Reason #1

As I've wound my way to reason #1 I realized how hard it is to pick 10 reasons out of them all of why I love my mom. It's been hard to formulate reason number one, I feel like it needs to encompass everything I haven't covered but that's impossible. Or is it.

Reason #1: The mom

My mom is well....my mom. She always looked after me, put my needs before her own. She's been an example of love, kindness and service. She's taught me to be tough and sweet all at the same time. She's continually teaching and learning. I love her, because she's my mom. Thanks for everything mom!

Love ya momma!

Reason #2 The Righteous

So I know this is taking me longer than 10 days...oops!

The #2 reason I love my mom so much is she is so steadfast in the gospel. Who know's where I'd be without her example. Watching her serve faithfully in so many callings over the years gives me hope that I can be a little better and stronger as a servant to my heavenly father. She's just plain old FAntasTIC!

Love ya, momma!

Saturday's are just swell

I just want to come out and say it...I am a Saturday goo roo. My spirits are a tad dampened by Zach's Saturday morning business law class but I'll be honest...the house is usually clean by the time he gets home at noon. During the week Zach only get's to see C in the morning before work. That's not Canyon's (or Zach's for that matter) happiest time of day. I love watching the two boys play on Saturday's, I can tell C misses his daddy all week long.

Yesterday was an extremely relaxing and fun Saturday. The house was clean and we headed up to Salt Lake. We got up there a little early for Jessi's graduation so we decided to hit The Gateway. It was a beautiful day to walk around the outdoor mall and window shop. We picked up a few of my new favorite Bath and Body Works candles...they last forever and make the whole house smell heavenly!

My awesomely awesome friend all they way back from elementary school graduated from Westminster yesterday so we went to join in the festivities. I love that girl. She's great. It was fun seeing her grammy (who currently resides in Texas) and mom. I remember being so close to her family, it felt like seeing distant relatives again. We enjoyed yummy Cafe Rio and talked to other friends from high school who showed up. Cesar even gave Zach and I a crash course on running half marathons:)

After the party we took C to see Kung Fu Panda 2! He just sat and watched and loved it! what a great flick.

I love my little family. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Thanks for a great Saturday sweetie!!

Reason #3 The Soccer Mom

I played a lot of sports in high school (when I say a lot I mean like 5). I think my mom was secretly grateful I turned out like her when it came to athletics. I also danced, played the violin and did some academic competitions. With all of these extra curricular activities comes lots of games, performances etc... My mom, she hardly ever missed one. I think I remember a game that she couldn't go to because of some really good excuse and she felt so bad. I laughed at her then and I still laugh but I'm grateful she was so supportive. I always knew she'd be at my games encouraging me and honestly, I played better for it. I love that she had a passion to figure out the sport (if it was one she didn't play) or share any tips she had from her own jar of experience (especially when I tried my hand, or legs, at hurdling). I love that she was my biggest fan, and still is. I will always need someone to cheer for me and I've got her! Thanks mom!

love ya, momma

Reason #4 The Beauty

I know this sounds superficial but I love my mom because she's beautiful inside and out. I love that she doesn't try too hard to be beautiful, she just is. It's always so fun shopping with her and seeing the faces and hearing the comments when someone hears me call her mom. They are always surprised and usually comment on how they assumed we were sisters or close friends. I hope she takes that as a compliment because it's true. She looks fantastic. Not only is she beautiful but she's taught me that I'm a beautiful woman too and that I should learn how to love me for me. What an important value in our society today. I only hope I can instill the same knowledge in my children.

love ya, momma!

Watch out Ryan

I have an amazing friend here in Orem. Kenz is just great. She has her Master's degree and works at BYU. She's talented and oh so beautiful. Did I mention she's training for the Red Rock Relay? Yeah, She's cool. Kenz and her little one, Adi come over every now

and again and we try to get C and Adi to play as often as possible. Adi stole C's first kiss so I'm surprised her dad, Ryan, is letting his little girl have play dates with us still.

We had to capture the first kiss on camera:)

Today we went down to the park after I got all the cleaning done for the day.They loved the swings!

Isn't she beautiful? I'm so glad I have such fun friends!

Reason #5 The Entertainer

Only those of you who have spent time with my mom will understand this post to it's fullest. You may even have fun flashbacks that will leave you laughing all night long. My mom is funny. I don't know if she really tries but she is. She is especially funny after 9pm and before 10am (funny at night due to exhaustion and funny in the morning due to her slight dislike for mornings). We used to joke that anything my mom said after 9pm couldn't be used against her, Carrie Fox can vouch for that one. In my sweet mom's defense things would normally just get twisted funny. I love that my mom has a sense of humor, after all, we all need to laugh!

