Mother's Day

Me and my kids

This is from yesterday, since Olivia refused

to take one this afternoon.

The family tried, but two days in a row of being nice to mom just really took a toll on all of them. Spense was in a grouchy mood that he said he couldn't shake although he wanted too and no one really wanted to help out too much, which was a shame, but what do you do?!

The day started out in a promising way.  Spense had got up early and set the table and made batter for abelskivers. The only set back was when Zach climbed up to the table unnoticed and poured powdered sugar all over the floor. That made Spense a little frustrated!

It was nice to have the kids sing at church. I couldn't see too much of Thomas because he was behind a pretty big girl and luckily they pushed Olivia right to the front so that she was in plain view. I didn't see her move her mouth a whole lot though! Nursery was super busy today. We had about 16 kids in there and we were trying to get a lot done with them and I wasn't as prepared as I should have been. So by the end of church I was hot, sweaty, and feeling frazzled.

My handsome boys

We spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging around the house. Spense made dinner and then after putting the kids to bed we both cleaned up. I wanted to help so that we could watch the Amazing Race finale sooner. It was fun, but I don't know what we will do with our Sunday nights now!

I am grateful to be a mom. Some days its really hard and really the same and I sometimes wish that I could be at work doing something that someone could pat me on the back about! I do love my kids though and am grateful that they were sent to me. I know that there are lots of things that I need to do better and I hope that they will be patient with me as I change and grow, and that loving them will make up for the times I fail. Being a mom has taught me more about love and patience than I think anything else could. I am still very much working on the patience. It has really opened my eyes to the way that Heavenly Father must feel about each of us, how much he cares, and how much he wants to see us succeed. I also know how frustrated and upset he must be when we don't do what we should.

I am grateful for my mom. I feel bad that she has to celebrate a couple of months later with me than the rest of women in England (since Mother's Day is in March). We don't always see eye to eye because each of us thinks that we're always right and we have strong opinions. We always talk about all the things that we see in our parents that we hope we never do, but the older I get the more I feel like I get like her. I guess that it's not all that bad!

I am grateful for the way that she has raised me though. I know that she loves me ( years and years of being at gymnastics events and paying for an education have taught me that). I know that both she and my dad would sacrifice anything they could to make us happy and give us the things that we need in this life. She taught me how to work (hard) and I am only sad that I disappoint here with my lazy ironing skills. She often stands with a basket of clothes, ironing everything that comes out of the dryer! I do iron my kids clothes, but only what they're wearing for that day - sorry that makes you sad!

Thanks for being a great mom. Thanks for your support and unending love!