Mother's Day 2016

Yes, it has officially been a VERY long time since I last blogged...and in all reality, it will probably be a VERY long time until I blog again.  But today was one of those days that I want to remember forever, and I just had to write about it.

First of all, I woke up to four very excited girls who had been waiting for what felt (to them) like AGES to give me their Mother's Day gifts. (A couple even tried to convince me to open them on Friday when they brought them home from school). 

I have only been a mother to kids in elementary school and younger so far, but I have to say, I think having elementary school kids on mothers day has to be the most awesome time to have kids on Mother's day! (Did that even make sense???)  I seriously love the notes and gifts the girls give me that they make in their classes every year.  This year the twins were in  preschool at an elementary school so even they had some pretty rockin presents.

I am so stinking thankful to the girls teachers who help the kids make the gifts every year.  This year Addison gave me this AWESOME apron.  I am 100% an apron person.  I'm pretty sure I have at least 10, and I feel like it's not enough.  I spill stuff on myself ALL the time (My husband will confirm it if you ever get to talk to him).  Remember that 30 Rock episode when the intern thinks Liz Lemon is a mom because she always has food on herself?  Yeah, whoever wrote that skit probably got their inspiration from me.  If I don't have an apron on it is a miracle if I don't spill on myself.  The poem Addison wrote in her card was pretty awesome too.

Then Hannah gave me this awesome hot pad (which we ALWAYS need on our table)!  She insisted I see the paper she made it from because the red didn't come through too well on the tile.  That just makes me love it more though.  I will use it forever!  Are all mother's day gifts from kids so useful???  I feel like these kids really nailed it this year!

And the twins.  I love flowers so much, and am so excited to plant these, but I must confess, my favorite are the "All About My Mom" notes.  I'm so glad Maya got my age right, and apparently, according to Lilly, even I get them confused....yeah, that's probably true.

I love my kids so much.  Sometimes they seriously drive me crazy, but they really are just so incredible.  I couldn't imagine life without them.  

And now, the real reason I felt like I had to blog today.  This guy:

Although I do not have pictures of it, he woke me up to a spotless house, and an INCREDIBLE french toast casserole this morning.  Seriously, it was SO GOOD...I'm REALLY hoping he wants it for Father's day just so we can have it again.  (I can't justify eating that many calories unless it's for a special occasion).  ;)

And then for dinner he made me this AMAZING salmon with asparagus and mashed potatoes.  This man knows his way around a grill.  I have had many a fish before...at some VERY nice restaurants too...but I have NEVER had fish as good as the salmon he cooked me today.  It was seriously amazing.  I ate WAY too much of it.

And as amazing, and wonderful, and loved, and appreciated as he made me feel all day, this was the thing that really made me love him so much today:

So we are LDS (Mormon) and for Mother's day for the past few years, the men in the ward (congregation) have taken over all the Sunday school, primary, and youth classes in the third hour so that the women who normally teach those classes can attend Relief Society (the women's meeting at the end of our church block).  

Well today, when I got to my seat, I was surprised to see my husband sitting next to the bishop at the front of the room.  The bishop got up and told us that they had been trying to figure out the perfect present for all of the women in our ward for Mother's Day.  They didn't want to give us a plant that would most likely die before half of us were able to get it in the ground, and they didn't want to give us candy, which would most likely wind up divided between begging children on the way home, so they commissioned Bart to create a custom block print to give all the women in the ward.  

As the bishop said this, I remembered the late hours Bart had been spending after school for the past few weeks.  I just assumed it was because the year was winding down and he was helping his students get their portfolios ready for the A.P. test.  But as the bishop was speaking I remembered that at one point, when I asked him what he was doing after school for so long, he replied, "You'll find out."  

I imagined him searching for this quote, placing the type and then painstakingly carving out the linoleum block he would create the prints from.  I imagined him applying ink by hand to the block and making the print over and over, discarding the ones that were sub standard in his opinion.  And doing this for all the women in the ward. I swear, my love for my husband grew ten times today.  I truly cannot express how much I love him.  I am so grateful he is the father of my children.  

And he couldn't have chosen a better quote.  If you haven't read Elder Holland's talk on mothers that this quote came from, you can find it here.  It is such a beautiful, uplifting, inspiring sermon on mothers and motherhood.  I truly love it.  

After explaining about the prints, the bishop said the other thing he knew we never had enough of was time.  And they wanted to give us a little time back for ourselves.  So instead of sitting through a class, the bishopric had set up an ice cream bar and tables in the cultural hall (gym) of the church, so we could all grab some ice cream and just sit and visit with each other.   It was seriously the most thoughtful, loving, wonderful mother's day present I have ever received from a bishopric. 

And to all the amazing and women in my life, and especially to my own mother who put(s) up with so much from me ESPECIALLY (but not exclusively) when I was a teenager, I love you and hope you have had a wonderful, uplifting Mother's Day.