Happy Mother's Day Mom!!

Mom, I love you. I hope you are having a woderful day. As I read Mindi's beautiful note I thought of the greatest gift you have given me. There have been many, many valuable gifts that have enriched my life in countless ways over the past 30 years. So much of what I am and what I value comes from you. However, the greatest treasure you have given me would have to be a firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

From as far back as I can remember my life has been infused with the teachings of our Heavenly Father. I remember laying on the bed when I had to be younger than four as mom read church magazines to us and bawled over all the stories. I do the same- I inherited that dorkiness from her. Our childhood heroes were Laura Ingalls and Heman but also Amon and Abinadi, Lorenzo Snow and Joseph Smith. Mom taught us with such love and conviction of the truth. We read scripture stories, and prophets' books and we memorized Articles of Faith. At any time of night she read scriptures, she said family prayers. As I grew older and hit my teenage years mom stood firm to the standards that everyone else, including myself, was willing to bend. Now, because of her example, I know that it is possible to keep those standards and assist my children in doing so as well.

Mom is proud of her pioneer heritage and has passed that down to her children. It has given me a sense of responsibility to those that sacrificed so much to bring our family into the church. Visiting Nauvoo as a family this past fall brought that all the more into focus. It was a very spiritual and priceless experience and came about through her planning.

I never heard mom grumble about going to church, or getting a calling, or complain about a leader. No matter the hours and hours of work she did or the frustrations she dealt with. Through my mother's teaching and example, her perseverance and love I was able to live my life with fewer bumps than most and gain my own testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was able to understand the importance of striving to have a personal relationship with my Savior. I am married in the temple. My wonderful husband and beautiful girls are sealed to me for eternity. As each of my siblings have gone through the temple we have been able to stand together and catch a glimpse of how incredible eternal life will be together if we stay faithful.

This is a priceless gift, the only way in which I could ever begin to repay her is to do everything possible to raise my daughters with the same dedication and love. Mike and I were talking one time about ambitions and our conversation made me put into words the feelings I had in my heart. I truthfully don't have any huge, earthly ambitions, career or monitarily oriented. However, I am very ambitious. My ambition is to raise beautiful, healthy, intelligent, children. Children that will love the Lord, that will know where true happiness lies. At this point, girls that will grow into women that will seek knowledge and education but be firmly committed to raising a righteous family and returning to our Heavenly Father. There could be nothing more wonderful and I owe so much of this knowlege and desire to my mother. She is a good woman. She is strong and she is faithful. She is dedicated and she is selfless. She faces adversity with faith and prayers. I love her more than I could ever attempt to put into words. Thank you mom. You are the very best and each one of your children know it. I love you.
Love, Brooke