Happy Mother's Day!

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four

pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never

did care for pie---Tenneva Jordan

I spent a lot of time today listening to the talks on motherhood in church and thinking about all of the wonderful moms that I've been surrounded by in my life. Several of them are the friends gathered around me in church, some are friends I've left behind in other wards. So many of them are women I get to thank my own mother for --- my aunts, her closest friends, my sister, my grandmother (my 2 yr old told me that she loves me "from ocean to ocean" the other day, and that reminder of her legacy alone is enough to be truly grateful for!), my great gram. There's all the women in my extended family -- my many wonderful sils, my mother in law, grandmothers. I was overwhelmed with the many wonderful examples of motherhood that I've been given and all the amazing things I've learned from them. It got me to wondering if I could even list all the things I've learned from my mom. I'm pretty sure I can't, but here's a few of my favorite....

.... Integrity is EVERYTHING. Chocolate is a food group --- in fact, it is the most important one. There is ALWAYS something you can do for someone else. It is important for women to go shopping together - even if there's nothing they need to buy --- (but there's usually something they need to buy!). I am a daughter of Heavenly Father and He loves me and that's really all I need to know. I have a coupon! It is NEVER okay to judge someone else. It's ALWAYS possible to make something prettier and it is not meaningless or unnecessary to do so. It's important to expect a lot from other people. She taught me my love for books and gave me the knowledge that sticks and stones are way less harmful than words. Choose them carefully! You can never have too many friends. Chocolate should be shared. Most people are truly wonderful, if you give them a chance to show you that they are. Laugh at yourself. A Lot. Make sure you KNOW your kids, and it's a pretty good idea to know their friends, too. Be fun. Be happy. Make sure you treat yourself sometimes -- but treat others way more. ALWAYS be willing to drop everything to whip up a quick dessert, throw together a cute craft, or write someone a quick note because somebody you know needs a little boost today. It's always possible to learn something if you're open to learning. You should always be open to learning. EVERYONE has a talent, some of us just have to look harder to find them. Kindness is everything. Willingness is right up there. It's okay to think your own children are better than everyone else, and to tell them that all the time! Being a mom is harder but the only thing better than being a mom is being a Grandma!

Thanks, mom, for all that and so much more! I love You!