being a mom has taught me many things

• including, but not limited to, doing almost everything with one hand. ie: cooking, cleaning, my hair, errands, etc. 
• going around with food stains on your clothes is acceptable
• also, not showering until 2 in the afternoon is also acceptable
• an outing to the grocery store is a grand affair
• how to be patient
• and then add more patience onto that patience
• that sometimes I am just not going to look my best and that is okay
• how to get stains out of anything
• that I have no imagination, so I need to work on that
• time management; I thought I learned this in college, but that was nothing compared to squeezing everything I need to do into 2 short nap periods of time during the day. 
• to be more tidy. she sticks EVERYTHING in her mouth, so keep stuff off the floor
• that I no longer require 8 hrs of sleep to survive
• how to entertain a tiny human
• and that crock pot dinners are the best thing ever

But, mostly it has taught me love and joy. Love is so much more complex and deep than I comprehended before hand. I love Dan and I love my family, but the love a parent has for their child is something completely different. Being a parent myself has really helped me realize just how much my heavenly father loves me. It has improved my relationship with Him and my Savior and I am so grateful for that. Sometimes it's frustrating and hard, but at the end of the day it is so worth it to have Evie and call myself a mother. I have been thinking about this a lot lately because I was thinking there was no way I was ready for another baby just yet, but now I don't know. Evelyn has brought us so much joy and she is becoming so independent already that I think another baby may not be such a bad thing after all. However, this is not an announcement because it is just a passing thought and more than likely will not happen.

I love being a mom and I love my little family. I am so thankful to have a home where we can feel comfortable, safe, and have the spirit. I am so happy to be in Virginia and have the opportunity to meet the great people I have met and seen all the things I have been able to see.

Being a mom has taught me all of that; to count my blessings, multi-task, and to be grateful for the little things. Being a parent truly is a sanctifying process and I can't wait to see what the future holds.