Love ya, momma.

Just like Grandpa Greg

Canyon is quite the climber. He can now get on almost any chair. His favorite chair happens to be the one in front of our desktop computer. The other day I looked over and the little man was sitting in front of the computer using the mouse to click and then typing on the keyboard. I could just see my dad as a 1 year old doing the same....if only there were computers way back then:) I sure love my dad and wouldn't mind little C following in his footsteps. I would mind him going to medical school either:)

Excuse his cute bed head hair.....he had just gotten up. Still not quite the morning person his momma is:)

Reason #6 The Spoiler

Yes, I was raised an only child and my momma spoiled me. I sure hope I don't act like it but it's true. That's not the real reason I love my mom. I love her because she spoils EVERYONE, especially her grand baby. I've watched her spoil my daddy, Bethanie, her family amongst others. What a loving, selfless person she is....I just can't get enough of her!

love ya, momma!

At the playground

We've been busy and C and I have been sick. We rested up lots this morning and decided to shower and go to the park for a little bit this afternoon. Canyon sure enjoyed the nice weather and crawling around in the wood chips. The mess left me wishing for the walkin days:)

We sure love our handsome little man.

Reason #7 VT

As an LDS woman you have certain responsibilities. A big responsibility is Visiting Teaching. It is one of the hardest callings you can have...and everyone gets it. My mom is the best Visiting Teacher ever. She visit teaches a sweet woman that lives a good distance from our house in Flag. Often I call my mom (yes while I'm on the road) and she's with this sweet woman at doctor's appointments up the wazoo. My mom truly is what the church wants from the visiting teaching program. I'm trying....and if I can be half as good a visiting teacher as my mom...I will be a good one.

Thanks for being a great example mom!

Reason #8: Attitude

Not in a bad way of course:) Mom mom knows me better than anyone else and she (plus a few really close to me) can tell you that I'm a little bit of a doormat. I let people walk all over me. It was bad in high school but got even worse in college. My mom (and Zach, but this post isn't really about my awesome hubster) has been a huge help in teaching me how to put my foot down and have a little 'tude. That woman is happy and helpful but she knows when to stand up for herself. Everyday I try a little harder to let my voice be heard and not fold at the wishes of everyone who crosses my path, thanks to the help from my mom (and Zach).

Reason #7 is in the writing pool! Stay tuned!

Reason #9: The Interrogation

Reason number nine was not always on my top ten reasons of why I love my mom. At one point of my existence it was nearly one of my least favorite attributes. It has now mosied it's way on up to the 9th reason my mom is the bomb.

She asks questions......A LOT of questions. More than the normal female. In the teenage years I'd get home from soccer practice and she'd start firing questions so fast my mind couldn't catch up. I didn't like it so much then. Things have changed and how nice is it to have someone to help analyze and bring in a new perspective because they ask so many darn questions from so many angles you can't help but think of it in another way. Man it's easier to solve problems or understand frustrating people when you can analyze the angles. Thanks mom for teaching me to be a thinker and ask questions...it's saved my bum a couple of times!

reason number eight will arrive later this evening...stay tuned!!!

I like my mom... A LOT!

This Mother's Day I didn't do my honorary mother's day tribute blog post thinga-ma-jig. It's been 4 years since I've been with my mom on Mother's Day and I'm starting to run out of ideas of ways to honor her...and all those other mommies that have had such and awesome impact on my life.

So I've finally decided (about a week late I know). I'm going to do a 10 day blog "series" on the reason's my mom is so fantabulous. (ps it's going to be in countdown form...so the further I get the reasons will be juicier...which is not the right word to use but I'm stickin with it)

REASON #10 The other end of my cell phone

It all started when I was stressed in traffic getting to work. Yes, I should probably not drive and talk on the phone at the same time but I have yet to have enough self control to quit. My terrible habit of having to be early or at least on time to every little things makes being stuck in traffic really really really hard for me. So in an effort to calm down...I called my mom.

The tradition has grown so fast that now every time I'm driving by myself in the car, I call her. We talk about every little detail of our days and I love it. What better way to spend time with a mom who is exactly 479 miles away (yes I just Google maps'ed it)

Thank you for listening, Mom. And thank you for telling me about all the cute things B does. It's hard not being there to see her grow up but getting to hear her voice (screaming and being adorable) over the phone everyday totally helps make up for lost time.

Good thing we have in-calling:)

sorry dad, you got to debut in the Mother's Day post:)

Stay tuned (at least my mom should) for Reason numero nueve.