Momisms

If you know me at all you know that I absolutely LOVE my Mom!  Over the past couple of weeks I have realized how much a part of my life little things I like to call "Momisms" are.  Here are just a few examples:

• You never just clean something, you must "scour" it...that means get it immaculately clean!
• "Leave every place cleaner than you found it."
• When you spill milk or juice on the kitchen floor, you must "wash and rinse and wash and rinse and wash and rinse" X 100 to make sure there is no stickiness left over. 
• When washing the counter, "use the light to your advantage."  
• "Stop being facetious!"
• "Be careful." 
• "Every child is cute with a clean face and combed hair."
• When looking for your own shoes and then asking my Mom if she knows where they are she will reply, "I don't know.  I don't wear them."
• "Clean as you go" while baking or cooking.
• "Put things back where you found them"

Now these are really just small, surface things that my Mom taught me.  They were maybe things that I heard millions of times when I was younger and didn't appreciate as much as I do now.  These little "Momisms" just enter my head throughout my day and have become a part of who I am.  I am sure that I will pass them on to my children one day because from these simple "Momisms" I have learned amazing lessons.  Here are a few of the lessons that I have learned:

• Always do your best.  My Mom is someone who gives everything that she has.  She doesn't do a mediocre job...she gives her whole heart and soul.  And all of the things she does is for other people. She is willing to sacrifice her time, talents, and means to bless the lives of others.  She has always encouraged me to do the same, most often through her example.  She has also helped me to understand that "best" and "perfection" are not the same thing.  She has appreciated my "best" throughout my life.  
• Create things.  When I heard the talk given by President Uchtdorf during the Relief Society Meeting a few years ago about our divine ability to create, I automatically thought of my Mom.  She can create anything!  She can sew, cook, draw, paint, craft, quilt as well as use every power tool known to man.  She loves receiving chainsaws and drills and tillers as much as my Dad!  I think the thing that she creates best is a loving and Spirit-filled atmosphere.  That was what she always strived to create in our home.  She can also create wonderful relationships with others.  Those that know my Mom love her.
• Hard work.  I have never met a harder worker than my Mom.  With seven kids you have to work hard!  I don't know how she did it throughout my school years but she was always up by 5 or 5:30 and didn't go to bed until 10:30.  She went non-stop making sure the laundry was done, food was made, house was clean, we were on-time to school and other extra-curricular activities, and most importantly making sure that we were happy and taken care of.  She worked hard teaching us the gospel within our home.  She encouraged family scripture study, family prayer, and family home evening.  She still works hard.  She will always work hard.  She has learned that hard work is really what brings happiness and satisfaction in life.
• Responsibility.  My Mom is someone who taught me to take care of the things that were mine and to take even better care of the things that belonged to others.  She taught me how to use my own agency and take responsibility for my own actions.  She taught me about punctuality, honesty, and integrity.  
• Individual worth.  My Mom would be the last person to brag about herself.  However, she does know who she is and who others are.  She has a confidence about her that is contagious.  She knows that when she is following the Spirit that everything will work out the way it is supposed to.  She knows that God is her Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christ is her Savior.  She helped me understand my own worth not only through her actual words but through her actions.  I am thankful that she always made sure that we were clean and that we had clean clothes and that our hair was done.  It taught me to take care of the body that I have been blessed with and to be my best.
• Time.  My Mom knows how to use time wisely.  She knows how to listen to the Spirit and follow what he prompts her to do.  She fills her time with uplifting and wholesome things.  She is always serving and helping those around her.  She seriously wears herself out in the service of her Heavenly Father.

It is getting late and I am getting sleepy.  I could go on and on and on.  I just want my Mom to know how much I love her!  I really strive every day to become more like her.  I am so thankful for her love and support and for the amazing friendship that we have!  Love you, Mom!

This is a picture of all of the girls in our family!  My Mom is in the top middle.  People say I look a lot like her...that is seriously one of the greatest compliments ever!  I hope that one day I will be just like her!

This picture was taken at the airport when I got home from my mission.  I had been waiting for the moment when I would be able to give my Mom a hug for 21 months!  That was such a special memory.