My Mom

I think I have the most wonderful mother in the all the world and I thought it would be fun to interview her and find out all her wisdom.  
My mom is the  mother of  9 children, 6 girls and 3 boys, including, 2 sets of twins.  I am the oldest.  We range in age  from 34 to 18 years old.  She has 20 grandchildren 2 of which live with her.   She and my dad have been happily married for 35 years.

How did you find joy, or what brought you joy as a mother?

To me, there is nothing more special than having a baby in the house. (Maybe that is why I had so many) They bring a little bit of heaven with them. I enjoyed watching my kids during the day and trying to remember the cute things they did and said so I could share them with their dad when he came home. For me, watching kids is more fun than watching TV.

What do you wish you had known about motherhood before you became a mother?

1. I wish I would have known how far reaching my influence is as a mother.

2. I wish I would have realized how much Heavenly Father loves all of us and is there to help us. Looking back, I can see that He blessed us so much and helped us in everything that we did. I try to notice this more in my life now.

What would you have done differently?

The usual, be more patient, kinder, more thoughtful, more loving, happier, listen better, etc. The things I am still working on.

What advice would you give other mothers?

1. In the morning, get yourself up and dressed, fixed your hair and put your makeup on for the day and then get your kids dressed nice, fix their hair cute, wash their faces and blow their noses and you will feel better about yourself and treat your kids better (and so will others) during the day.

2.  ENJOY EVERY DAY!! Find something about every day to enjoy. Even if you have a bad day, enjoy it. It is a day in your book of life.

What do you like about being a grandmother?

Everything!! It is kind of like being the bishop’s wife (she is the bishop's wife right now). I get in on the good stuff and never hear about the bad.

How did you keep your relationship with your husband strong while your kids were little?

The things I tried to do:

1. Be happy and be glad (two different things) to see him when he came home from work and let him relax and enjoy being home.

2. Fix him a good supper every night.

3. Try to go places with him when he invited me.

4. Let him know he is the most important person in my life.

5. Make life better for him. The nicest thing he ever told me is that his life is so much better because of me.

WORDS OF WISDOM

From Dr. Phil’s father, “ You wouldn’t worry so much about what other people think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

From my husband's dad,  “ We never tried to keep up with the Jones’s, we are the Jones’s.” (You have to know his dad to appreciate that one.)

Thanks so much mom.  What great advice!
I echo Abraham Lincoln's words when I say, "All that I am and I ever hope to be I owe to my angel mother." 
I love you, Mom.