About Our Mothers

Scott and I are very fortunate to both have wonderful mothers. Irene has always been very welcoming and gracious to me in all circumstances, and my mother has always been very appreciative and praising of Scott. They are both very talented and competent at whatever they do. In many respects they are similar. Both have held various demanding ward and stake callings. Both are artistic and talented in many different art forms, and they share their talents with those around them freely. Both are loving and kind and concerned about their families and their well being. Both are generous with their time, their love, their means, and their help. Both have supported their children through their various trials of school, moving, unemployment, and raising children. They have given unfailingly good advice as well as a perfect example to follow. The gospel has always been a priority and focus in their lives and they have shared their testimonies with their children and grandchildren through their devotion to their callings and the Lord. They taught us to work, to seek for knowledge, to keep trying, and to not give up. They both share their hugs and kisses freely with their grandchildren, and are much more patient then I ever am. I love to watch my children enjoying a craft or playing a game with their grandmothers.

Just a couple of stories:

My brothers liked to pull pranks occasionally and one day they put a rubber band around the sprayer in the kitchen sink. Mom turned the water on, and got soaked. She was such a good sport and we all had a good laugh. When my oldest daughter, Megan, did the same thing to me - I did my best to have fun with it. I turned the water on, and as I was getting hit with a steady stream of water right in the middle of my shirt, I was in shock and couldn't figure out what was going on (my reaction time seems to be slowing down as I get older). I finally grabbed the faucet and whipped it around on Megan and anyone else I could hit. (Of course I made them clean up the mess, but I helped).

Scott recounts a similar story where he was "helping" his mother with the dishes and she took a cup of dirty dish water and dumped it on him. I asked him what he did to deserve that, but he said, "he didn't think he has done anything to deserve it." Whether he deserved it or not, I think it is important that mothers do unexpected things like that just to "keep it real!"

I know it sounds like I am putting our mothers on a pedestal, but honestly - they've earned. I'm sure that Scott and I have had our disagreements with our mothers, and I'm positive they have not always appreciated some of the choices that we have made, but thank goodness for love and the cracks of imperfection that it fills in.

We love our mothers - they are the best!