525,600 Minutes

One year later, on Mother's Day, we decided to re-create my favorite picture with my boys, only this year we included my Man!
So what has changed in the past year? Michael finished his 2nd year at SUU and fell in love. Jaron finished his 1st year at BYU and got into the Young Ambassadors. Devin finished his 8th grade year and was elected Student Body President for next year. We added another family member, our dog Molly.
What has not changed in the past year? We still have each other, and we love being together! We still argue about things that don't really matter, and we still have dreams to fulfill and obstacles to overcome.
One year later, we are still here, and we are still a family. And even though life has it's ups and downs, challenges and disappointments, it also has so many wonderful gifts. I am thankful for the gift of my family. They are my greatest treasure.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Note** We are not communists and did not realize that there was a swastika in the background of the above picture!

Why I'm Glad I'm a Mother

Of all the pictures I have ever had taken with my boys, this one is my all time favorite. I love the symbolism of it. I am walking hand in hand with my children on the road of life, and I want what is best for them always. I want to be there for every triumph and heartbreak they experience. I want us to always be a strong, united family. I don't want anything to ever tear us apart.
I love being Devin's mom because he is so passionate about life. He loves learning new things, and he is not afraid to be who he is. He loves playing the cello, and has a love of music. He makes me laugh every single day without fail. He is my baby boy, my little buddy, my trusted friend.
I love being Jaron's mom because he is honestly the most talented person I have ever met. He has a giving heart, and will help a friend with anything at anytime. He is a deep thinker, and loves to analyze life and people. He is very wise for his years. He also makes me laugh daily, and my heart spills over with pride whenever I think of him.
I love being Michael's mom because he is such a joy to be with. He has a quiet strength that reminds me so much of my dad. He has a very dry sense of humor, and can also be really silly at times. It is hard to get him to pose seriously for a picture. He has always been an overachiever and he works very hard at whatever he does. He is one of the kindest people I know.
Being a mom is the greatest job in the world, and I am blessed to have been sent three of Heavenly Father's most valiant sons. I love them so much that it makes my heart hurt sometimes.
We goof around a lot, as you can probably tell, but there is always love in all that we do.
Last Mother's Day was wonderful because Michael had just been home from his mission for a few months, and I got to have him with me in person instead of just a phone call. This year will be even better, because all of my boys will be home from school for the summer, and we will all be together as a family for a few months. So whether I get a card or a cake or a book, it really doesn't matter to me, as long as I get to have all my boys with me, it will be the best Mother's Day ever. The biggest reason I love being a mom is because I get to be with my favorite people on the planet, and take a little bit of credit for how great they turned out to be!