Thankful Thursdays: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

The other day my little girls were dancing around the house singing at the top of their lungs "These are a few of my favorite things," from The Sound of Music. We laughed and sang together as we skipped through the house as if WE were the Von Trapp family.  It was one of those many let-it-all-out goofy moments for me as a mom.  I’d like to say that I wasn’t goofy like this before having kids, but nope, not much has changed for me. If anything, my goofiness is now exponentially greater after having kids. BBH and I may no longer belt out our 311 or Cake songs together…but we are definitely known to belt a Disney tune or two now. Moments like these make my life not just happy, but joyful.

"Happiness is rising bubbles-delightful & inevitably fleeting.

 Joy is oxygen-ever present." -Danielle LaPort

Sometimes while my kids are asleep and I sit down to decompress, I think about the moments that make up my whole day and what made this day so special and miraculous. I think about the things that truly make me thankful to be a mom and have defined me as a woman. And these are a few of my favorite things:

I’m thankful for hope & faith.

After spending several years trying to overcome infertility, I had many moments of sadness and despair. With every failed attempt or procedure to get pregnant, I would feel a weight that made my heart very heavy. But hope and faith buoyed my spirit up and became the antithesis to my burdens. Consistency of faith and hope cleared my mind of doubt and helped me take another step forward, even when I wasn't sure if I could. Now my hope and faith help me on a my daily journey through motherhood as I do everything I can to raise my girls to be the best they can be.

I’m thankful for prayer.

In my faith, we believe that we are sons and daughters of a loving, eternal Heavenly Father. We can pray to him and build a relationship with him through consistent prayer. I'm thankful that I can pray to Him to express my gratitude for all that I have and to ask for help with my shortcomings. I can pray to Him to help me be a better mother, wife, sister, friend...a better me. 

I’m thankful for my mistakes and for second chances.

Motherhood has taught me that I’m not perfect and that I must grow everyday. It teaches me that I will always make mistakes and that’s ok, as long as I learn from them and become better. It humbles me and shows me my weaknesses. For every weakness I see in myself, I realize that I can make it a strength if I only recommit myself to be better. I'm thankful for second chances that allow me to be the mother and woman I strive to be.

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family...What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else.

--Elder Russell M. Ballard, "Daughters of God," General Conference April 2008

I’m thankful for love and vulnerability.

From a very early age, I've always wanted to be a mom. But I never fully understood what that meant. What does it mean "to be" a mom? There are so many words that can define a mother. For me, being a mom just cannot simply be defined by words alone, but by most importantly, verbs. The best verb to describe motherhood is pure, unconditional love. It's a love that is vulnerable. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to love my girls and husband as much as I can, everyday. I'm grateful I have them to teach me how to love. 

I’m thankful for the messes.

Sometimes I feel like cleaning my house is a continuous Groundhog Day ritual. The same messes re-surface and I’m on my hands and knees a lot every day, picking up my toddlers' crumbs and spills. I read an article one day that made me think differently about the those seemingly monotonous and messy moments. It made me realize that being a mom is so much more than cleaning or the day-to-day grind. It's about loving, unconditionally and sincerely. I'm thankful for the messes, because I have children to clean after and to teach them how to help me and others. I'm thankful for the messes because they teach me how to serve. 

Photo credit: newhealthom.com

I'm thankful for the minutes.

The first time I held mini-me and my-girl after they were born, I made a promise to myself that I would enjoy the minutes, because each minute makes up the moments and eventually those moments make up special memories. Time is fleeting and I wanted to make sure I soaked in as much of them as possible and to never have any regrets as to where I invested my time. I promised I'd never take the opportunity to finally be a mom for granted and to love as much as I could in the time that I had. It's in the short minutes that memories are made, love and tenderness is expressed and kindness is shared. 

"We cannot do great things on this earth, only small things with great love." -Mother Teresa