{Motherhood}

 We celebrate mothers day on Saturdays here. Sundays mean dressing 5 babies for church & trying to convince the little ones that they want to sit still for an hour & that they don't need to treat the sacrament like a carb loading meal. one piece cooper! one piece!  Saturday I slept till 8:17am. & If you ask my children you would know that sleeping in past 5am is the greatest gift I can ever receive. Its the only thing I ask for on my birthday & mothers day. Sleep is gold to me. the second thing I request for mothers day is to not make beds. I make 6 beds every single morning. & I loathe it, but I cannot do anything with my day until all the beds are made. So the children made their own beds & Rod went & did "touch ups." (aka: makes them the right way)  Cooper has been testing the waters of power struggles. He used to love going to the gym. He liked playing with his buddies from nursery who go when we go, but now he screams like he is being murdered when we drive up to the Y. I had not been able to get in my morning runs for 2 weeks & it was really bothersome to me. So after beds were made Rod let me scoot out the door & go for a lovely 8 mile run sans littles. (I may have spent 27 dollars yesterday on things from the toy isle in an effort to convince Cooper he did want to play at the gym. It worked. who knows about today though.) I like simple mothers days. Don't buy me flowers or candies or store bought cards. I want hand drawn art from school, a nap. I want to see my babies sing with the primary & I want to know I'm doing an okay job. It was a lovely mothers day. I felt treasured. I also felt grateful. Grateful for My own mother. She is such a blessing to me, to Rod & to my children. She loves us with a selfless heart. She sacrifices so much to be supportive & helpful & to show us we are loved. We recently left the children with my mother for 4 days to go house hunting in our new city in Nevada. Yup. Nevada. She had already spent a month helping my Brother & sister in law with their sweet baby girls....and after not being home for 5 weeks she came straight  to our house to help us. I was so worried she would be warn out & just needing to be back with my father, but she was adamant she was up to the task. She never once sounded down or overwhelmed. She sounded pleased as a peach. She sounded like she was so happy to  e caring for the 5 while we ran around looking at houses, academies, cars, and meeting up with treasured old friends. When we arrived home she & all 5 were happy & smiling. Now that is a strong woman. To give up months of her own time to her children & grandchildren. Not everyone is so lucky to have a mother who will do that for them. I do not take her for granted. not for one moment! She is treasured! Rod loves her & they are truly friends. He often speaks of his love for my parents & that makes my heart sing. I was able to speak to my mother in law who has been extremely ill for months, she is often alone & that weighs heavy on our hearts. Soon this residency roller coaster will be over & we will be able to see her more. She is another woman who sacrificed so much for her children. She worked & worked to provide for her family. She, like many mothers, including myself, felt as if she failed or wasn't enough, but I can attest that with the cards she was dealt she did all she could to be there for her 3 children. She has taught me a lot. Motherhood is such a sacred gift. I am often humbled by the honor it is to be a mother.

Now the awkward mothers day pictures that I don't truly love, but want to keep. I am certain these will increase in hilarity as time goes by. My children bring laughter into my life that's for sure.