What it's all about

Mother's Day 2011

With my favorite little (and not so little) people in the world

The month of May has flown by, and I'm sure it's been just as crazy for the rest of you as it's been for our crew.  So, I'm attempting to catch up with a few posts capturing our favorite memorable events from the past month.   I'll begin with probably the greatest Mother's Day I've ever experienced . . .

Maybe it's the unsettling feeling that we only have a few short years left having Ryan with us everyday, or the fact that our family really does have a lot of fun just being together, or possibly that I truly do relish my role as "mom" to these kids . . . whatever the reason, this past Mother's Day everything became crystal clear as I reflected on my family, our past, and our future.

It's becoming a tradition on the Saturday before Mother's Day that we celebrate with dinner and a movie of my choosing.  The little girls look forward to our outing because the past few years we have seen the Disney Nature films that are released every spring - this year to our delight, it was African Cats.  So after a yummy meal at one of my favorite spots (which is always fun for the family since our friends own the restaurant and we always see someone we know), embarrassing Ryan to no end (note to other parents: don't reach down your shirt in public to retrieve a stray piece of ice), and laughing so hard together after my slight slip of the tongue while telling the kids we had a box of "Reece's Pieces" for the movie, I realized there was no one on earth I'd rather be spending my evening with.

As I sat in the movie theater while the lights dimmed, surrounded by my family, I couldn't help but think:  This is what it's all about - this is it - my family, the love we have for one another, and the support system we have created in our little Cantera unit - it really doesn't get better than this.  


It's powerful moments like these that keep me trudging along when the kids argue or when I'd appreciate more harmony in the home, because deep down the kids know how much fun we have, how much we really do enjoy being together, and I think that has got to count for something!

It was truly a Mother's Day to remember.  On Sunday Ryan was ordained a priest and blessed the sacrament for the first time.  What more could a mother ask for, than to have a son worthy to become priest and watch him prepare and bless that sacred ordinance.  Furthermore, the young women were asked to say a few words about what they learned from their mothers, and it was nice to hear from my sweet daughter as she expressed her thoughts.  The little girls couldn't wait to shower me with homemade cards and gifts . . . and the best part was the Sunday nap on the living room couch while the crew fixed dinner.

Yep, a Mother's Day I'll never forget.  Thanks Family!