Happiest of Mother's Days -

I loved this Mother's Day. Maybe it's because it snuck up on me so fast. I wasn't stressed about getting gifts. I wasn't worried about which side of the family we were going to eat with. I wasn't planning any food menus or hosting any parties. Instead, I went a couple of days before to a good friend of mine in the ward who makes jewelry. I bought a couple of necklaces for Trav's family and then helped her design a special bracelet for my Grandma. I wish I had taken a pic. of it! It held a little frame pendant that I put my Mom's pic. in, and then a little beaded charm, each in the color of the Birthstone's of all my mom's grand-babies. There was one for each of my children, each of Nate's, and one for Spencer's little one on the way. She loved it. I loved it. I like giving gifts that are meaningful. That's where the stress usually comes in, but this year......piece of cake! We took Strawberry shortcake, flowers and a gift to her on Saturday afternoon. And somehow, as always.....we left with more goods than we came with! I love Grandma with all my heart. She is everything to me. How blessed I am the Lord has preserved her life, so that my children can know her and love her as much as I!Next it was on to visit Grandma Randle. This one is always bittersweet. I cried in the isle of Walmart as I picked out which flower to take to her this year. I know, kinda silly, but it happens to me every year! Darn it! I wanted so bad to pick the pretty multi-colored, wrapped bouquet. Instead, I bought the prettiest pink Easter Lily I could find, so that I could anchor it down with pieces from a hanger. I realized though, as I thought about her all weekend, that the Lord has always allowed the veil to be very thin when I have needed her most. That is such a blessing in my life. She is never very far, if I just take the time to feel her there.Sunday we had dinner at my Sis.-in-law's home with Trav's family. My mother-in-law is amazing. She has taken time out of her life to come down once a week for the last three weeks to help her un-organized daughter-in-law. She is the proud owner of a Sargent Steamer - to which I am very envious of every time she pulls it out!! She works some incredible miracles with that thing. We attacked our master bathroom, the boys bathroom, the half bath and my kitchen with it! She bought me organizers. We took everything out of my kitchen cupboards and pantry and re-organized and steamed it all! I feel like a new woman. Things have been neglected around here for a while. After asking her if digging through my dirt made her wish Trav would have married the girl he wrote his whole mission, I told her I needed her to sign a waiver that she would tell no one what she witnessed in my kitchen that day!! I love her and am so grateful she is in my life. Not only did she raise my incredible husband, but she loves and cares for our little family so much! We are also lucky to have Grandma Fran - she has been a wonderful addition to our family. Unfortunately, she left before the pictures were taken!My sweet hubby bought me a new phone! I guess he was tired of me complaining about my old one....it was having issues. Anyway, he sure gave me far more credit than I deserve.....he gave me a Blackberry. I'm almost not smart enough to use it! I love it though - such a fun surprise! It was so funny cause we stopped by Smith's on Saturday night to pick up the ingredients for the dessert I was supposed to make on Sunday. I sent him one direction and I went the other. All of the sudden, Garrett met me on Isle 15 with the things I sent Trav to get. I asked where Dad was and Garrett replied, "Ah, he'll be with us in like 5 mins. Can we go look at the pop Isle?" "The pop isle?" I asked. He never wants to go look at the pop isle. I knew something was up when I told him we didn't need any pop and he answered with, "Ok, but can we just go LOOK at it?" As soon as I came around to the main isle where we could see the registers, I saw Trav duck from the self-checkout!! I laughed so hard. When we caught up to him, he said that Julia kept touching the machine and so it kept calling for an attendant. The attendant wasn't coming, so Trav couldn't get out of there fast enough. Funny thing is, I always give him a hard time about buying flowers from the grocery store! He was trying to pull it off, but that darn machine wasn't helping him out! We stood there and laughed and laughed! When we got home, he asked if I wanted to arrange them, or if I wanted him to. I decided I wanted him to. A few minutes later, a couple of my YW came over to practice a song we had to sing for Relief Society. In walks my husband with the bouquet he put together laughing. We took one look and all laughed too. The bouquet came with a huge amount of grass strands that were so long, and he kept every single one in there. It made my day so much, I haven't even changed it! When he left the room, the girls were giggling and telling me how cute he is! It took me back 20 years when I hoped for husbands just like my leaders had, and now here they were - hoping for one like mine! I love him! He made this the best Mother's Day - writing me a note and surprising me with two new necklaces! I'm the luckiest girl alive!The kids each gave me little pictures and cards they had made at school and home. Garrett even shared his Testimony in Sacrament Mtg. for me yesterday. I have to say, he was pretty cool while he was up there too. He confessed later to having major butterflies once he was up there. I am so grateful to be a Mom. They are some of my greatest blessings.

To finish off Mother's Day weekend in style, I wore my Mu-Mu we bought in Mexico to drive the kids to school today! (I prayed the whole way I wouldn't get in a wreck and have to exit my vehicle). Nothing says "Mom" more than a Mu-Mu and a Mini-van! But boy, did it feel good to be a Mom today!