Mother's

I heard a saying once and I can't remember who said it, but here it is...

"A Mother is the one who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take."

As Mother's Day approaches, I have been thinking a lot about obviously me being a mom, and my kids, and how great of a blessing it is to be a mom. But I have also been thinking that I wouldn't be a good mom if it weren't for the moms around me in my life who are such a good example to me. 

I am very blessed to still have a Great Grandma alive. Which means that my kids have a Great-Great Grandma. Which also means that we have five generations. So I am lucky to be able to learn how to be a good mom from generations of mothers.

My Great Grandma, Normalind, (who I have no pictures on my computer of) is 84 years old. She is the mother of 4 children. One girl and three boys. I have been so blessed to see the example of a Mother and a Grandmother she is. She raised all of her kids to be hard workers, good examples, and people with integrity. And has passed that down to the next four generations.

This is my Grandma Bonnie. She is 63 years old. She is the mother of 5 children. Two girls and three boys, including  a set of twins! Yikes! She has been such an example to me of not only how to be a good mom to my kids, but to be a good person in general. A good friend, sister, daughter and worker. All of my Grandma's kids are so close to her. On any given day I bet she sees all of her kids (except my Mom who lives in Montana) at least once, maybe sometimes two or three times. There is always family at her house, it is just so comfortable it is like the meeting place for the family. She has taught me so much and I feel very close to her because we are a lot alike and have a lot of the same interests. What a good Grandma to have!

This is my Mom. She is 44 and the mother of four girls! She has been such a good example to me and taught me to be a good person. I never really knew how much I needed my mom til she moved. Like I would call her for the dumbest things when I first got married and ask her the silliest questions. Strangely enough, since she moved to Montana, we have had such good conversations. We will talk for hours on the phone about things we probably wouldn't if we were face to face. So needless to say, it's been hard having her gone, but I feel like our relationship has grown a lot. My mom always took us to do such fun things when I was little. I don't remember a summer that we didn't go to Lagoon or 7 Peaks or Fun Dome and lots more. One summer we got Season Passes to 7 Peaks and went twice a week! It was so much fun, she always made sure we had something to do! My mom has been such a good example to me and I have learned so much from her. She has always been there for me even when I put her through Hell as a teenager. She is such a good Grandma to my kids and makes sure to call them a couple times a week and is always sending them mail, which makes them feel so special. She is awesome!

And lastly, my feelings as a mom. Sometimes motherhood doesn't feel real to me. I am not exaggerating when I say that at least once a week I find myself crying just sitting and watching my kids. Whether they are sleeping or playing, or even being naughty. I can't even explain the joy that comes with being a mom. I wake up and my kids need me and throughout the whole day and even sometimes in the night they need me too! It's so crazy when you become a mom, you are so overwhelmed by everything, and really there isn't a manual on motherhood, you just have to go with the flow. And I have had to learn that things don't always go as planned. I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has trusted me with such sweet little spirits, and I strive everyday to teach them to be good people and make good choices. I hope my children know how much I love them and that they are my world. I really can't imagine life without them.