It's my second post of the night because

It's been an eventful weekend!  I am sitting here at the computer on the tail end of a fabulous Mother's Day.

I have been pampered from the time I woke up, by Shawn, who didn't have to be at the church until 8:30!  He had me stay in bed a little longer while he made waffles with fruit toppings and whipped cream. Delicious!! Then he helped get the troops ready for church and it wasn't nearly the scramble that it usually is.

I got the kids out into the car just in time to arrive at church on time.  I grabbed a few more things for the diaper bag and followed them out the door, but just as I got to the car, an enraged Abram came charging OUT of the car, proclaiming loudly through his tears that he "was not going to go to church!!" I tried to cajole and convince him to come as I followed him from the garage out the door to the front yard. After several attempts, it was obvious that his mind was made up, soooo... I told him we would miss him very much, and got into the car and backed out of the garage.  Where we stopped and picked him up again because it was evident that he had changed his mind.  Don't you love how the reverse psychology works on that age?

Then the little kids kept bickering in the back seat because someone was putting their shoes on someone else and who knows what all.  They were worse-behaved than usual, and sacrament meeting wasn't looking like it was going to be a very enjoyable experience. Until I thought of a really fun game!

I knew that Shawn had asked 6 teenagers to speak, and therefore the talks would be shorter and would hopefully cater to shorter attention spans. I told the kids that I was going to give a quiz after church to see who could answer the most questions, and even told them that for each question answered correctly, they would get a candy (bribe left-overs from Easter). The kids took notes all through the meeting - and wonder of wonders, Pace slept through the whole thing, so I took notes too, so that I would know what to ask! Sacrament meeting was saved (whew!!)

And that quiz after church was so much fun, I think we will do this every week.

After church, Shawn made lunch and dinner. This was dinner - I know I don't know how to make it look super appetizing:

But it was!! Have I ever mentioned that my husband is a super-fabulous cook?  I was impressed - he had just about every vegetable imaginable in this stir fry, and I LOVE a good stir-fry!  The kids may not have been as excited about it.  Shawn told them, "Don't worry.  For Father's Day, I am going to request Papa Murphey's."

I received touching letters from my children and husband.  I love that my kids can appreciate more than "that I keep the house clean" as they get older! Because I certainly try hard in more that just that area!

I wrote letters to the two greatest mothers in my life.  And cried over both letters and had to go blow my nose quite a few times. They are both so amazing, and I count it as one of my greatest blessings that I can think about what they would do in any situation and know that by following their example I am on the right course.  I don't have to learn some life lessons or even parenting lessons for myself: I am so blessed that I can build on what I already have learned from them.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there!