{Mother's Day}

I am so blessed to be these kiddos' mom.  I love Elder Neil A Anderson's quote about motherhood.

"Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling...It is not something to do if you squeeze the time in.  It is what God gave you time for."

I have always known that I wanted to be a mother.  From the time I was a small girl, I knew that babies were a thing of my future.  Others must have know that about me too.  At the end of my Senior year of high school our school paper published predictions for the Senior class.  The prediction for me, submitted by I don't know who, was that I would have seven children and be a high school secretary.  Whoever they were, they obviously weren't very good at predictions.  I don't have seven kids and I have never been a secretary.  However, they did know that I loved children and that I wanted to be a Mom.

I also knew that people said motherhood was hard.  The one thing I didn't know what how right they were.  To date, it is the hardest thing I have ever done.  Each and every day I wake up bound and determined to not screw up as mom that day.  Some days I make it till after lunch, or even bed time and some days it is 7:48 in the morning when I want push rewind to start the day over.

I have learned more about myself since becoming a mother than any other time in my life.  I have learned things that I don't know that I would have learned any other way or as quickly.  Like a crash course in a way.  As I learn and reflect on my life as a mother I become so much more thankful for the amazing Mom I had raising me.  I can't count how many times I have asked myself, "What would mom do?"  I have also had those experiences where I do a double take after saying something and say "wow, I just sounded like my mom!!"  (in a good way).

I know each person says that their mom is the best and truthfully she probably is, for that individual person.  I know that we aren't sent to our family from heaven by a lottery system.  We are sent to our families for a reason.  Which is humbling for me to think about as a mom now.  That means my children were sent to me for a reason.  What that reason is I haven't figured out, but I know I love them more than I can say.  I also know that they are continually teaching me and loving me while I figure this mom thing out.  For that I couldn't be more grateful!!

I am thankful for Mother's Day each year.  For the day that I have to remember my amazing mom and how grateful I am for her.  As well, as the reminder of the enormous calling I have as a Mom and how grateful I am for it!!