Mother's Day 2016

I love being a mother. I have never felt so confident and comfortable in any role as I do fulfilling my purpose as a mother. From my earliest memories I recall devoting myself to "mothering". My teen years were spent pouring out every effort and affection to those children who were entrusted in my care. And when Parker was born I found a joy I never knew existed. In contrast, those 6 years spent trying, crying, and praying for another child was heart wrenchingly difficult. I was brought to my knees on countless occasions and was forced to reach deep within my soul to find strength, faith, and hope to get through those dark days. I could picture my angel babies watching me from a fluffy cloud on high. Oh how I wished to have them in my arms. The Lord is acutely aware of our needs, wants, and righteous desires. For every sorrowful moment, I've been blessed with 10 cheerful ones. Rayleigh and Jack were born into our family at exactly the right time. When other young moms are beleaguered with mystery stains on their clothes, endless tantrums, and sleepless nights I have the unique perspective only a mother with secondary infertility has. I watched my son grow up. I forgot the tininess of a new born, the craziness of a toddler, and the fatigue of 3am wake up calls. Because I know how quickly these days and years go by I am patient in my afflictions as a mother. Soon the baby walks and then the baby talks and then the baby goes to school and POOF, they are not babies any longer! So I relish the "just one more kiss" before bed. The midnight cries for mommy. The spilled milk, the crying in the hallway, the running in the grocery store. Because it's entertaining! It makes life interesting if not exhausting. For every tantrum there are 2 tight embraces. For every sad tear there is a tug at my heart. For every scream there is a sweet whisper in my ear. And for every mess there is a mountain of relentless affection. My children are far from perfect and I have no doubt I'm not the perfect mom. But they are perfect for me. And it is my greatest goal to be perfect for them. Together we make one perfect family. I am so fulfilled in my calling as a mother. And although I bow my head and fall to my knees daily for help, guidance, and inspiration on how best to mother these precious souls, I first and foremost pour out my heart in exclamations of gratitude. I know these children are on loan to me. They are His and He wants them back home with Him someday. That is a responsibility I do not take lightly. Nor will I ever, no never, take for granted the priceless gift He gave to me when he sent these children to me.

Everyday, 3 times a day, these monsters make a royal mess when they eat. Sometime's it's just easier to put them outside and hose them off after meals!

The Chino Air Show was the weekend of my birthday and I think these boys were a little bummed that I trumped jets and airplanes. Tanner drove Parker over to a park by the airport on Sunday afternoon so they could catch some of the show after church.

It was a sad day when I ate the last piece of my ice cream cake.

This girl's fashion sense is truly unique.

Jack has started taking a few steps! He'll be walking in no time!

I desperately try to get a decent picture of all 3 kids together frequently. It hasn't ever worked out. I figured maybe it would be helpful to have them all contained in the hot tub! Nope....

 The next day I tried again and at least I was able to capture this gem! They love to swim together after school! I'm so thankful for this hot tub!!!

Andrea, quite possibly the most beautiful girl on the planet, sent me some "embarrassing" selfies the other day. She was bagging on her appearance which was utterly ridiculous. So I sent her this picture of me to help her feel better about herself. ha ha Here's to looking 32!

 The radio has a contest called "What's that sound" and no one is able to guess what it is!! I think I know exactly what it is so Parker and I have been calling multiple times a day to see if we can win! The pot is up to $3,800! I wish we could get through!!! I told Parker I'd give him all the money!

She's obsessed with bubbles....

I took the babies to Disneyland on Friday morning and it was so fun! It was raining though which rendered us soaking wet. We still made the most of it. We went on a bunch of rides with no lines (The carousel twice because that's Ray's favorite) and the whole park was super chill. I love taking them to Disneyland!

