Best Moms I Know

It's 11:19 p.m. and I'm feeling sentimental. I was thinking about mother's day and about all of the moms I know. I think as a community of moms we learn a lot from eachother. I wanted to let all of you moms know what I have learned from you.

First of all MY mom (of course!)
Sandy Cecchini: taught me all about the importance of caring for the physical needs of my kids. I love to put freshly washed jammies on my kids. I love to see their clean little teeth after we use dino-floss. I get immense satisfaction in watching my family sit down and gobble up a well planned, nutritious meal. I love to care for my kids. My mom taught me that with all of the decades of fastidious care she gave us kids.

Tina (my sister): Oh boy, here come the tears. My sister has an insanely challenging life. Her oldest son has a severe case of Autism. Because of that her house basically runs like the floor of the New York stock exchange. There is a lot to do and not enough hands and time to do it all...BUT she always finds a way to make life fun for her kids. She has four kids and the youngest is five months old. But she finds a way to do Disneyland, four wheeler rides, the zoo, family bike rides, the pool, Mexico (for heaven's sake), christmas cookies, messy crafts, turtles, read books, million tiny part lego stuff, piano lessons (most of the practicing she does happens with a baby hooked on her boob)etc...and the list goes on. She taught me that life doesn't stop just because your heart gets broken and things are hard. You have fun anyway.

Julie Morris: My best friend. She taught me that kids are durable and that they are smarter than we give them credit for. They can fix thier own disagreements. They can dust off thier own knees. We as moms don't need to hover. I have often thought that if Nic and I died, I would totally trust Julie to raise my kids. They would be loved and learn the gospel because she is a great mom.

Ashley Stout: I have learned from Ashley that kids are what life is about. Her hubby is in dental school and things can be hectic, but she has started her family and those boys are her life. She didn't wait til life "got started" to have them. She pushed right on ahead and started without "life" and enjoys every minute of it. Because kids are that important to her.

Michelle Larkin: My mom in law. Michelle taught me that there are no limits to what we can do. It just takes planning, a bold, fearless attitude, and a lot of frequent flyer miles. In my short time knowing her, she has encouraged her sons to: be models, artists, olympians, authors, architechts, husbands, scuba divers, musicians, calf-riders, raw fish eaters, and a myriad of other daring endeavors. She is larger than life and I was lucky to snag one of her boys.

Monica Rawhouser: I've always admired the way Monica exposes her kids to different things...countries, languages, foods, ideas, music....I'll never forget the way Conrad loved ABBA for a whole year straight.

Christina Dickerson: I remember Christina let Bailey lick Jonas to death and climb all over him when he was a little baby. I remember stiffening at the sight of it. Then I kept on watching her as a mom. What a lesson I learned! She has a laid back attitude that becomes something so comforting and inviting. I met her mom and she is the same way. Christina's mothering style is steeped in some kind of magical maturity that I envy. She knows what stuff to sweat and what stuff isn't worth it. I love that about her.

Apryl Larkin: My sister in law. This girl has three kids two years old and under! It wasn't exactly what she planned. She was going to be this amazing scholar who had accomplished many an impressive feat. She was going to travel. She had big plans. But when I see her with her three little treasures (Vaughn, Pax and Gauge)I know she knows they are her greatest accomplishments. And she still mangages to have a hot bod two weeks after having a baby and read all kinds of challenging books yadda yadda....! Poo poo on you Apryl for your abs. It's not natural and you make me want to take the scissors to my own flabby belly.

I could go on. There are so many great moms. I love you all for what you teach me. So here's to mother's day. We deserve a lot more than a national holiday!