Quotes on Motherhood

I am home from church today because four of my children and I are not feeling well. While I'm sitting here, I've been looking at pictures on my computer, and reading from lds.org. I want to share a few of the pictures I looked at, and some thoughts that I loved from M. Russell Ballard about motherhood:

Mallory & Zach reading with Bob, the most wonderful husband and the best Dad ever.

Zachary - what a cute little guy!

Aliysa simply loving one of the many pets that have come to live at our home.

Mallory - working hard to help build garden boxes. She really is the hardest working person I know.

From M. Russell Ballard:
"First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.

Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less” (Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

Second, don’t overschedule yourselves or your children. We live in a world that is filled with options. If we are not careful, we will find every minute jammed with social events, classes, exercise time, book clubs, scrapbooking, Church callings, music, sports, the Internet, and our favorite TV shows. One mother told me of a time that her children had 29 scheduled commitments every week: music lessons, Scouts, dance, Little League, day camps, soccer, art, and so forth. She felt like a taxi driver. Finally, she called a family meeting and announced, “Something has to go; we have no time to ourselves and no time for each other.” Families need unstructured time when relationships can deepen and real parenting can take place. Take time to listen, to laugh, and to play together.

Third, even as you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse, mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it.

Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel. Pray deeply about your children and about your role as a mother. Parents can offer a unique and wonderful kind of prayer because they are praying to the Eternal Parent of us all. There is great power in a prayer that essentially says, “We are steward-parents over Thy children, Father; please help us to raise them as Thou wouldst want them raised.”

Pregnancy is always a hard time for me to be a good Mom. I think the extra strain on my body, the unmet need for more sleep, and my tendency to be more irritable and edgy all combine to make sure I have a trial to try to overcome. I just often feel quite overwhelmed. Most times I don't do so well, but I'm learning a lot.

I love reading simple but true thoughts like these that help me. I'm so grateful for the true church that teaches us how to be truly happy.

Baby Andrew - oh, I love those blue eyes

Courtney enjoying a warm summer day

Spencer after a family "watermelon-eating contest"

Mallory, Bob, & Zach

Jace after his first raingutter regatta. He was such an adorable cub scout!

Recently I read a blog post from a family who has a little girl (probably younger than 2 yrs old) who is slowly dying of cancer. The mom expressed how much she treasures every last little moment with her daughter. It made me think of all the times lately when I've just wanted peace and quiet, more order, and less chaos. I thought of how much my perspective on all these things would change if I knew that any of my children wouldn't live long. I want to always remember that change in thinking, because really, this life is quite short isn't it? I know someday I'll look back to these times with all my little noisy children and their clutter, and I want to have memories of spending time them, playing with them, and most of all, being patient, kind and loving towards them.