Cheers to Cher

Today I am celebrating my first Mother's Day.  I feel like I have experienced so many emotions lately, on a level that I never have before.  Gratitude. Sacrifice. Love. Appreciation. Patience.
But especially, Adoration for all the amazing mothers I am surrounded by, but namely my own.  Being a new mother has made me realize how lucky I got with sweet Cheryl.  At times, being a mom is hard.  Hard is an understatement.  It can be dang hard. (I know I will think my life now is cake when I have 6 kids:).  Even with a dream baby sometimes I feel like I have my hands full. Right now watching Millie and Pearl every day has given me a taste of what having more than one kid is like.  I wonder several times a day how my mom raised six kids.  SIX?  Did she ever have time for herself?  I'm guessing not much... if any.

I feel Gratitude for my mom today.  Gratitude for sacrificing her time and energy to raise us.  I swear she is always putting herself last to make sure others are taken care of.  

Today I am feeling Appreciation for her example she has always set and continues to set for her children and grandchildren.  Plainly put, Cher is an honest hardworking lady.

Today I realize the level of Patience she has always had with me.   I hope I'm not a grumpy screaming mother.  My mom has always kept a smiling face and easy going disposition.  I'm sure Cher could've been  admitted to a Psych Ward after somedays with us, but somehow she remained sane.  Not to say that Cher hasn't handed out a knuckle sandwich or two to my brothers but I'm sure she could've done WAY more.  She is slow to anger and has proven to really have the patience of Job.  (I try and remember this when I turn my back for a second and Millie is drawing on my walls with red lipstick.)

Today I Adore my mother.  She is one of the happiest people I know.  It seems like whatever situation she is in, there is no complaining from her.  Even when she was battling cancer I remember her always talking about me, and what was going on in my life.  Like what I was learning in school, or what animal I was obsessed with that week.  Never did she tell me how weak she felt or how much she hurt.  I hope I can be as happy and optimistic in life as she has been.

Today I Love my mother.  She really is one of my very best friends.  I love that we can laugh and cry together.  Garden together.  Go on jogs together.  Go through Pinterest together.  Eat See's chocolate together.  I love that we can just sit and talk together.  My sweet cousin Chelsea sent me a letter about a month ago and it said, "You will make a great parent, it's in your blood!"  If parenting can be passed down into one's genes I sure as heck hope that I got some of that goodness!  I know that I do have an awesome example of what parents should be like and they live just around the corner. 

I'm not sure why becoming a parent all of the sudden makes you start to realize how much your parents actually did/do for you.  I feel pretty embarrassed at how ungrateful I have been the last 24 years.  I used to see people's yards and think it was just a yard.  Then I got my own house and yard and realized how much work they really are!  My parents and in laws are always making delicious dinners and I mainly focused on how tasty they were.  Now I see how much money and time is put into them.  Don't worry, I of course still focus on how tasty they are.  I used to see Beetle and Mindy with their kids and it just seemed normal that Beetle had three kids hanging off of him while Mindy took care of a screaming baby.  Now I notice how much patience and love parents have for their children and I can truly say I am now Grateful on a different level. 

Today I am Grateful to be a mother.  I can't believe how much I love it.  I love to kiss Pearl's cute cheeks.  I love to hear her laugh.  I love to watch her smile in her sleep.  I used to always hear people say, "You won't believe how much you love something so fast."  And I really can't.  I loved Pearl from the moment we first met.  She is only 4 months old today, yet I feel like she is an old friend. What was my life like without her?  My dad said the reason we feel instantly connected is because we were all hanging out up in Heaven waiting to come down.  I think it's true.  It has to be.  I keep wanting to freeze Pearl in all of the stages of her life.  I remember thinking at 6 weeks old she couldn't get any cuter.  Then at 3 months I knew that was my favorite stage and now of course I think, "I wish I could keep her this sweet baby forever."  I know it will just keep getting funner as we watch her grow.

Today I feel Appreciation to Heavenly Father for trusting me with such a sweet baby girl.  Kinda scary at first, and sometimes still is, that it's my job to make sure she turns out right.  Yeah definitely still scary.  But I am grateful for the challenge and opportunity.  I hope I continue to Appreciate being a mother and take time to enjoy all the big and little things that motherhood brings.  

Did I mention how much I Adore this little redhead?

On this beautiful Mother's day, Cheers to Cher and all the other awesome moms out there!