Mother's Day

As much as my kids make me crazy some times they treat me really really good on Mother's Day.  Cayden got me a few things from his school class auction.  They had earned class money all year long and he spent his money on me.  I got a fabulous tiara and wand as shown below.

These are my flowers and balloon from Don my stash of peanut butter candy and my tiara and wand.

This was my delicious breakfast.  Chocolate strawberry waffles, peanut butter waffles and bacon.

Don always sends me 6 blue carnations surrounding a pink rose to symbolize our family.  He is so thoughtful!  The ladies at the flower shop actually brought out 2 vases when he went to pick up the flowers.  One had the rose and the other had the carnations.  He had to explain to them why he wanted them together in one face and they thought it was so sweet!  I also got 3 bottles of Diet Pepsi.  

Cayden picked out this balloon for me.  

I found these chocolate strawberries at Costco and purchased them for myself.  I sent Don a text saying "look what you got me for Mother's Day!"

Kyle gave me a cute card he made a nursery that had a Hershey kiss taped to it.  He helped me eat it.

Connor gave me the "free hug" coupon he printed at Grandma's and the flower seeds were another gift from Cayden that he bought at school with his class money.  

The boys cleaned the house for me Saturday and did the dishes all day Sunday.  They tried really hard to behave all day too.  Cody called me in the evening too.  I told myself before going to church that I was going to have a good day and I would not let any guilt creep in to ruin my day.  Some times on Mother's Day while the speakers are well intentioned it can feel like I am hearing a list of all the things I am not doing or should be doing better.  I decided that no matter what was said over the pulpit that I would not compare myself to others or to this irrational standard that I think I have to reach.  The speakers were all really good and the YW sang a really nice song called I think "My Mother's Hands".  All the women got a big cupcake given to us by the men.  I had to conduct in Relief Society and I felt prompted to tell the women about what had happened that morning while I was getting ready for church.  I try and say my prayers right before I get in the shower if I can so that I can have that quiet time in the shower to think about things.  I get a lot of revelation and impressions in the shower and while I am getting dressed and drying my hair so that's why I do it.  In the shower I started thinking about all the sisters in my ward.  I started on Wells Road in my mind and went up and around it, down Mills and Waite street back to Country Lane 1 and 2 and the along the Boulevard and then into Jim Haworth and Mahalo Circle and then across Whipple over to Stratton Street all the while seeing in my mind each sister in our ward and thinking of her name and her family, kids, jobs etc.  I was able to see in that short amount of time how similar we all are to each other with surprising challenges and concerns.  I was grateful to think about these women in my life who each contribute something to me as a mother and a wife, sisters that I have and continue to look up to as examples of service, charity, love, acceptance, grace through various trials, juggling of various callings, jobs and responsibilities, and the list could go on.  I was very grateful that the Lord let me think of all these amazing women I and my family are surrounded by and to be grateful for each one of them.  I felt prompted to share that with the sisters in Relief  Society that day.  It helps me to know that while I am slugging along in this mortal existence that others are too and we can learn so much and help each other so much.  It was a good day and I am so grateful to be a mother even though it is the hardest HARDEST thing I have ever done. I truly believe that you have to have a testimony of motherhood and of the family to be able to continue forward in this life when things get really hard.  There are many days I would like to throw in the towel and hide in my bed with the covers pulled up around me so no one know I am there but that's not how it works so I will just keep moving forward hopefully and trying each day to be a little better.  I love my mom and my sisters and think they are such great examples to me and my kids.  I love my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law as well and appreciate the influence they have in my life.