Word to your mother...

Happy Mother's Day!! This is going to be a post in honor of all of the moms out there; both the ones I've known and the ones I never had the opportunity the know. But first...

Here's a video of Christina Aguilara's "I Turn to You". For those of you that don't know, it's a song that she did for her mother. You're welcome to watch the enitre video, but pay close attention to the section between 2.42 and 3.22 for these lyrics: "For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain, For truth that will never change, for someone to lean on. For a heart I can rely on through anything For the one who I can run to oh I turn to you!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbb2D4fL5Q8

Now, imagine that it was me singing it. Ahh yes...there it is...the effect I was going for. :)

Just some of the moms I know/have known

~My mom is amazing. I know that everyone says that their mom is the best (and I'm not going to take that away from anyone), but let me just say that my mom is better than your mom. :) Really, though, she is wonderful. She means the world to me. She is one of my best friends. If I'm half the mom she is, then I'll be doing a pretty good job. All of my best traits, I got from her (including my singing and dancing skills). I'm so proud to be her daughter.

~My sister is incredible. She tried for a long time to get pregnant, and when she did, it was twins! She is wonderful with those 2 boys. This is truly the happiest I've ever seen her. She is still her, shall we say "spunky" self, just a more joy-filled version. I'm so happy for her.

~My sister-in-law, Sheila, is another example of the kind of mother I want to be. She raises her kids with such a Christian spirit. She does her parenting with such joy, peace, and a sense of humor. And she has been an amazing help to Kevin over the years (what with all her praying and praying and praying).

~My mom friends at work help me stay sane. They understand the stresses and the guilt involved with being a full-time teacher, wife, and mother. They gripe with me, laugh with me, and they inspire me every day.

~My 2nd mom, Teena Wood. When I met my best friend in 3rd grade, her mom became a part of my life, too. She was such a fun, kind, and funny woman and she passed away almost 6 years ago. Every time I shake a mustard bottle or make snickerdoodles I think of her (only those who knew her will get that).

~And all of the other moms in my life: my aunts, my grandma Roth, my cousins, and my other sister-in-laws...you are all strong amazing women, and I am so blessed to have you.

The moms I didn't get a chance to know

~My grandma Mason. While she did get to know me when I was a baby, she died when I was so young that I don't remember her. I know the stories that my mom tells, and I see the pictures that she has, but I don't have any memories of my own. I think about how my mom and her sisters turned out, so I know she must have been amazing. I am convinced that she was my guardian angel as a child, and I pray that she would be proud of the mother that I am today.

~My mother-in-law, Beth. I never had the privilege of meeting her. Like my grandma, I've heard stories and seen pictures. She was a beautiful woman. The way her children talk about her, and the way their faces light up when they do is evidence enough for me that she was an incredible mother, too. I often think about what she would have thought of me. I imagine what it would be like to talk, laugh, and make meals in the kitchen with her. I wish I could have seen her with Hannah and Mason, and every day, I hope that she thinks I'm doing a good job with them.


So, again, Happy Mother's Day to everyone! And so we can end on a lighter note, just picture me singing that Christina Aguilera song again.

:)