Mother's Day

The greatest joy I have in life is being a wife and mother and now grandmother. There is a bumper sticker that says "If I'd know having grand kids was so much fun, I would have done that first." I think I'd like that bumper sticker, although I thought having kids was pretty fun too.

Oh, there were times when it wasn't much fun, but overall, I think it was great. I don't know if I just have selective memory in my older years or what, but I recall many more good times than bad.

I remember Family Home Evenings when we would lay a sheet on the floor and put the Stir Crazy popcorn popper in the middle of the sheet and leave the lid off so the popcorn would pop all over the living room. That was a "fun" refreshment. I remember playing "volleyball" in the living room with a balloon for an activity. I remember an object lesson where we made the biggest cookie with salt instead of sugar to point out not everything is what it seems.

I remember each of the children having chores before and after school. Some were simple like making their beds and picking up clothes and toys. Others were harder like emptying trash or vacuuming. I think they all complained about why they had to do chores when their friends didn't. Then one day Douhet came home from school and actually thanked me for making him do chores, because he could do something at school that one of his friends couldn't do, because he had learned to do it as a job.

I remember fun trips to the art museum and parks. I remember mid week primary. I remember playing office and school in the summer summer. I remember Season making his own credit cards and trying to be like "The Great Brain". I remember Wonder Woman, R2D2, C3PO and Spiderman all wrestling Daddy. I remember everyone playing on the water bed every Saturday morning. I remember reading together nearly every night. I remember Scripture reading with a German, French, or Chinese accent. I remember lots of teenagers at our house at all hours of the day night whether working on the school newspaper or playing games after a football game or play.

I remember supporting family members in basketball games, track meets, tennis matches, baseball and softball games, band concerts and plays and anything else they wanted to participate in. I remember a broken arm after a mud football game and a broken leg after sliding down an icy ramp after Seminary. I remember chicken pox and a smashed face after Sierra fell off the monkey bars and landed face down trying to emulate Mary Lou Retton from the Olympics. I remember being so scared Sierra would loose her eye after having a whip antenna hit her in the eye.

I remember drive in movies and camping in our big family tent. Most of all I remember long talks late into the night.

And now I get to experience many of these same things all over again with our beautiful grand kids. We have slumber parties and family reunions. Concerts and games. Balets and piano recitals. And above all lots of snuggle times with Grandma!!!

I LOVE being a mother!!!