We’ve been celebrating all weekend – and honestly, it had very little to do with Mother’s Day and everything to do with Hallie coming home from her mission this week.
Is she the best Mother’s Day gift I could have received? Yes.
Have I had the sweetest day having all my kids under the same roof for the first time in 18 months? Also yes.
Somewhere between airport hugs, swimming sessions, late-night conversations, and everyone finally gathered around the table again, the kids filled out their annual “about mom” interviews. And while I laughed at some of their answers, there were two themes that meant more to me than they probably realize.
First — they notice that I show up.
Whether it’s a game, a match, a concert, a school event, or a learning celebration, they know that if it matters to them, it matters to me.
Second — they know I get things done.
At home. At church. At school. I figure things out and keep things moving. It’s not glamorous most of the time, but it’s one of the ways I show love to my family.
I’m sure I bug my kids at some level, that’s what parents do, right? But I hope they know I love them deeply. Everything I do is with them in mind.
Motherhood has a way of making you second-guess almost everything. You wonder if you’re doing enough, saying the right things, handling situations correctly, or getting any of it right at all.
So it feels good when your kids recognize your effort and when they see that you’re trying.
We had a fun day of laughing. Teasing. Telling jokes. Watching videos. Eating crepes. And spending time with friends. A happy mother’s day indeed.
I also got to teach the women’s lesson today at church which was a beautiful discussion on Emily Belle Freeman’s talk Best Days and Worst Days – learning to trust in the Lord through the highs and lows of mortality.
I’m surrounded by some amazing women. (Including the ones who were so thoughtful to decorate the room to add to the special atmosphere of the lesson!) My daughter. My mom. My family members. My best friends. My community. They build me up and cheer me on in the most beautiful ways.
Without a single ounce of coordination and without seeing each other before church, we all dressed in blue.
Steve and I worked together on a lesson for church today and it was fun having him in second hour with us sharing his thoughts. I serve in the organization and it was fun setting up the room with a fun vision from our president. We also served acai bowls after and they were a big hit. (Did you know you can buy 3 gallon tubs at wholesale food stores?!)
The kids gave me gifts and I loved the annual questionnaires they filled out. Steve had a little help from Gemini AI but each kid had their own customized questionnaire which made it even more fun. They are past the age of trying to guess my favorite food and instead offer insights into our relationship and our family culture.
These boys have my heart. I am consumed with their needs and desires and filling their buckets. Which is often viewed as busy and sometimes a little chaotic – but I love every bit of it.
Even though P-day is tomorrow and we get to talk to Hallie, she still gets to call on holidays and our birthdays so it was fun hearing from her tonight. Steve also sent her a questionnaire and she read her answers to me over the phone and she had me laughing.
She also sent a letter through the mail and I’ve been patiently waiting for Mother’s day so I could open it.
Besides her beautiful words, she included several leaves from the Sacred Grove and they dropped out of the envelope like confetti. Such a special touch to an already sweet note. It has been a treat to be a missionary mom and I’ve enjoyed the evolution of my relationship with Hallie as she’s been away.
I am so grateful for my own mother. And as strong-willed as I may have been as a child – she has always been so patient and loving and has given me space to grow and develop. I only hope to exhibit the same qualities in motherhood.
Here’s a picture recap of Mother’s Day 2023. We have early church so we opted for a nice breakfast-for-lunch instead of a rushed breakfast. And my new handy dandy crepe maker worked like a dream and Hunter is now a pro at making crepes which is another gift for me!
We had every fruit and berry and filling (Chocolate and vanilla) and nutella and peanut butter and whipped cream…everything needed for a nice Sunday sugar coma.
Each of the kids filled out the annual interview sheet which just gets better the older they get. It’s cute what they say about you when they’re young and then it’s more touching the older they get. They also wrote memories on hearts for me around the kitchen – fun to see what sticks out to them with all the memories we share.
This memory had me chuckling because it’s spot on. My mom was visiting and I knew Hallie’s friends were at the dance but she was trying to get a hold of them and they weren’t answering – even though I knew they were already there. We really were running to target and when we left the house, I had no intentions of dropping her off at the dance. But as we started driving and I realized we were going to be close to the dance we just made a quick pit stop and dropped her off! 🙂
Steve and the kids do such a great job of celebrating me. It’s fun to be the center of attention for a day where every kid is surprisingly obedient and helpful in every possible way.
Mother’s day is my signal that summer is just around the corner and these kids will be out of school in no time. The heat in Arizona is another indicator that we’re about ready to die a slow death due to an Arizona summer.
On a happier note – I made these five humans which is why this day is fun for me – it gets better the older they get. So we celebrated.
Briggs brought home a little bag from preschool with some goodies for me. In it, I found the traditional flower pot of questions that I’ve seen come home for many years.
I got a good laugh as I thumbed through the pages of his booklet – there was a clear theme.
From my 5 year-old’s perspective, I am somewhat obsessive with cleaning. With that much emphasis you’d think we’d have a cleaner home than we do!
Hallie painted me a beautiful picture of me with my favorite daughter. 🙂 (Similar to the one she painted for me last year)
And I made sure the kids filled out the annual mother’s day questionnaire because it’s always enlightening to see how your kids view you as a mom – for better or worse!
Although they call me mom, my kids are fortunate that a slew of women look out for them and care for them. Family, friends, neighbors, teachers – they are loved and cared for by so many other “mothers”. I’m grateful for the village of women that are helping me raise my kids, their influence does not go unnoticed. Happy Mother’s Day.
The best part of a coronavirus mother’s day is all the hand-made goodness – they were all forced to be resourceful.
Hallie watercolored a picture of our family – she had me in tears. I love it and I love that she thought to paint it for me, it’s proudly hanging in my office.
Briggs showered me with all sorts of wonderful cards but this one takes the cake. I even helped him with this without realizing what it was (He needed help taping the tent structure on). Little did I know it would soon be a dog card. He knows how much I don’t like animals and always asks me why I hate dogs. So this card was quite funny. He may try and wear me down but it’s not going to make a bit of difference, my will is stronger than his persistence. 🙂
I also got a little paper bouquet from Briggs’ perschool. He thinks I make great chicken, I’m as beautiful as light and I’m nice because I put him to bed a lot.
Hallie helped all the kids fill out questionnaires which is always insightful. All the kids nailed that my favorite drink is water. Cannon was spot on when he said I really love cotton candy. Cannon thinks it’s my job to build things where as the older kids know I do graphic design. Hunter loves that we play soccer together. Bennett would love to travel to Europe with me and Hallie would love to go to Thailand.
We ate loaded crepes for breakfast – formally known as dessert crepes. Not sure when they were deemed appropriate for breakfast but it’s a fan favorite. I opt for a simple strawberries and banana with vanilla filling. The rest of the family goes all in (including peanut butter which just seems crazy!)
The kids sang me a mother’s day song – normally a song the primary kids sing at church – but they all joined in much to Hunter’s reluctance and Hallie’s prodding.
Hallie pampered me by painting my nails, the boys offered their massage services and everyone joined on the Sunday evening stroll around the neighborhood.
