August Amari: Mother's Day

I honestly couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day; I felt so loved.

Finds mike found on the side of the road (glad he knows me after 6 years :)

Humor is everything...I had to post this because we all know how it really goes down on Mothers Day: kids not listening or wanting to take pictures, sticky hands, and mom a tired, hot mess 😂‪#‎mothersday‬ ‪#‎reality‬ ‪#‎happymothersday‬‪#‎lovethemoncurs‬

Cupcake from Beck's

Cupcakes from our neighbor

The best Mother's Day gifts: Beck's singing to me in church (I love how Amari ran up to the front to see his friend "Hunter"—made me laugh).

I died laughing when I read what Beckahm said about me in primary :)

I seriously have one of the most thoughtful, observant, sweet little boys. All week--out of no where--he's been planning this elaborate Mother's Day gift for me (he came up with it all on his own). Fortunately I got it on camera this time. He wanted so badly to take me on a date to New York City for Mother's Day. After church he said "are you ready to pack your bags and head to the airport"? He had it all meticulously planned--from my pink dress down to my sparkly shoes. Oh how I love him. He's going to be such a romantic ‪#‎beckahmmoment‬ ‪#‎packmybags‬ ‪#‎headedtoNYC‬

From then to now . . .

How grateful I am to call you Mother. Now having become a mother myself, I realize what a sacred title that is and I am so honored that God or myself (however that all worked out in the pre-existence) sent me into your home 34 years ago.

You have given so much of your life, your dreams, your time to your seven children. I am in awe--in how I mother every day--how you did it (and still do) for all those years. You are the greatest example of faith, endurance and selflessness that I know. And I realize (in all those ways that I lack on a daily basis), how much I am still learning from you...how much apart of my motherhood you are mothering--teaching me, inspiring me, encouraging me to do better and to never accept failure as an option.

Thank you for showing me that life is full of options--that every day you have a choice (a million choices) to make it a good day, a better day or a worse day than yesterday. Thank you for teaching me how to dream and to go after those dreams with passion, vigor and belief that I can do anything. I could have never moved every five years—and right in the middle of high school—without you by my side. I could have never survived the terrible bullying that I was susceptible to as a child, the relentless nightmares that haunted my sleep (thank you for never turning me away when I'd tug at your bedside sheets in the middle of the night pleading to sleep near your warmth and safety). I could have never pursued so many goals and adventures: guitar, track, cheerleading, choir, kickboxing, gymnastics, Sweden, New York, college, starting my own business, all the jobs I had (or wanted to pursue) over the years, all of the hard, bad and best decisions I've made--the loves and the losses--without you.

Not only did you give me life, even though I know you were done after 6 (for that alone I'm eternally indebted to you), but you gave me you—an example of strength, independency, relentless faith, and unconditional love that I try to mimic on a daily basis.

I am blessed to love you and I am blessed to call you Mother. Happy Mother's Day to the best of the best of them! Sharry Eastman

Xoxo