Mother's Day 2010

I think mothers look forward to this day all year round. One day a year that we are entitled to relaxation, being spoiled a little, and letting go of daily duties, without guilt. At least this is how I feel the day should be.

Ironically, Mother's Day falls on Sunday. The Sabba Day. The day of rest. As a mother with young children at home, I wonder sometimes why Sunday is called the day of rest? I've been a Christian long enough to understand that it is meant to be a day of resting away from the things of the world. The day is meant to be spent with as much spirituality, worship, family time, and to leave out as much of the worldy things as possible.

Still, knowing this and trying to live this on every Sunday most of my life, I have found as a mother it is almost impossible to have a restful day. I will say it is more restful than the other days of the week. It is more spiritual than other days of the week. However, between getting me and the kids ready and sitting in church by 9am, preparing what is needed to fullfill my duties as a primary leader, wrestling my children and the other 85 children in our primary during 3 hours of meetings, I feel anything but rested and spiritually fed at the end of my church day.

This past Sunday, Mother's Day 2010. I would have thought it would have been extra restful and special. Instead it was especially crazy and busy. Some primary teachers didn't show up to teach their classes, one of our primary leaders got very sick and couldn't come, the children were being overly hyper and extra loud, and me being large with child and rushing out of the house without eating breakfast, all contributed to a very long day of church meetings. By the time we got my family home, fed lunch and put down for their afternoon nap, I felt like I had worked out my gym for 3 hours instead of sitting at church. I felt very tired, frusterated, and hungry!

My sweet husband made me my Sunday after church snack- Ritz crackers with melted cheese and a dab of ketsup on them(don't judge until you sample them), accompanied by a diet pepsi over ice. Not the most healthy lunch time snack ever, but it sure hits the spot with me. I changed my puffed up body out of my church clothes and into my comfy clothes, and laid down on my bed and took my Sunday nap. It was delightful!

After I felt refueled a little the girls were up and we spent the evening playing together and watching our routine Sunday shows- Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and America's Funniest Home Videos. Both sure fire family shows to cheer your soul and make you cry, in a good way.

The 2 days before Mother's Day, started off being WAY TOO full of busy jobs and tasks as that needed to get done. But we made the decision to squeeze a little much needed family time fun into it. Rob and I took our girls to Oklahoma City Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon to stay over night at a hotel. Of course the hotel had to have a pool for the girls, not for me. The main pull to OKC wasn't to swim in a hotel pool, but to attend the temple sealing of a family in our church that have become good friends to us. So Saturday morning, we took the girls along with us because Alyssa had been asking to see the temple that her mommy and daddy had got married at. It was a beautiful day outside to go to the temple. The family was sealed to their 4 children for time and eternity. It was very special and touching to witness that. It brings back a lot of feelings and emotions of happines and graditude for being sealed to my own husband and children.

After the weekend was over, overall I feel pretty dang lucky to be a mother and a wife. So what if on Mother's Day I wasn't pampered, spoiled, or relaxed as I would have liked to have been. I think I have some of the most important things I could ever ask for everyday. A husband who loves me enough to want to spend eternity with me, (let's face it, that is no easy task) and two healthy little girls who love me even when I'm not the best mommy I can be.