catch up and Mother's day

I realize that it has been about 8 months since I have done a new post. A lot of things have transpired in that time. My boys have continued to grow and change. Hallen is now 3 1/2 and Bris turned 2 last month. Hallen has been diagnosed with PDD a form of autism. He has started talking again and signs a lot. He is doing better everyday. Eric and I now work for Utah Youth Village at Alpine Academy. We run a group home for teenage girls, bringing my number of kids at this moment from 2 to 12!!! Eric is working on getting his masters degree in marriage and family therapy. Today my boys and I have been down sick. In fact the three of us are coughing up a storm in my bed at this very moment. While I have been on sick bed today I have been reading the book "Heaven is Here" by Stephanie Nielson. I often do not get to read as much as I would like to and this book has been especially inspiring. A dear friend of mine gave it to me knowing that I have been in need of the extra inspiration lately, and boy was it inspiring. I recommend it to everyone and anyone. Tomorrow is Mother's day. I would just like to take this time to tell all the wonderful mothers in my life how much they have meant to me. First of course my mother. My mom has been my hero and role model my whole life. She raised 4 of us to adulthood with two more almost there, making it look easy. She gave up everything for us. She was at every play, every concert, my sibling sporting events, and so on. I am not shamed to admit that my mother tucked me into bed every night while I was under her roof. Every night she talked with me about whatever was on my mind before she hugged me goodnight and shut off my light. I contribute a lot of our close relationship to these talks before bed. I think the biggest lesson I have learned from my mother was through her example. She has always put us first and done whatever she could to help me. At times this was talking me through a hard time. Other times is was kindly but firmly telling me to buck up and pull myself together, which was probably a lot harder for her that it seemed at the time. My mother to this day has always know what I needed. The second mother in my life I would like to talk about is my mother-in-law. I have known her since I was very small. One of my most favorite memories is of Eric, her, and I eating popcorn while watching a movie on the bean bag in her basement. We all ended up falling asleep. It was a very fun night. Most of all I would like to thank her for helping my father-in-law raise my wonderful husband. He is everything I ever wanted and didnt know that I wanted in a spouse. He is such an amazing father to my children and I attribute this to her. My grandma Misrasi is number three on the list. She instilled in me the love of nursing. She honestly would and has given more than she probably should to people. She would do whatever she could to help someone in need. Fourth is my Grandma Kohler. I lived with my father's parents for a year and grew to have a great love for her. She has always given us books and instilled a love a books to me. I have many wonderful memories with her. I have many memories of us reading next to each other. Seperate books but sharing a love of the adventure of a book. We watched the Jazz play and had a pizza. Grandma loved the game and Grandpa loved the pizza. Other important "mother" figures in my life have been: Georgia Udy, Connie Archibald, Shirley Schoffield, and Gail. These women have all added to the woman that I have tried to become. Each holds a special place in my heart and unique characteristics that I have tried to insert into my own mothering. I am so grateful for these women in my lives, and their examples. I truely believe that being a mother is the most important and sacred thing you can do as a woman. A mother can influence and shape not only a few children but ultimately nations. I hope to someday be a mother who can be half the mother mine has been to me. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!