The Joys of Motherhood

I've been thinking a lot about the joys of motherhood. I have been so blessed to have two really great kids. I know they're only 2 1/2 and 18 months but they are just such sweet boys. They are so full of love and excitement. They constantly keep me laughing. This is not to say there are not times when I want to pull my hair out in frustration but truly I know that I am blessed with two really great boys.

This past week everyone in our family has been sick. It started with Joel and we've all had it in some form or another. But because Joel had it first he was well first too. Bless his little heart. He'd come in every morning and ask me to turn on "clubhouse" (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) and I'd go in turn the tv on low and he'd sit out there playing by himself until we could finally rouse arouse from our sick beds. And anytime I'd sneeze or cough he was very concerned and would ask "You okay mommy?" On Wednesday when Tj's mom had the boys I mentioned that Tj was sick (I hadn't gotten it yet). When she got home she told Pa that Tj was sick and Joel said, "That's okay we'll make him soup to make him better." Bless his heart! So they did. Joel just has the most tender heart. He loves his family and he loves his friends. He is so sweet and so kind. I hope that he keeps that his whole life.

Vance is my surprise. He's been my surprise from the very beginning and keeps me on my toes. He surprised us by wanting to communicate so early. I had to teach him baby signs just so he could express himself. He surprised us by walking at 9 months and never looking back. He surprised us with his talking and now his complete sentences. He is my little ball of mischief. He is the one that I have to constantly pull out of the toilet bowl and the garbage. He is the one that causes me to have near heart attacks a million times a day because of the no fear stunts he pulls (like jumping off his toy table onto a mini-couch surrounded by chairs with their legs turned up). But he is so tough. There are times I watch him take a tumble fully expecting tears and he gets up, brushes himself off and goes on his way. He never ceases to surprise me. But for all his rough and tumble moves he is also my cuddle bug. He will find me and nag and cry and beg until I pick him up and spend time with him. I hate that it takes so much for me to stop what I'm doing and hold him. One day he'll be too big for me to hold and I'll long for these days. He will often bring me books to read to him. And he loves to be rocked to sleep. No, Vance never ceases to surprise me.

With Easter coming up I've been thinking a lot about the Savior. But especially this year I've been thinking about his relationship with his mother, Mary. I've tried to imagine what it would have been like for Mary. When the angel told her that she would be the mother of the Savior did she really know what all that would entail? I think of how overwhelmed at times I was when I was carrying each of my boys and would imagine that she would have felt that so much more intensely. I can't imagine the feelings she must have had throughout His life. Especially towards the end. The final days of the Saviors life I've always thought of with much emotion. But when you think of His mother witnessing it all. I know that one day one or both of my boys will come home because someone was teasing or making fun of them. I know that one day one of the boys will come home with his first black eye or bloody nose from a fight. And it breaks my heart knowing that I can't keep them from all the hurt and evil in this world. And I think about Mary and all she saw the Savior go through. And I think of the words spoken by the angel in Luke 1:28, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women."

The joys of motherhood. I'm sure the longer I'm a mother the more that phrase will change in meaning.