Happy Mothers Day

so after reading my last post and being all gushy mushy about my kiddo's and my Mom I failed to mention a few things
first: I have been blessed to have had an amazing Mother in-Law... I won't sugar coat it, our relationship wasn't always butterflies and roses (we both LOVE super hard and sometimes could but heads a bit) but I can not deny the fact that she made my amazing, wonderful, supportive husband.. she was so much fun.. there are ways she mothered her children that I WISH I could be like.. the fun part.. I need more Sheri in my mothering for sure.  I have another Mother in Law today, I don't know her well (that will change soon I'm sure) but I am thankful for her, Ben's Dad cared for his Mom for several years before she passed away and so to see him so happy again was good.. She is really coming through in a major way as of late with some of Ben's Dad's health issue (remember, not my story to tell) and we can't be more thankful for her love of him and her devotion.. what a 1st year of marriage for them!!!

which leads into my next issue I failed to mention before.. my HUSBAND.. I am blessed to have an amazingly supportive husband who puts up with my hormonal teary rants.. who knows when I need to get out of the house and then insists upon it.. He supports our family and works so hard.. I am thankful for him and how he leads our family...

I came upon this video in another blog and its what sparked my thoughts today
http://youtu.be/3LQ80TFOGvw

so thankful I have a Husband who is teaching my kids how to love their wives, future mother of their children!!!

I'm lucky

So I am almost finished reading

it's a book I stole borrowed from my mom over Christmas.. I like it allot it was written in the 50's and it's about a girl in England who was in a prisoner camp (I use prisoner in the loosest of terms) and it follows her life after and when she comes into some money from an inheritance she goes about to do good things, she puts together the means and plans to build a water well in the town she was encamped in then goes to find a man who was very kind to her whom she thought had been killed because of a good dead he had done.. anyway I like the book so far, I have to remind my self at times that it's not only an old book it's also set in the 20's and the author is ENGLISH so some of the use of words or language is a little off..

BUT that's not the point of this post.. I have an amazing Mother you can see how awesome she is here  or even here she LOVES to read as do all of my grandparents and aunts and uncles (her parents/siblings etc)... she wanted me desperately to LOVE reading as much as her and for lots of reasons it didn't come to me as naturally as it did for her.. I think I as her first born she was disappointed that I just didn't like it.. I wanted to be moving, talking, screaming or singing ANYTHING but sitting still and reading...

I have come to really love reading now that I'm a grown up (so they tell me, jury is still out) but I'm still a reader that the book must grab me pretty quick, I'm prone to put down a book and never pick it up again if I can't "get in to it".. and I probably only read a hand full of books for enjoyment each year...

BUT what is so great about my mother's awesome love of reading is that it has SKIPPED a generation... Hunter is a veracious reader I have a hard time keeping him in books (i know high class problem) and thankfully he has a grandmother who I can ALWAYS call to get a recommendation on a book or more likely she'll get a call that goes something like this

me: hey mom I'm in Sam's club have you heard of this book "xxxxx" is it appropriate, is it good.. would hunter like it???
mom: I haven't heard of it but I've read lots by the author, he's good and really geared towards Hunter's age etc. etc. get it!!!

there isn't many authors my mom doesn't "know" (know in the, I've heard, read,seen something about him/her kind of way)... I've even been known to call her when we are mid book report and a kid is really stuck and we are boarding on nervous breakdown stage and she can ALWAYS talk a kid down and talk through the book and reminding of theme, analogies or plot...

another awesome thing about her is my kids absolutely know (and now really expect) that for Christmas and birthdays they'll get a book from Grandma and something fun from Grandpa.. my Mom would argue that books are fun too but you get the drift..

see I told ya I'm LUCKY!!!
ta ta

Suff i'm thinking about

I think after my memorable rant about the Vice Presidential candidate I have been in a constant state of thinking about my own role in my family and if I am living up to what I envisioned for my self when I took on the responsibility of being a Mother.. I've been reading allot of past conference talks this one in particular by Elder Ballard he gives some great advice... I relate so much to his experiences of his wife sitting with children alone at church, although Ben has never been in a Bishopric (knocking on wood right now!) he has often had to work Sundays and in fact last year I had decided to dedicate my monthly fasts to the cause of getting Ben Sundays off.. it worked amazingly (it's kinda a long story but his schedule changed with in about 3 months of fast's but only about 30 days after his new schedule of sunday's started ) but recently they have been short once again and so now he's scheduled Sundays AGAIN.. it is frustrating but I do know Ben is providing for us which is most important I haven't decided if I'll do my dedicatory fasts again because it seems as though it will be a temporary thing but we'll see.. anyway I'm getting off topic.. one of the quotes Elder Ballard used was one by Anna Quindlen.. i love it!

"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”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

Realizing that My kids are far more self sufficient than just a few short years ago has made me wonder if I took enough of these opportunity's to just "be" with my kids.. I am a "rusher" by nature.. wanting to get to the next thing as quick as possible.. I think Brad probably would have waited a tad bit longer to walk but I had him up on his tip toes holding both his hands walking him around my parents house sure he was "ready

but, thinking allot about this quote.. particularly lately our lives at home have gotten pretty hectic all of the sudden.. I'm feeling pulled in a few directions wanting to be everything to everyone, Its hard when your choosing between GREAT STUFF.. i mean its very flattering to be asked to be Class Mom, AND Chair the 4&5th grade musical play, AND be Team Mom, AND AND.. I feel somehow that I HAVE to do all of these things.. besides wasn't it me just a year or so ago that was complaining that because we are living in a TINY close nit community no one wanted an outsider helping them.. I would volunteer for everything but get a lone call to "send in some brownies"... and now I have 3 whole hours to spare every day!!! so I should be doing all this right?? what about those mom's who can't I can be the mouth peace for ALL THE MOM's who wish they could do all these things right??... I'm trying to learn a little about balance in case you haven't noticed...

Another great talk i'm re-reading regularly is by Julie B. Beck "Mothers who know" I was shocked at the controversy this talk brought.. I was sitting there watching the broadcast and for the first time in a long time i felt like Sister Beck (and ALL of the other speakers) were TALKING ONLY TO ME! I can't really remember why or the circumstances of my personal feelings prior to the meeting but i left the broadcast feeling renewed and ready to be a "mother who knows".. i STILL strive for that every day...

Knowing I fall short of being a 'mother who knows" allot i'm also trying hard not to beat my self up and renew my commitment every day (there's that balance thing coming back into play)...

This is just what i've been thinkin about lately...
ta ta