Home again!!!

Is there anything sweeter than this!? I don't think so. Amy has posted most of the pics so I don't know if I will post very many. The service I love best in this life is serving my own children. There isn't anything else quite like it. They are so grateful, but even if they weren't I would still love it best. There is something about being a mom that will make you do things that seem impossible. I had a great example, my mom. I was thinking about her a lot this week. As I helped Amy and Mike learn the little but important things about babies, like how to burp them, how to calm them down when their tummies hurt, other things that I can't remember right now. But for some reason my mind went back to my little apartment in Provo and my mom showing me all things I needed to learn with Rebecca. She was amazing, staying up late at night calming her as she cried, so I could sleep, lying to my friends that I was sleeping so I wouldn't have guests to soon. Bringing me good books and keeping conversation light. Then I started thinking about how most of the things that make me a good mom I learned from my mom. Taking my kids out of school to be spontaneous and fun. Or taking me out of school take me to the beach to cheer me up when I had lost it one day. Getting up every morning and making me a hot breakfast (when I was the only one at the time) before seminary. She would stand at the counter across from me and talk, or more likely listen to me talk while I ate my breakfast at 5:30am with her hair all wild. I love that memory. I also will never forget the morning I was complaining about something (not about her) and she interrupted me and started saying" I the most important, me the... etc"she went on for a full 30 seconds or more. The amazing thing was I got it, it really made me think, I "tried" as much as a 16 year old can, to be less self centered. She knew when to open her mouth and when to listen, she is still that way-an amazing woman and mom!!! She loved and loves shopping, I have so many memories of shopping with her and my Aunt Ferry and my cousin Debbie. We would be in our dresses, because in those days you would never go shopping in pants, then at lunch we would go out to eat at the Bon Marche downstairs. I felt so mature. I will always love her for that as silly as it sounds, I felt so big. We practically lived at the lake and the beach, my mom loves the beach, that is probably why I live here now! I loved that, the lake I suppose that started with my dad, he loves the outdoors, I think my mom learned to love it. I took my kids to the lake because of that. I learned to be assertive from her. She was the "take back queen". I watched her take things back and she always got her money back. I carried on the tradition. I remember once when we were shopping and we saw this outfit that was so cute, but my size wasn't on the racks. Mom asked them what size the one was that was on the wall, and I am not exaggerating, about 20 ft up in the air. It was my size, she told them she needed them to get it down so I could try it on, they did! One day at Kaufmans she had them take the clothes off of the manikin in the window so I could try it on, they did. Both times we bought the outfits. I could go on and on. She still worries about me, I think that must never go away. If I don't blog for a while she will email me and ask me if everything is alright.
I have truly been blessed to have such a good mom. I wouldn't be the mom I am if not for her.
Well, I finally read every ones blogs and commented. I want to get caught up and post some pics of Jake's kids and some other pics I have. But for today this might be it! love you all!!!