Because it is Mother's Day...

I'm gonna brag to ya about my mammacita!

Now in all of my talks that I have ever given on Mother's day I try hard not to be one of those people who just sit there and talk all about how great their moms are. But this ain't no talk. It's my blog and I wanna brag about my mother to y'all. Now you don't have to read it, but just the little bit that I will tell you about her is sure to change you because she is magnificent! I wish the whole world could know her personally because I think she just has this ability to change people for the better, even if it is in a small way.

So...

In case you didn't know... I have the greatest of all moms. I really do. My mother is a strong woman. The things that she can handle emotionally as well as physically and spiritually is truly amazing to me. Yes indeed, she is a strong strong woman!

You see my mom grew up in humble circumstances, but she never let that be an excuse for her to not get a college education. All in high school she worked hard and when it came time to graduate she had a scholarship at BYU. 

At BYU she met my Father after he returned home from his mission... Now I gotta say I love hearing my parents talk about their life when they were dating! ha They crack me up! At times I kinda wonder how they wound up getting married and yet it all makes perfect sense because my parents are completely awesome together. You can tell that they hold so much love and respect for each other. They are each other's best friends. And for a child to see THAT in a home is huge!! That is what makes my mom and dad so great. I see the love they have for each other. 

When my mom and dad married my mom was pretty young.. She was 19, but she always throws in that she was almost 20! haha She had been going to school for a couple years prior to meeting my dad., but they married when both of them were not done with school yet and started a family. My mom graduated with two young kids. Now if that is not impressive as is I don't know what else would be. 

She continued to have one kid after the next... Boy after boy after boy after boy until she had me, her girl, and then another boy. Any woman who can raise five boys deserves a lot of praise. In some ways boys can be easier than girls, but in a lot of ways they are not. Sure they can help out a lot with the yard work and all, but basically they break things that girls wouldn't normally break... like cars and stuff. 

But the thing that I find pretty impressive is that my dad was gone getting his Master's so my mom had all six of us crazy kids by herself a lot of the time. And then my dad was called to be the bishop, which also required a lot of his time. So my mom was one busy woman because my dad was also one busy man. My mom during this time also started up her own speech pathology business out of her house. This way Cory and I could be home with her. We were the "examples" on how to use proper sounds and how to interact with others. 

My mom changes kids lives. And by changing the life of the child she makes a world of difference to that family's life. See as a speech pathologist she doesn't just give children that necessary tool of communication. She works with kids who have disabilities as well. She teaches kid's with autism social skills. She disciplines kids who can be out of control and she helps teach the parents how to discipline as well. She breaks down walls for these families. Kids try to spit on her, hit her, and bite her. But in the end they all love my mom to the moon and back. She puts so much work and effort in her work. She will literally get every plant in our house and weave fake snakes in the branches and have fake birds flying around to make the room a jungle to help the kids get into the activities. She is kinda crazy I know, but this woman never half does anything!!

My mamma playing with her grand-kids outside

She serves the Lord. She rarely puts her needs and wants first. She doesn't get herself new clothes and what not because she gives that money to us so we can have a new pair of jeans or anything. Even when we are all gone she still doesn't get new things a lot because with six of us out on our own, one of us usually is in need of something. She is always sacrificing for us. But the thing is, she doesn't just do that for us. If there is a wedding reception my mom is the first one there with a truck load of decorations from OUR home for the family to display so that the girl has a nice reception. She will talk on the phone for hours helping others with any questions or needs they have. And she puts her all into her callings. She always does her very best at whatever she does. For her current calling she takes the young women on temple trips and does a special lesson every Christmas in which she lavishly decorates the room, prepares a slide show, and so on. My mom doesn't expect praise from the world. She just does what she does day in and day out because that is the kind of woman she is. I want to be even MORE like my mother.

My mom is on the left! ha This is on one of the temple trips she had for the young woman! As  you can see she is young at heart!

When I look back at my childhood it was wonderful. I was always with my mom and she was cheerful almost 100% of the time. 

We were trying to see who could bulge their eyes the best... I think she won! ha

When I started going to school I would come home to a clean house and a mom who would be singing as she cooked... well, burned... our dinner. haha So cooking was never her strong point, but I will admit she has gotten a bit better over the years. She made our home a place we anted to be though. A haven from the world.

My mom got in the freezing cold water with Jackson and even dunked her head just because he asked her too!

My mom had a huge job raising a girl out of a clan of boys... I give her all the credit for every ounce of girly I have in me. I wanted to be one of the boys basically all my life, but she made sure I had girl toys, and that I would wear dresses on occasion, and curl my hair. As I got older she made sure I put on make-up, dressed like a girl, crossed my legs, and she tried to monitor how much I hit and what words I would say such as dude and freakin and so on. And even though I can be quite obedient at times I was not the easiest to try to teach. I can be kinda stubborn and when I want something it can be hard to make me not go after it... no matter how logically illogical my wants are. Such as wanting to be one of the boys... 

But what I admire most about my mom is how hard she tried to instill a testimony in all of us. My grandma joined the church when my mom was young. So her family, in general, is quite young in the church. My mom  wanted us to be very strong in the gospel. She knew what life was like without it. I remember being young and hearing her bear her testimony. I would see tears in her eyes as she would speak. I didn't always understand what she was saying, but I knew that she loved this gospel and that it was something very dear to her. The Spirit was often felt in our home because she tried to cultivate it. Daily she taught and enforced principles of the gospel. She was happy when we succeeded in anything and everything, but they joy that she felt when she saw us grow spiritually was truly more profound and evident than when we made a basket or aced a test. I never felt forced to believe in what I was hearing. I always felt like I could make my own choice. My parents strongly encouraged and urged us to make correct choices, but never did I feel forced to read the scriptures on my own, or wake up early to attend early morning seminary, or finish my personal progress. I did all those things because I knew that the gospel was true. By my mother and father sharing with me their testimonies and by me seeing their acts of faith on numerous occasions I slowly began to want to know for myself if these things really were true. And that is the greatest thing a mother could ever do for her child, is to bear her testimony to them and to let them see her faith.

My mom has been such a wonderful example to me in every way possible. I love that I look like her. I love that I act like her, even though I don't always say I love it... I really do! I just love that I am practically my mother's twin. Her example to me has always been to be feminine, yet strong; to be tough, and yet loving; and to have a faith that is unshakable.

I love my mother dearly! She really is one of my best friends! I can tell her anything! And I pretty much tell her everything. I loved coming home and talking to her all about my day. I love it when we both go out and attempt to shop for clothes, but we both get sick of it within a couple hours! haha I love being at the lake with her. I love talking on the phone with her. And I love all the jokes and the laughs we have! My mom is an amazing and remarkable woman!!! I am so glad that I am sealed to her for all of eternity!!