A Mother's Day Post: Appreciating My Children.

"If you have Children who are grown and gone, and in all likelihood have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn't appreciate that time of your life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future. 

If you are still in the process of raising children be aware of the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will, in your surprise...miss them profoundly." 

President Monson shared this quote in a talk he gave during general conference titled, "Finding joy in the Journey." I really love that snippet because it rings so true. 

I can't even begin to tell you how I sometimes miss those little handprints left on windexed mirrors, but luckily having an 8.5 year old in the house makes me feel young at heart, and his handprints are now inside the windows of our minivan. 

My kids are five years apart, and it's surreal knowing that my oldest is almost 23, and, my youngest is 8. Time certainly has flown, and even though I have one child who has flown the coop I am still raising three at home. In all honesty I am cherishing the times of still finding legos, transformers, and action figures scattered all over the living room floor. The only time I will yell is when I step on an itty bitty lego! The laundry truly is endless, and that's okay. I actually don't mind dirty laundry. It's therapeutic for me to clean, and laundry has never really bothered me. The only time it did is when we were living in apartments and didn't own my own washer and dryer! 

With time passing us by like a time machine gone wild I am treasuring every moment with my last three kids. Lexie will soon be off to college this fall, and then I'll be left with two. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm counting down the years until they leave the nest. I'm counting the years I have left to create memories with them. That's why I love spending time with my kids, and why I have an overused instagram account with over 4000 photos! 

I admit being a mom was hard in the beginning. Taking care of my firstborn who was a preemie was both physically and mentally exhausting but I did it. 

Raising my second daughter was easier, and when I had C and N it was like a walk in the park. Even now that they are teenagers, it's not so bad. And even though Noah's eight, having a boy in our lives seems to have evened everyone out! Especially Jon! He was so ecstatic when he came into our life! 

And during all those sleepless nights, due to waking up every two-three hours to nurse, change diapers, soothe a teething baby, and go for long drives in the middle of the night to help them fall asleep only to wake up once we stepped foot back in the house, it was all worth it. Those years somewhat seem like a blur, but as I look back at the scrapbook photos all the memories come floating back. 

And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. 

If I had to do it all over again in another life...I would! 

Here's wishing everyone, and I mean everyone a Happy Mother's Day weekend! Treasure those small, simple moments with your kids, and never take them for granted because before you know it, they will be on their own!