Mothers

Okay, it won't let me get in to type at the top. Grrr.

Anyway, I wanted to post a quick tribute to the moms in my life.

I don't know what I would do without my mom. She has been a mom to so many people, blood and non-related alike. She's known as "Mom" to more than one of my friends, and has shown that gentle kindness, interest, and concern for many of them over the years. Some of them, I suspect, didn't get it in their own homes.

If I need someone to tell me I've done a good job, I call my mom.
If I'm annoyed about something and need someone who will be on my side, I call my mom.
My mom loves babies, and I've learned since I had Jamie that people who truly love babies are people who love goodness and innocence.

She never gets impatient with my never-ending requests for her to send me this book or that toiletry that I left at their house, or to read me a certain recipe of hers--while she's trying to cook her own dinner. (Or if she does, she hides it well.)

She is my cheerleader, my advice nurse hotline, the person I can always count on to tell me not to work too hard and to go to bed at a decent time.

And she is a sweet, kind, and incredibly loving grandma to my little boy, as I've always known she would be.

My mom is special. I know that many people agree.

My mother-in-law, Cheryl, is also a very special lady.

She is totally devoted to her family, and her family doesn't end with her husband and kids. Anyone she meets who needs help, compassion, or a listening ear, become family to her, and her love is boundless.

She's an extremely hard worker, who has sacrificed and continues to sacrifice much for those she loves. She is constantly working to improve her mind, her testimony, and her knowledge of all kinds of things. She has a lot of wisdom, and her self-discipline has amazed me many times.

Cheryl and Robert are wonderfully devoted to the gospel. If the bishop or the prophet or anyone else in the Church wants them to do something, they do it--not grudgingly or with an air of it being a favor to the Lord, but unquestioningly and gladly.

And, obviously, she is also a sweet, loving grandma.

I love my mother-in-law so much. I'm so glad I've had opportunities to get to know her better, to learn from her, and to feel the love she and Robert have for me, undeserving as I am.

I love these two women. There's no way to be able to write of all their amazing qualities on one little blog post, and many of them overlap. They're alike in many ways, yet they bring unique gifts to the table, too. I just wanted to let them know how much my little family and I love them, and that the only way we could ever begin to repay all they've done for us is to pay it forward--which is what we're trying to do now with our own son.

We love you, Moms! Happy Mother's Day!