Thoughts on Mother's Day....

This is a photo of my Mom. Isn't she lovely? She has taught me SO many things.

I love her so much. I'm so thankful that she is here with us today. Just over six years ago she had a stroke. It was sevier, but we know it could have been so much worse then it was. She lost use of her left side, but through physical therapy she has been able to gain almost 100% of the use back. How amazing right? And she still gets to giggle about how she has no feeling in her hand and how she finds it in odd positions and places.

She has endured through so many of life's battles besides her stroke. She was a worthy young woman to marry and be sealed for time and all eternity in the Los Angels Temple, She's given birth to four children (all natural, I mean with NO epidural....That makes her a real woman in itself I think.) She has endured through and been the rock for our family during times of sickness...when my brother Chris at the age of 14 was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. She knew the name of every medication and what they did for him. She spent hours and hours traveling and by his bedside with a brand new baby. Now with my Grandmother and her breast cancer how it left and then came back again worse then ever and knowing that one day she is going to loose HER mom, probably sooner then later. And she is my littlest brother Joey's whole world and Everything, as he and she are learning how to deal and cope and overcome everyday with Aspergers.

I think all the time about how lucky my kids are to have her has a grandma, and what if it had been her time that afternoon in February? They wouldn't have been able to EXPERIENCE what a wonderful woman she is. My only hope is to be half the mom she is...

Sometimes I find motherhood to be so so hard and yet the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. I've given up my personal interests, career, and social life to witness every burp, smile, hiccup, whimper, scrape, and milestone my kids have. And when I hold them and see them succeed or witness any ONE of the things listed, I KNOW it was a good trade.

I guess the most important thing is to keep going. Keep teaching, keep kissing and hugging and loving, keep doing, keep snuggling. and most of all keep praying.