Mom

*This blog is long and personal so feel free to skip!

Mom at my wedding in 1995

Things I learned from my mom (or Manaw as her grand kids call her)
*Independence
-I don't know too many women who could move from one city to the next with a u-haul containing a houseful of furniture, 6 kids and at least 3 different kinds of house pets in tow.
-I vividly remember (I don't remember much, especially vividly) walking into a new ward many different times (we moved, A LOT) and mom would smile (she was always smiling at everyone) with her head high and introduce herself and each one of her children. When we moved here to Texas, I was so embarrassed I hid behind Steve as he introduced us.
Although I am sure she did not want to do any of this on her own, she did it well, AND STRONG.
*To pray
-As far back as I can remember we always knelt around mom's bed for family prayer and most of the time we had 2-3 extra kids with us. Scripture study would come and go, but we ALWAYS had family prayer and mostly around her bed.
-I remember a time when Season and I had been very naughty as teenagers (I am sparing Maddie and Rylee the details) and she brought us home and into her bedroom without saying a word and asked us to kneel. I thought we were in for either a beating or a major grounding but she simply prayed for us, with us. I know she had run out of options and needed the Lord to intervene and like a wise, loving mother, she asked The Only One who could help us for help. That night was a major turning point for me.
That anything I wanted to do, I could
-I remember being in the bathtub one night (I think I was 10 or 11) and she came in to talk to me (we always did this - especially when she was in the tub...can't a lady get some alone time?) and she came in to talk to me. She was telling me how talented I was and told me I could do and be anything I wanted to. I have just about zero tangible talents yet I believed every word she told me. I told her I wanted to be a broadcast journalist (random, I know) when I grow up so she gave me ideas to practice. That began my sitting in front of the mirror talking gibberish because I was not familiar with the political terms I heard on T.V (heck, I'm still not)
*To love and respect all animals
-Again, don't know too many single, LDS women who picket a primate center because of un-ethical practices on chimpanzees.
-She had a 'pet' spider who lived in her shower and would say hello to it occasionally. She finally put it outside and set it free.
-I don't remember the details but as a young adult she asked me to help her with one of the propositions in Portland regarding a ban on cougar hunting. We solicited signatures and everything!
-We always had at least 2 dogs who were like family members. I remember the day I learned that some people kept their dogs outside and I was horrified.
-Her favorite picture was of the lamb and the lion (don't know the name) sitting in a field together and she talked often about how she couldn't wait for the day she could be with all animals.
*To keep a clean house
-Growing up my friends always commented on how clean my house always was, especially with so many kids and pets. Mom said she hated waking up to a mess, and I am the same way now.
-She once taught the Relief Society at Enrichment night different cleaning techniques (one of them was to finish the room you're in before you move on to the next which I am so guilty of)
To decorate on a budget
-Funds were low but her creativity was not. Many times we came home to our room being changed around for a new look.
-Our couch needed to be recovered so she bartered cleaning for reupholster from some guy in the paper.
*Entrepreneurship
Clearly this had an impression on me!
-I copied some (not all) of the different things she did and am amazed she did this on her own.
-She had the opportunity to go on a job interview to Seattle and Season & I really wanted to go with her. She told us we could go with her if we earned our plane ticket money. So...she taught us how to make suckers that we wrapped and sold for $.25 (or was it $.50?) We lived behind an elementary school and the kids would come to our fence and that is where we would conduct our business! Oh, the good ole days! Anyway, we met our goal and got to tag along with her!
-To love and respect nature and the environment
-To love reading- she always had good books
-To always strive for better
-That Heavenly Father knew ME personally
-To be friendly and smile
-To never gossip - I swear I never heard I say a bad thing about anyone (even our father - if that's what you call him)
To keep up with current events. I could ask her about anything going on in the world and she would know the answer, or find it.
I only wish she was here now, and I could tell her how grateful I am for her!

A newspaper article about her company and idea 'Earth Life Bag Co.'

The back and front of a door hanger we delivered for her to advertise her cleaning company.

A letter she drafted to give to grocery stores about her bags.

The logo she came up with for her enviromently friendly bag. She was WAY ahead of the game!