mama

Sunday was my first mother's day! Last year I missed it by four days :) It was a great day-- I was able to spend it with my little boy and also with my mom and my grandma.

I started thinking yesterday about how being a mom myself has helped me to see things about my own mom I was too quick to take for granted before. I'm so thankful for the relationship I have with her! I feel like I need her now more than ever before... when I don't know how to deal with colic and teething and temper tantrums... and when I'm not sure what to substitute for condensed milk... and when fevers reach 103... I'm so thankful for her wealth of knowledge and her willingness to not laugh at my ignorance! We are such good friends and that means so much to me.

I'm also so thankful for my grandmothers! I have one grandmother who spent most of her growing-up years without a mother. I can't even imagine! My mind won't let me go there... but she's the strongest lady I've ever met and a wonderful grandmother and great-Grandmother to Westin! My other grandmother is currently spending most of her days caring for her mother who has less than 25% of her heart working. The love and the selflessness that she displays day in and day out is unbelievable!

I'm also thankful for my mother-in-law, who is also a beautiful, selfless woman! I'm so thankful for the blessing she is in my life and for the relationship that we have. I'm also thankful for the wonderful mother that she is to my husband and the precious Nana she is to my son!

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for surrounding me with such a "great cloud of witnesses." I have such a vast resource of examples to look to when it comes to being a great mother-- which is my constant desire. I have so much to learn, and yet, I can honestly say I am enjoying every step of the journey!