What joy to be a Mother

 I love being a mother to these two girls.  I feel so fulfilled and grateful for this opportunity.  I have had some hard Mother's Days in the past as I've yearned for this role in my life. I feel even more grateful now and attentive to other women who might be having a hard Mother's Day for various reasons. What joy it brings me to nurture these two girls as I have been nurtured in my home growing up.  I celebrated a wonderful Mother's Day weekend with my own Mother and it was heavenly! 

We met Saturday afternoon at Laser Quest to play laser tag as a family for Mike's 19th birthday! My mom watched the girls while the rest of us did two epic battles against each other and a few other birthday party groups of 10 year olds. :)  It was really fun! Mike won the first game - he beat every single player in the course! Perfect for the birthday boy.  I went crazy the second game and showed no mercy to anyone - no matter how small or how related. :) Let the record show: I beat my husband at laser tag.  I think he was shocked. I know...I'm still reveling in that fact! Let's play again sometime!

Here's the hard core group, minus my Mom taking the picture:

Ready to shoot:

Brielle ran all over the facility. The loud music and flashing lights were very stimulating for the babies!

We then went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings and had a yummy dinner for Mike's birthday. 

After dinner, we drove to Jeff & Kate's new home in Lacey.   It was our first time seeing it...we loved it! It's so cute! It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with beautiful bay windows in the dining room that overlook a HUGE backyard.  It's a perfect home for them and we are just thrilled.

While visiting their home, we made a spontaneous decision at 9pm to go to a movie.  It was crazy, but ended up being really fun.  My dad drove the girls home and put them to bed (I can't believe they went to bed so easily for him!) and my Mom, Claire & myself went to see "Mom's Night Out" at 9:30pm and Jeff & Mike saw "Spiderman." I thought the movie was really cute - if you have little kids right now, it's a perfect movie to see.  I loved the first half - the second half got a little long and zany, but the first half was fun. It's not a teenager movie...Claire was bored. It's a mom-only movie I think.  It is PG, clean, and I laughed out loud a lot the first 45 minutes. Ok, that's my movie review. :) 

We got home and went to bed at 1am.  I don't think I've been to bed that late on purpose in a long time.  I can't stay up that late these days because I'm always so exhausted! Especially when I know I might have to get up in a few hours with a teething baby. 

Sunday morning we went to church.  It was a lovely day spending it with my family. We got home and my Dad made a yummy meal.  I chowed down on steak. I would be a horrible vegetarian.

Mike's birthday carried over to Sunday and he opened presents that night. He got a lot of stuff he needs for his mission!

We spent a lot of time outside enjoying the afternoon sunshine. 

Then we took an impromtu photo shoot.  I wanted some pictures with my girls on Mother's Day.

I love those cheeks.  I think I kiss them a thousand times a day. 

Yay, we finally got a family picture with everyone looking in the same direction - and Brielle is smiling! Thanks to Claire for dancing around like a maniac.  And thanks to my Dad for getting the picture! 

I like this picture of Jeff I snapped real quick. Hey, look over here! 

 The rest of the day we played games, talked and played with the girls.  Brielle loves being the center of attention and also loves getting in my Mom's tupperware drawer!

Jeff's such a good dad. 

And then it was time to go home. Quick visit, but we packed in a lot of fun! I am so lucky I got to spend the day with my Mother and also enjoy being a mother myself. 

I am lucky to have some amazing, wonderful women in my life. Sisters, Aunts, Grandmas, Sister-in-laws, Mother-in-law, girl friends and women in my ward. I have learned so much from their examples and influences in various stages of my life and am grateful for them!

I'd like to end with a quick tribute to my Mom....

 

My Mom is the most thoughtful woman you'll ever meet. 

She's always helping other people.  So often I will notice that she's crocheting a blanket for a new baby, or making dinner for a friend who had a hard day.  She's on the phone constantly checking on friends and lending a listening ear. She's very aware of the challenges people are facing and she's right there to help, even if it is inconvenient.  She genuinely loves others and the trials that she has faced make her that much more sympathetic to others having a difficult time.

She is incredibly wise. 

I am continually amazed at the advice that I get from her. It is always tailored to the precise situation I'm dealing with and directed at whatever level I am on.  I will call her often (sometimes daily!) and get her ideas and opinions about different things I'm dealing with.  She will listen and offer advice or just support if I just need someone to understand. She discerns my needs and is incredibly observant. I love talking to her about all things - little or big. Funny or serious. Deeply spiritual or completely silly...she will listen and discuss no matter the subject. 

She is still mothering. 

Her motherhood is lasting much longer than most women.  And yet she does it so well and is so dedicated to her children, no matter what stage of life they are in.  It's amazing to think that while giving me advice over the phone about toilet training, she will be helping Claire with her homework. Her motherhood nurturing is fine tuned to each child at each stage of life, and I am in awe of that. She supports one child in their high school play, while supporting another at her bridal shower. One child is calling home to discuss college final exams, and another to discuss buying a house. And then she plays with a grandbaby. All within the same day.  My Mom is stretched in her motherhood spanning across the generations and she's so good at it. 

Ok, I could go on and on but at the risk of her seeing this and being really embarrassed, I'll end this. I'm grateful for her influence in my life and the blessing she is to all who know her! 

Happy Mother's Day!