Best Day of the Year...

Recap of Mother's Day 2009:

Thursday & Friday before Mother's Day: The boys brought these priceless beauties home from school:



7:00am Sunday morning: I woke up to breakfast in bed, served by my first-born son, Brock. He had lovingly prepared a single slice of Amana potato bread toast, topped with margarine & strawberry jam, served along side a shiny red jazz apple and presented on a plastic blue IKEA plate. As I took my first bites of toast, Brock commented on how delicious the apple looked, and how he wished he could eat it. So I let him. Then I rolled over and fell back asleep.

7:15am: I was awakened a second time by my sweet Brandon, bearing course #2 of my Mother's Day breakfast in bed. Brandon had prepared a partially-peeled banana, coated in creamy Jif peanut butter, and topped with a whole wheat Ritz cracker. He thought it looked like a seal wearing a hat. I thought it tasted delicious.

8:30am: The children freshly bathed, it was time to get them ready for church. Brock enthusiastically offered to get Eden dressed all by himself. He carefully fastened her diaper, picked out a Sunday dress, and put it on her....backwards. I helped him turn it around the right way.

9:30am: For the first time in months, we were actually ahead of schedule. Children in the van, we were on our way to church. I hadn't lost my temper with anyone, and was feeling overwhelmingly blessed to be a mother. I silently declared to myself that Mother's Day is my new favorite holiday.

9:55am: Sitting in the chapel, waiting for sacrament meeting to start, I was approached by a sister in the congregation, who handed me a piece of piano music and asked if I would accompany her and her daughter in a special musical number TODAY. I wasn't familiar with the song, but promised I would do my best.

10:10am: As the sacrament bread was being passed, I struggled to keep Eden still on my lap. Suddenly, I felt something warm and wet soaking through the front of my skirt. It occurred to me that I had never really checked the diaper that Brock put on Eden that morning to make sure it was fastened properly. Unfortunately, it wasn't done quite tight enough, and it leaked...all over Eden and me. I gritted my teeth through the rest of the sacrament-passing, waiting for the opportune moment to dash out the back door.

10:15am: Sitting in the foyer with a pee-soaked toddler, I realized that I only had two diapers in the diaper bag. Hoping that they will last me through the rest of the church meetings, I changed the baby, and headed back into the chapel.

10:30am: The special musical number was a little rough, but we all somehow managed to endure it. At least, I don't think anyone walked out of the congregation...and I really hope no one noticed the wet spot on the front of my skirt.

10:45am: Eden pooped, and I was forced to employ the second and final diaper from the diaper bag. There were still two hours of church left to go.

11:10am: Sacrament meeting ended. I hadn't heard a single word of the inspirational Mother's Day messages presented by the speakers. I headed downstairs to start Primary.

11:30am: Since we had failed to plan ahead and teach the primary children a song to sing for their mothers in sacrament meeting on Mother's Day, we decided to run them through a crash-course lesson of "Mother Dear, I Love You So", hoping that they could master the song before church was over, and make a surprise visit to the Relief Society during the last five minutes of the meeting.

12:55am: The primary children crammed their little bodies into the already over-crowded Relief Society Room and sang an absolutely beautiful and heart-felt song of love to their mothers. I could hardly see the piano music through the tears in my eyes. Once again, I silently declared my gratitude for Motherhood and Mother's Day.

2pm: I arrived home from an after-church song rehearsal to the smell of chocolate cake baking in the oven. Three excited boys told me that I needed to go take a nap so they could make me a Mother's Day surprise. I willingly obeyed.

6pm: Following a tasty Ramen noodle dinner prepared by my studly husband, the children unveiled their Mother's Day surprise: A one-of-a-kind Mother's Day cake, hand-decorated just for me!


7pm: Lounging in my recliner, I watched "AFV" and "Wipeout" with my beautiful family while enjoying the aromatic sensations of the new Bath & Body Works candle and lotions I received as Mother's Day gifts.

8pm: I kissed my children goodnight, telling them each how much I love them, and how lucky I am to be their Mom. Truly Mother's Day is the greatest day of the year!!!

BROCK, AUSTIN, BRANDON & EDEN, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND AM SO GLAD THAT I GET TO BE YOUR MOTHER!!!