only ever wanted what was best for me and my siblings. I always went to school with a good breakfast. I hardly ever had cereal. She would get up and make us either breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, oatmeal, or at least, a bagel with cream cheese. And, she would make our lunches when we didn't want school lunch. She probably still does this for my other siblings as well. My mom is an amazing cook. So great, that quite often, she is getting phone calls from her older kids about recipes for something. Sometimes, my husband and I even have a little argument because he thinks that it is ridiculous that I am calling my mom about how to make something when he has already told me how. But hey, I want to make it like my mom! I don't think that there is really anything more comforting when you are away from home, than being able to cook something "just the way mom did" and have it taste like home. I will probably forever do this. My home is something very special to me. It has been a difficult transition for me to not think of my family's home as my home. More and more I am enjoying making my own house my home. I just hope that someday my kids will feel the same way about the home that I am creating for them as I do about the home that I grew up in.
I really don't know how my mom does it sometimes. She is taking care of 4 kids at home, and worrying about 2 who are at college. I am sure that she still worries and cares about me, but now that I am married, I don't think that she worries as much because I am blessed to be married to a WONDERFUL man who takes care of me and our little family. In the midst of all of the running around, attending games, taking kids to piano, to guitar, to clogging and attending herself, she is also helping to take care of my Grandma and Grandpa. Thankfully my Grandma's health is in a great condition right now, but occasionally, she needs to be taken to the doctor. My Grandpa, however is having a really hard time right now. He soon will have to have a triple bypass and my mom has been right there at the doctor's appointments with most of them an hour plus away from home. She is not only dealing with the fact that her papa is really having serious issues, but also, she has to deal with him!! He is one of the most stubborn people I know. He too is having a difficult time realizing that he is having all these problems and is, at times, not much of a joy to be around. She has NO help from his other kids because frankly they don't care and that is very unfortunate. (their not my mom's real siblings) My mom is the only person that he has and she has very willingly stepped up to the plate and helped him out. Now, I am not saying that all of this doesn't stress my mom out, it does! But really, who wouldn't get stressed out and burnt out every once in a while? The funny thing is, is people will say, well, that is what you get for having 7 kids. But my mom wouldn't have it any other way!
Last year we had the opportunity to send her and my dad to Hawaii. We all pitched in and some other family members helped out too. Thank you to those of you who helped. (Thank you Mitch and Susie for REALLY making this all possible in the first place) I just wish that all of you would have been able to be there when we gave them the news that they were going. That moment will forever be in my heart. I LOVE seeing my mom happy. She was so touched that so many people felt that she deserved that. I am sure that if we could, we would send her and my dad away every year on a trip like that. They both truly deserve it!!!
Now, I have the opportunity to be a mother. My first real Mother's day was yesterday. It was a great day. It has always been my dream to be a "mommy" to someone. I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with that chance. Kennedi truly is such a blessing in my life. Being a mom is a lot harder than I ever expected, but I don't think that I would love my daughter as much as I do if I didn't work that hard for her. We really grow to love people through serving them. Her smile really makes everything worthwhile. There is a commercial that says that something like 80% of moms admit to "letting themselves go", I find this interesting because when I had Kennedi, that is when I really found myself and my purpose here on Earth. There is NO GREATER job than being a mother. To me, there is no job or career that could be better than being a mom. I had a very hard time focusing on school and just getting it done because in my heart I knew what I wanted to be. As much as I wanted to be an Elementary Ed teacher, or a Social Worker, I desired nothing more than to be a wife and a mom. I think that I have my mom to thank for that. She taught me what a mom is. I want so bad for my kids to come home and talk to me about their day and have it annoy me because they will just go on and on about other kids that I don't even know. I did this to my mom! I am so excited to be able to take Kennedi to the store late at night with me and just laugh the whole time that we are together. I did this with my mom! I am excited to teach my children and be their mentor and friend. My mom did and still continues to do this for us. My mom instilled in me the deepest desire to be a mom myself and have and do these things for my kids. Really, i could continue to go on and on. I just hope that someday I will be able to be a great mom like my mom is.
That cycle is what is really beautiful. It is never-ending. I am thankful for all of the other mother's out there. I am thankful for my Grandma's who raised my own parents to be such wonderful people. I am thankful for my husband's mother who raised him to be such an amazing man. I think that it is a great thing for a mother to raise a daughter to be a great woman, but I think that it is even more amazing for a mother to raise an son to be an amazing man. I am also thankful for Jerrod's grandma's who raised his parents. It can just go on and on.
Heavenly Father knew that Adam couldn't do it on his own! We all needed mother's. And it started with Eve, the mother of all living.
So, after all of that, I wanted to thank all of you mother's out there who are raising our future. I know that your kids feel the same way about you as I do my mother. I truly believe that our greatest calling in life is to be a mom. I just hope that we can all remember that as we are ready to pull our hair out and think that we are done. We will never stop being mothers. I also want to thank those out there who do not have children. Whether it be because you aren't married yet, or because you can't have kids, thank you for all that you do. You are still helping to raise the next generation. You don't have to bear children to be a mother. Every woman who is out there in a child's life is a mother in a sort of way. So, thank you.
A real quick update on Kennedi. It is amazing to me how much she can change in one week! She has really mastered the rolling from her back to her tummy. She is so funny because she gets so frustrated when she realizes that she is on her tummy and can't go anywhere. When I lay her down for a nap, she gets so mad and cries a little more than normal because she flips onto her tummy and can't get back over. Eventually, after a few minutes, she settles down and gives in and falls asleep. Maybe by next week she will have the rolling over from her tummy to her back down and I will have to be chasing her because she will just keep going and going!! She is doing great with her eating. She is so much fun. We are staying with my mom for a few days. It will not only be a break for me, but also it will be lots of fun for Grandma, Grandpa and all the aunts and uncles to spend time with Kennedi. They adore her and have so much fun with her. I wish that we were able to go to Oklahoma a lot more so that she can spend time with Jerrod's family. I know that they all miss her so much.
Well, I better wrap this up. I just hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. I know that I did and I am so excited to be able to celebrate many more to come! Even if you didn't get that spa package that you were hoping for, just know that you have the greatest gift of all, your children.
Have a great week!! I love you all!
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