I'm lucky I'm a Mom!

It is pretty awesome being a Mom, Mother-in-law, and Grandmother. I have enjoyed this Mother's Day tremendously. But I particularly love the reasons I get to celebrate this day. I believe we as women have a special role to fill and whether we have children are not we are still nurturers. We still have those unique gifts that make us women, and if by chance we get the opportunity to fulfill that role we can touch lives on a more personal level. We feel the love for a child that surpasses all love, except perhaps the love our Heavenly parents feel for us. Because of the love our mother and father give us, we then are able to understand the love of our Mother in Heaven and Father in Heaven.

I don't know how to place pictures in a blog in any certain order, but these are just a few random shots that show what I love about being a mother!

Soon, very soon, I will have a new granddaughter. Her name will be Grace...I am sure she will be a very special addition to the Trosper family. I have a big part of my heart saved just for her!

My Mom....the greatest mother, teacher, mentor, friend anyone could ever have is standing with some other important people in my life. Hailey, Jimmy, Samantha, Sarah, Molly (Sarah's sister), Me holding Leah, and Leah's other cousins Eli, Cole, and Jake.

Mom, Me, Scott, Cynthia, another awesome mother my sister in law Ruth, Emily, Brother Bill, my sister in law Carmen, and my brother Brock.

Baby Daddy Scott, Baby Mama Cynthia, Great Grandma Vee, and Grandma Leslie

Scott and Cynthia are on a whirlwind since they re-connected just over a year ago. Wedding, new house, Scott got his bachelor's degree just after he gave up being a bachelor, and now little Grace is expected May 22nd or sooner! They are cute to watch and love to plan for their life together and for this little baby!

Marque and Sarah are really there for me, and for the family even though they live in Utah. They were down five times last year, so including our trips up to Utah we got to see them so frequently. I kid the boys down here that Marque actually comes to visit me more often than they do~ Marque gives me so much credit for the awesome person he turned out to be. I think he did most of it, but I'll take the credit! Sarah is an incredible mother and the best daughter-in-law I could hope for.

I think I was bugging Jim to smile for this picture and he reminds me so much of his grandpa here. Jim and Samantha are closest in distance to me and they bless my life regularly. It is so much fun watching them build traditions with their girls. So many of them are traditions that we had in our family and it makes me feel so valued that they treasure those things.

Jim and I commute at the same times in the morning, and we talk as we come from opposite directions and pass in the Riverside area. We often joke about how broad our discussions become going from politics, to theology, to family, values and back again in the same conversation. I'm glad to spend this time with Jim each day.

I love going on "Girlie Days" with Hailey and Mady. It is so much fun to enjoy these energetic, intelligent girls company. I hope they always want to hang out with their grandma. They bless my life~

I'm grateful that my boys love, respect, and honor their father as well as me. This helps me to know that they were raised well.... They counsel us now, and it is great and amazing to receive our own counsel back from their mouths.

I put my old "Mom" cake baking and decorating skills to work for Madyson and Leah for their birthday's this year. Madyson's bedroom is decorated like daisies so I made her this daisy cake for her 9th birthday.

It was fun to have Marque, Sarah, and Leah down to help us celebrate October birthdays, among other things. This was Leah's "1 year old" cake. See I still got it a little bit! Mady's birthday is the 12th, mine the 14th, and Leah's the 15th of October. They were great birthday gifts.

One of the easiest ways I know my son's listened to my counsel, and blessed me was with the beautiful daughters they gave me. I can't often call them daughters-in-law because it sounds too dry for the feelings that I have for them. I sometimes refer to them as daughters-in-love because that fits much better. But just as often they are just my daughters-that-I've-waited-forever-for. They are all three beautiful women, and beautiful mothers themselves.

The girls definitely out number the boys now. I was so grateful to God for my three terrific sons, and I am so grateful for the girls in my life now. Here are my three beautiful granddaughters Hailey (12), Leah (1), and Mady (9).

Lovebirds Scott and Cynthia. They took me to breakfast this morning and then went to church with me. I always love taking my kids to church, or anywhere I can show them off. Everyone knows my kids even if they haven't met them because they are always talked about in the highest praises. I only speak the truth. Thanks for such nice gifts too.

I had a bad day one day and called Marque. I was crying and emotional and he could hardly get a word in edgewise so he passed the phone to Sarah. When I took a breath she sweetly calmed me down and passed the phone back to Marque who gave me very wise counsel. The next day I received flowers from him. See why I feel so blessed?

Sweet picture of two of my sweet girls Sarah and Leah.

Samantha and Mom in Palm Springs for a girls weekend.

Look at this love! Sweet Leah! She is gorgeous and always so happy. She lights up my life, for sure.

Hailey at Red Robin's on a "Hailey Day". I love taking the girls out individually to celebrate an award, any special occasion, or just cuz! I hope they will always cherish our memories together!

On these special days the girls get to choose where they want to eat, something special to buy, and if there is anything else they want to do. Here is Mady on a "Mady's Day" modeling in the bargain aisle at Target. Mady LOVES going to Target.

Hailey, Grandma, and Mady at Grandma Grandma's house in Yuma, AZ last Mother's Day.

I dusted off another old skill when I made these poodle skirts for Hailey and her friend for their talent show. They sang and danced to "Chantilly Lace". I love that the girls love singing the old songs with their Grandma. Some of the songs we sing came from their Great Grandma and Great Grandpa when their Grandma was their age. Passing it on down the generations!

Here is the woman that started it all for me. I don't think we look alot alike....sometimes I think that is why I was born in the car....then it couldn't be denied that I was their daughter! LOL She has taught me how to love, give, care, honor, respect, be honest, true, chaste, benevolent. She taught me to want to be a mother from the time I was a little girl. No one could have had more impact on my life than my Mom. I love you Mother!!! Happy Mother's Day.

Jim and family with their grandma, and great grandma!

Scott and Cynthia with Grandma. This was the first time Cynthia and Mom met. She approved!

Leah came into our lives through Caitlin, her birth mother, but she definitely belonged to Marque and Sarah. The Lord has his ways to make things right, and this is so right! She was officially sealed to the family and what a special time that was! One of those moments that take your breath away and make you so grateful to be who you are, and where you are!

And here she is enjoying a simple pleasure with her Daddy!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. These are just a few pictures that tell the story of this mothers heart. I could post so many more pictures, and write a few thousand words and never be able to express adequately the joy I feel being a mom!

From the pages of one of my favorite books:

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my babies you'll be!"