Mothers Day 2018

Two of the three reasons I get to be a mom! Sarah, Mary, and Dylan

together on Mothers Day, May 13, 2018. (The third reason is still in Utah!)

As they do every year, my children make Mothers Day a memorable event for me.

I started off with church, where our bishopric outdid themselves in honoring mothers and all women of influence this year. Nearly all the men in our ward Elders Quorum had volunteered to cover the duties of the ladies throughout the three hours of meetings (except the organist and music director in sacrament meeting, because there simply were no men in our ward with commensurate skills).

Thus, the Primary children's classes were taught by the men of the priesthood, as were the Young Women youth group classes and any other classes ordinarily taught by a woman, leaving all the sisters free to attend the Sunday School gospel doctrine class during the second hour, and giving them a break from the planning of their lessons for one week.

During the third hour, the bishopric took over our usually-all-female Relief Society meeting. They had set up tables in the cultural hall, where they served us cheesecake with various toppings and then showed a wonderful old video of a tribute to women by one of our beloved former prophets, Gordon B. Hinckley. 

It was awesome to see the room filled with the many great ladies of our ward. I think we sometimes forget how many of us there are, since so many serve in the various auxiliaries of the Church each Sunday. I loved that we were all able to gather in one room while the brethren waited on us! As a member of the Relief Society presidency (I was upgraded a few weeks ago from secretary to counselor, although I'm doing both callings until we get a new secretary), it was nice to feel pampered and to relax with no duties for one Sunday (well, I did still have to pass around the attendance rolls...).

To our bishop and his team: Bravo!

A surprise from Mark.

Mark was already home from work when I got back from church. Mothers Day is such a busy day at Denny's that the manager scheduled every dishwasher to work, but eventually the crowds died down and the overkill was no longer needed, so Mark got off at 11:30. Our block of church meetings lasts from 11:00 to 2:00, and then there's always someone to visit with afterward, so I didn't get home until after 2:30.

When I walked in the house, one of the first things I saw was Mark's little display of a silk rose, a cute pair of heart-shaped earrings, and a Mothers Day card. That was such a sweet surprise.

Then Jacob called me on his break at work this afternoon, to wish me a happy Mothers Day. We spoke briefly about his upcoming move back to Arizona, just seventeen days away! It would be unrealistic to think that all three of my children will be able to be together for every event for the rest of our lives, but I will be hugely grateful to have all three of them living in the same state again! Three hours away is so much better than ten or twelve hours!

Sarah sautes pork chops in olive oil, diced onion, and garlic.

Sarah had announced a few days earlier that she was going to prepare dinner for us, in honor of Mothers Day. I was to plan nothing. She chose a new recipe: Creamy Parmesan Garlic Pork Chops. Arriving with two bags of ingredients just before 6:00, she set to work.

Then she sets the browned pork chops aside to make the sauce.

Along with cooking the pork chops, Sarah threw together a green salad and stirred up a batch of Crystal Light. Meanwhile, we were waiting for Dylan to join us on his dinner break, around 7:00, since he had to work until 10:00 that night. Jake joined us at 7:00 and Dylan arrived fifteen minutes later, just in time for dinner!

Sarah makes a sauce of chicken broth, heavy cream, cream cheese,

Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Sarah's meal was a huge success. Everyone commented on how much they loved the pork chops. I suggested Sarah should make them for us about once a month. She rolled her eyes, but everyone seconded my motion!

Finally, the chops are returned to simmer in the cheesy sauce.

Dylan only had an hour before he had to return to work, so we needed to move things along. Before we ate, he had rushed into another room with a roll of birthday gift-wrap to wrap his Mothers day gift for me. When he came out, he showed me the perfectly wrapped box and I was duly impressed by how quickly he'd done such a great wrapping job.

Perfect wrapping job, or...

Then he turned the box and I saw that he'd fooled me by only wrapping one end! We all had a good laugh over that.

...or an optical illusion!

No one has ever given me an orchid before!

After dinner, Dylan and Jake's present was the only gift for me to open. When Sarah and Chris had arrived, they couldn't exactly hide the big orchid plant and large card they'd brought me. The orchids are beautiful, my very first ones, and the big card is all glittery. Glittery is my favorite kind!

All my gifts, including a new yoga ball from Dylan and Jake.

It didn't take long to peel off the tiny bit of wrapping paper and reveal that my gift from Dylan and Jake was a yoga ball. That may seem odd at first, but they know I don't like to sit at my desk in a chair. I use a well-inflated yoga ball instead. I find it so much more comfortable, and it keeps my back and hips flexible (an important detail at my age!). It's also good for maintaining balance. Even at school, I used a yoga ball at my desk for about the last twenty years. It always fascinated my students, who constantly begged to sit on it. The answer was always a firm, "Absolutely not!"

For dessert, Sarah planned and prepared strawberry shortcake! Yum!

At the end of the festivities, Dylan had to eat his dessert on the run, since he was late returning to work. The rest of us enjoyed visiting for a while, and we were able to enjoy our delicious strawberry shortcake in a more leisurely fashion.

Chris surprised me when he took over the kitchen and washed up all my dishes for me. A home-cooked meal like this one can dirty up a lot of dishes. How nice to wake up to all clean dishes this morning! I told him, "Chris, that might just be my favorite gift of all!"

This morning, I put my two cards on display in the living room.

There are no words to describe how blessed I am to be a mother, especially to be the mom of three good-hearted people as wonderful as my kids. I don't need a holiday or cards or gifts or special meals to remind me what an honor it is to have them in my life. The fact that they consistently pay tribute to their mother--and not just on Mothers Day--says more about what great children they are than it could ever say about me. 

What a blessing you are to me! I love you all, Sarah, Jacob, and Dylan, and my sons-in-law, too, Chris and Jake! Thank you for making me feel loved!

I also moved my lovely orchid to the living room, since

it's supposed to receive only indirect light.

Now it's on the coffee table with my redwood burl from northern California.

Yes, it's still alive seven months later!