Mother's Day

Here's how my day started...

flowers from McKay

a card from Craig, but made by Emma because he couldn't find anything good at the store

a green smoothie made by Savannah and Megan

everyone ready on time for church...hooray! 

After church, we found these things leftover from the party last night, so we HAD to use them!

And here was the best part of the day...

Twice a year, on Christmas and Mother's Day, the full time missionaries in our church get to call their parents via Skype and connect with their families.  The missionaries in our ward had made arrangements to go somewhere and call their moms today, but plans fell through.  We happened to have Skype at our house.  We also happened to have tons of food since the Scout Master did all the grocery shopping yesterday.  I happened to have the table set for 8.  And we happened to have no special plans after church.  So we invited the missionaries to come over for dinner and Skyping.

I can't tell you how overwhelming it was for me to listen to these two sweet boys talk to their families.  Elder Pruitt's family was SO excited.  He had cousins and siblings and a whole boatload of family gathered at his house to talk to him.  And Elder Maldonado's family was just as cute.  I overheard his grandma ask him if he was eating well and tell him that she would make sure he always had enough money in his account so he didn't have to starve.  (...sniff..)

They talked to their families for an hour and a half!  So I took a much needed Mother's Day nap while we waited for them to come back downstairs.  

And they emerged so grateful and happy that they had the chance to hear familiar voices just for a little while.  I so wanted to hug those boys and run back up there and tell their families how awesome they both are.  What an amazing experience to get to overhear these two boys who work so hard, who eat, sleep, and breathe the gospel of Jesus Christ, telling their families about their awesome (and some not so awesome) experiences in the mission field.  I love missionaries.  And when I have one out on Mother's Day, I hope some nice family will invite him (or her) over for dinner and let them call me.  I'm totally gonna be a mess.  I don't know how they do it.  Parents with missionaries are as amazing to me as the missionaries themselves.  

I loved today.  I love the mothers in my life.  I loved listening to those missionary moms.  And I love that we belong to this incredible church that provides opportunities like this for all of us to learn, and testify, and grow, and transform.   

Happy Mother's Day...especially if you have a missionary out serving in the mission field right now.  I think you're amazing!  <3