Mom's Day

I'm only a week late doing my mother's day post.....and considering I've been swamped with Relief Society stuff I am surprised I'm even getting to it now. I still need to blog about Scott's surgery.....one thing at a time. I have been blessed by having several women in my life that have been like mother's to me. First of all my own mom. She has been by my side on many occasions. I'll never forget her feeding me ice chips in the delivery room as I was giving birth to Kevin. I'll never forget the countless hours she spent at speech festivals watching me perform. I think the thing that I learned from her the most is to never be a door mat. I know how to stand up for myself and I'm thankful for that lesson she taught me. I was blessed with the greatest grandmother that a girl could have. Vivian King was a regal woman with a heart of pure gold. There will never be another like grandma Viv. I miss her every day. I am so proud that I am named after her. Grandma was the most loving and giving person that I know.....and not only did she mean the world to me....but also to my kids. My mother in law was the greatest. Not only did she raise an incredible son but she became one of my very best friends. She was a very talented woman. Melba always had her hands busy doing some kind of craftwork. I loved going over to her house and just sitting and talking with her. I miss that. I could not have hand picked a better mother in law. She was the best. There is a woman in Alabama named Ann Hearn. She put her arms around us and welcomed us to the ward and she just adopted our family when we were back there for a couple years while Scott was stationed at Ft. Benning. She is so loving and kind. She would box us christmas gifts each year and send them out West to us. We went back a few years ago to visit her. It was wonderful. She is a blessing in my life.

I had a great mother's day. This was my first mother's day as an empty nester and I wasn't sure how I was going to like it....but it turned out to be a great day. We got up early that morning to call Elder Jackson for my mother's day call. He emailed and told us to call at 7 but he never said am or pm. So we called that morning. TROUBLE-----Chris hadn't given us the complete number. He was missing a couple numbers that were the country code. After several attempts at that number I began to cry. I didn't know what I'd do if we couldn't reach him. Then I got on my knees and pleaded with the Lord. I asked Scott to call the mission office. He didn't think anyone would be there but Elder Olson from Minnesota answered and said "Oh yes....Elder Jackson is the new one that just arrived." He called and tracked him down and got the right number for us to call him back. We had an incredible visit. He had only been in Mexico for 5 days when we got to talk to him. He said that he thought his visa had been delayed for a reason. The president told him that he planned to send him to Nogales....that is the border city in his mission that is having so much violence. I got a lump in my throat when he told me this. He said that there have not been American missionaries there for quite awhile and they were going to send Elder Jackson there....but when his visa was delayed they made other arrangements so he was sent to Guaymas instead. Thank the Lord for listening to a mother's prayers! He told us his companion is from Mexico city and he didn't speak a word of English. Actually he told us that in five days he hadn't found anyone who did. He said that if I wanted to send anything to send toilet paper. I thought maybe the stuff down there was rough. He said "no mom....we can't even find any in the stores." They stuff their backpacks full of it when they go to church and use empty journal pages when they run out. He said there were cockroaches all over his apartment. Ick! He said that everyone calls him Elder Gringo. He told us that the little girls laugh when he speaks Spanish because he sounds funny. The woman come up to him....they want a green card. The bishop's wife calls him son in law....he said "These ladies down here want American grandchildren." Chris said his feet were covered in blisters. When it is to far to walk he said they hitch hike. I said "YOU DO WHAT?" He said "Don't worry mom.....the nice drug dealers always pull over to give us rides." "Are you kidding me" I guess not. He said those guys treat them really well and they have thier backs. It is the ones that buy the drugs that call the missionaries names. So.....obviously I have spent even more time on my knees in prayer than I had before this call. He sounds great though....and so very happy. After five days he had already asked a woman and her children to be baptized and that was going to take place this weekend. Can't wait to hear how that went.

I got to speak to all of my kids on Sunday. Kevin and Stacie are doing well in New Mexico and are all settled in their new place. They sent the most delicious chocolate covered strawberries to me for Mother's day. Carolyn and Brent are doing well in Provo. Brent is looking forward to finishing up with his school in two more semesters and Carolyn is so excited to be getting her own classroom in the fall. They sent me a beautiful purple orchid and it came by special delivery. Heather and Hilary (Brent's sisters) brought it over and we sat and talked for over an hour. It was such a great ending to my mother's day. We laughed a lot and I really enjoyed spending time with them. They are great girls.

I am thankful for all the amazing women in my life. You go Girls!