Thoughts on Mothers

So being a mom is tough. Every mom out there already knows that. When I called my mom to ask her to take Tanner for a few days because we both needed a break (me and Tanner), she had just happened to read in the Deseret News an editorial on motherhood. She gave it to me on Sunday and I really liked it. So I wanted to share it with the rest of you mommies out there. It is titled "Motherhood's tough times are normal" - by Michelle Lehnardt
"I was chatting with my darling neighbor who has three tiny kiddos, is pregnant with her fourth and in the middle of tearing up and remodeling her home. She's feeling a wee bit stressed.
Soon tears were flowing and she said, 'But I shouldn't complain. You've got twice as much going on as me and you are always so pulled together.'
Ha! Me? Pulled together?
As the mother of five wild boys and one crazy little princess, I am not trying to create any illusion of perfection. Ten days out of 10 I have moments where I simply can't handle life. And I also have really great happy moments 10 days out of 10. I choose to believe that's a normal part of motherhood.
My friend Missy told me a story of hiking with her dad when she was 8. The hike was easy and fun for the first few miles, but as the elevation increased and Missy's energy wore down, she struggled for breath and fought to keep up with her father. Convinced that something was truly wrong with her body, she called to her dad, 'I can't do it. You go on. I'll wait here.'
Her father stopped, sat her down and gently explained, 'You're okay. We're higher on the mountain now and the air is thinner. You have to take deep breaths and I need to slow down and walk slowly with you. you're going to make it. you're going to be fine. This is normal.'
For Missy, those words made all the difference. There wasn't anything wrong with her, it's normal to struggle when you are not getting enough oxygen.
And I guess that's my message to all my fellow mothers. None of us are getting enough oxygen. Every mother I know, whether she has 10 kids or one, is pouring every bit of energy into the bottomless pit of motherhood. it's meant to be hard. This is normal.
Forgetting a birthday party or serving cereal for dinner is fine with me. If I ever get too organized I may not have time to sit and hold my Gabriel while he tells me about last night's dream or I may not be willing to leave the beds unmade and go on a walk with a friend. Inadequate, imperfect, scatterbrained, messy - it all makes me a better mother.
I should stop here, but I won't. My cute neighbor said she tried to explain her stress to her mother, but her mother's reply was, 'You have no idea how lucky you are. there are so many people in the world with bigger problems than yours.'
I beg to differ. My friend is a nurse in a child abuse unit, she served an 18 month mission to Guatemala. She is acutely aware of the problems in the world and often expresses her profound gratitude for her husband, home, and children. Just talking about her blessings throws her into guilty worries that she isn't grateful enough.
But taking care of three small people, growing a new one in your belly and picking out tile for the kitchen are exhausting, oxygen depleting tasks.
It's OK to be frustrated. It's OK to be overwhelmed. this is normal."

Hope that was worth the read - I enjoyed it!

Mother's Day

Just me and my mom! I really don't have many pictures of me , let alone with my mom - so I thought yesterday would be the perfect opportunity for a few pictures! We would have had a few with Tah if she wasn't sick! No sick pictures - I'm sure Krista appreciates that! Next time.

A four generation shot now - Grandma Farrell (my dad's mom), my mom, me and Marissa!

Grandma and Ian. And then Grandma, Ian, and Rissy Robin! We sure love her!


We left Tanner up at Grandma's for a couple of days for some special time with Grandpa and Grandma. I think he needs it. Plus he will get to hang with his cousins every day since they live 2 doors a way. Lucky duck! Thanks mom and dad for having him!
Thanks to J.D. for a fabulous breakfast on Mother's Day. It was amazing! I don't know how he made crepes better than usual but they were truly he best I have ever had! And he did the dishes too! Yippee! I wish I had a pictures with all my sweeties to go here but I didn't think of that yesterday. I love being a mom! I think I have the best children in the world and I am so thankful for each one and their uniqueness! And for an amazing, hot, strong, wonderful husband!

Dawson is "7" (but not till 7:30pm)

My second little boy, Dawson McKay has turned 7 years old. I can't believe it! Sunday was the special day for him. He was so funny about it though. Whenever Tanner or I or Josh would say something about being 7 - he would say "Not till 7:30 tonight"! Obviously he was born at 7:30pm on May 4, 2001. That just made me laugh because he was very serious about it.

Friday after school we had a birthday party for him. We had reserved the cultural hall at the church because the weather has been so crazy lately - you never know what it was gonna do. So I had a whole list of games to play and I felt really prepared. But alas with 20 kids it just didn't go as I envisioned it going. I don't know why I do this to myself but when we invite all the cousins and and a few friends it just turns into something huge! Oh well - it was fun (I hope). Dawson loved it and got a lot of neat things.



I love Dawson! His smile lights up a room and his laugh is contagious. I love how friendly and outgoing he is. He loves to be with his big brother Josh and do whatever Josh is doing. And he is also a great big brother to Tanner and Marissa. He is an awesome athlete. He is good at whatever he puts his mind to. Shooting hoops after school for hours with his brothers is probably what he loves to do most right now! I am so glad that my boys are close. They can fight like the dickens but are best friends most of the time. There is no one they would rather be with then each other and that makes my heart happy! Dawson is full of life. Fun, energetic, athletic, enthusiastic, kind, sensitive, powerful, friendly, smart, observant, interested, wonderful, awesome and amazing!

Change is good, right?

It is interesting how one person's choice to move can affect so many people. The young men's president in our ward moved this past week. Of course the bishopric has been contemplating for several weeks on who to make the new young men's president. A couple of weeks ago, JD went to a very long bishopric meeting on a Tuesday night. The bishop felt very strongly that JD was to be the new president of the young men. Bishop Warner said how hard of a decision that was for him because he didn't want to lose JD as his counselor but JD's name as the president wouldn't leave his mind. JD had mixed emotions about it but said that he knew it was right. The confirmation was strong. So as luck would have it I had to keep a secret for 2 weeks - URG! I hate keeping secrets, especially when I WANT to talk about it. But I did good! (Yeah me) So the domino effect took place on Sunday. JD was released and called as well as several other people were released and called to new positions. I was so glad when that day was over - the burden of the secret is gone now! So I am excited to sit with my husband again in sacrament meeting after almost 3 years! I know he will be busy with the young men but I think he will do a great job!