For My Mommy (A Day Late)

(My lovely mommy with one-week-old Jacob during one of those helping-me-get-my-head-screwed-on-after-becoming-a-mother-of-two visits. I think I'm still trying to get my head screwed on straight!)

Hi Mom!

I meant to write this last night.

But guess what? I went to bed!

(I was at my mother's house last night. It was late when we left and before I got in the car she told me to "Go to bed!" when I got home. I am not good at going to bed, even when I very, very, very much should. She knows this and she was doing what good mommy's do..telling us to do what we don't want to do for our own good.)

Okay I confess Mom, I guess I didn't necessarily go to bed...I fell asleep with Tommy while putting him to sleep, and then a crying Jacob woke me up sometime later and I fell asleep in the glider putting him back to sleep. But you know that's a pretty normal night in my book.

But I did not stay up! That's the point. =)

Well no, that's not the point.

This is the point...

This is my version of shouting from the rooftops.

That my mother is wonderful.

I want the world to know how very, very much I love and appreciate her.

(On Mother's Day and always always always.)

My mother is a tried and true mothering expert. She's been doing it pretty much her whole life. No, really. She was born the oldest of 9 children and grew up on a ranch in Montana. (I love telling people that. Just from that you'd know my mom is awesome. I love that I'm half cowgirl.) She was my grandmother's right hand and helped raise my bitty uncles and baby aunts for years before she had her own children. She learned to work hard and she learned how to be selfless for the sake of loved ones much earlier than I think the rest of us do. She is blessed with a particular talent for selflessness, she's an expert at putting other people first. She's TOO good at it at times!

I was my mom's only daughter, smack in the middle of four brothers. Being the only other estrogen-bearing member of our family, I always had an extra little piece of her time and a little place in her heart that no one else did. Growing up I didn't always appreciate what a blessing that was. I know better now.

I always say my mom has a heart of gold. She's sweet, kind, gentle, and so so forgiving. She just wants people to be happy. She's kind to everyone, amazingly kind. She serves people, and she wants to serve people. She is humble. She doesn't always get me and my brother's weird jokes and sense of humor, but I love that about her...She's demure, she's a lady. She is lovely and always looks nice. She says the most sincere (and longest!) prayers I've ever heard. She is faithful and loves the gospel. She is the best housekeeper on the planet (and I don't care what anyone says, including you mom, that is DEFINITELY a talent!).

And my whole life long, she has always praised her children and expressed her love for us openly. That is invaluable. I have come to realize more and more as an adult just how invaluable.

I have been a mother for less than four years and a mother of two for barely a year. I feel like I can barely keep up with my two kiddos most of the time, but yet I am nowhere near understanding all that she did for me and my siblings. The capacity of my gratitude and admiration for her continues to grow daily and I am always trying to find ways to give back to her. And yet she never expects it. She goes on giving and giving and giving and I know she always will. Because she is herself. I don't think she could possibly be happy unless she was giving to others.

Despite all the headache and heartache and exhaustion and frustration and repetition and work and time I imagine it took to raise 5 children (one of whom she is still raising...she has T minus 4 or so years left with my teenage bro), my strongest memory is that she raised us with joy.

And we are her greatest joy still. She tells me all the time, but I already know.

And that is why I am one seriously, seriously lucky girl.

I love you dearly mommy.

I have more I could say, much much more, but...

I have to go to bed!!! =)