That night Tanner was able to take Parker for a fun father/son outing. I purchased a parking pass earlier in the day so we shared it which made for easy parking. I drove through Wendy's that afternoon and Tanner came home to a "fun" dinner! We had the song "Friday" blasting and we all had a great night! Me especially because I was able to relax and have "me time" ha ha

The day before Mother's Day we had rain in the forecast. So after my mom and I went to a bridal shower at Robyn's house we took the train from San Juan Capistrano to Oceanside! And guess what? The weather was PERFECT! It was soooooooo gorgeous! The kids LOVED the train ride! What a great view! Fun times were had by all. We got off and walked to the end of the pier and grabbed lunch at Ruby's. The babies were NOT thrilled about the wait and were NOT very easy. But once we got sat down and eating everyone was much better. Sometimes I push my kids too far. But we had fun and they slept so well that night! ha ha The train ride back we had a car all to ourselves! Now, that's the way to travel!!!!

We had to give Ray a phone to keep her still for a few minutes so I ended up with about 56 pictures of her feet. The cutest feet I ever did see!

A few days ago I asked Parker to read for 20 minutes and he chose to read the Friend magazine. Later, I noticed a big mess where he'd apparently cut up some paper and did some coloring. I decided not to say anything about the mess and trust that he'd clean it up. And he DID! Why do I always nag? I was so proud of him. But what made me even more proud was when I woke up to this sweet home made card that he'd cut out and colored from the Friend. He also read one of the stories from the Friend for his talk that he gave on Mother's day! I always love to hear the children sing in church on Mother's Day. Parker usualy just stands up there being too cool to sing but I think this year he actually sang to me! Yay!

Since we have 9:00am church we didn't have too much time for breakfast in bed but Tanner did prepare an extra special breakfast for me! He got the kids all ready for church and let me leave early so I could have a few prayerful moments before they arrived. It's the little things... Parker picked out some flowers and a balloon for me at the store the night before. And Tanner surprised me with a beautiful mother of pearl necklace and a day of house cleaning! He spoils me!!!! Parker gave a talk in church and read a story from the Friend. But his introduction was so sweet. He said:
"Today I will be doing a talk on mothers. I know that mothers are one of the most important members of the family. If we did not have mothers then who would make our lunches every day? Who would sing us to sleep? Who would comfort us when we are sad? So mothers are important. I mean, how sad would it be to not have a mom?"

After church we met my family at Jon's park for dinner and celebrating! The kids had a blast running around with their cousins. Jack even climbed up to the top of the play structure! That kid is incredible. Cort made the most delicious carne asada and chicken tacos. Everyone brought a dish to share. I brought strawberry trifle and it was actually a hit! whew! Tanner was able to FaceTime his mom for a while- which was nice! He also made a great effort to chase the kids and change diapers so I could chat with my sisters and hear all about Jon's cruise! We had a really neat conversation on the drive home. Big things are happening and we are excited to create positive change and evolution in our family!

I love my mom so much. It's hard to put into words. She is my rock. She grounds me. But she is also the one who lifts me the highest. She chastens me when I need to listen and learn. And she guides me perfectly. She uplifts me and exemplifies all that is beautiful and positive. I love spending time with her. She gave me a birthday card which is so completely and utterly "us". It says, 

"For a special daughter from your mom (and dad). 

Daughter, I'm so grateful you've turned out to be my friend.

 I'm nurtured by our heart-to-hearts, the happy times we spend.

I couldn't have imagined that the little girl I knew

Would someday be my confidante

and shopping buddy, too.

And whether we're together or just catching up by phone, 

Your friendship is the sweetest gift a mom has even known.

I only wish that I could find more heartfelt words to praise

A kind and thoughtful daughter who brings sunshine to my days."

My mom is the hardest worker I know. She has always had a job to help provide for the family and never turns away someone in need. She feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, mourns with those that mourn, and comforts those who stand in need of comfort. She is the most Christlike person I know. I know Heavenly Father has a great work for me to do and I know that I was sent to my mother at a specific time to fulfill that purpose. And I have a firm believe that I would not be able to accomplish my mission here on earth without her. She means everything to me and I love her infinitely.