new things

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I used to be just a little obsessed with Friends. One of my favorite episodes was the one with the New Year's Resolutions, and Ross decides that his resolution is to do something new every day. (What is your favorite episode?)

Anyway, my new thing for today is to blog on the ipad. It turns out it's not that hard, I just had to find the cord for the keyboard that I never use.

The reason I decided to do this new and very exciting thing is that my cracked phone got a little bit wet, and whenever that happens it doesn't work, which means that I can't take pictures, and I wanted to include a picture today. And as it turns out, that was really, really, easy! 

My mom and I share the same May 11 birthday, which happens to be on Mother's Day this year, and apparently my birthday/Mother's Day weekend has officially started! Yesterday I received these delicious cheesecakes in the mail, along with six chocolate covered strawberries (that have already been eaten). A 400 calorie serving is 3/4 of one of these little cakes, and I decided to sample one during Ammon's nap time today. Yum!

The other thing I am celebrating today is that I made it to the post office again!! That's twice in the first half of the year, which is a pretty large feat for me. Of course, the packages I sent won't arrive in time for Mother's Day (and for Mom's birthday), but they said they should get to both places on Monday, and that's close! We still have Saint Patricks Day birthday cards that the kids made but were never sent......

I'm sure I will have something more thoughtful to write later, but I have been thinking about the mothers in my life. My wonderful grandmother, who taught my mom what a mom should be like, and then my mom taught me that same love. My other grandma who raised a pretty amazing father, and of course my own mother, who is always there for me even when she's thousands of miles away. Sometimes, when my kids get up in the middle of the night, or when they are driving me crazy, I think about her patience with us, and I know I can be a little better. I am grateful for teachers and leaders and aunts who helped to shape me, and as a mother, I am even more grateful for all of the good influence that these women have on my children. They need to feel that love and support, especially as they are getting older and will have to deal with the insecurities of teenager-hood, and as they face the world. 

I am, of course, also grateful for the opportunity to be a mother. It is a holy calling, and it is slowly chiseling me and pushing me towards the person I hope to be someday. I am more generous and selfless than I was before; I have more understanding and empathy. I am working on putting life (and my smart phone) aside, and putting my children first. Ammon will sometimes say, "pay attention to me," and I know that my kids don't really care what I look like or how educated I am, they just want my love and attention. They don't need my lectures and disapproval, they need my words of affirmation and approval. And perhaps more than anything, I need to listen.