Happy Birthday to the One Who Made Me a Mom!!

18 years ago today, on a day just like this one when we had a huge snow storm, a perfect, very skinny and very long baby boy changed my life forever!!!

He surprised us by coming  4 1/2 or 5 weeks early, 2 days before my first baby shower.  We had nothing.   Even early, he weighed 7lbs and was 21 inches long.

From that moment, my life changed.  From that moment, this little amazing person started to teach me more about life than I had learned in my 22 years (stop adding up to try to figure out my age!! I'm 35!!)

He taught me unconditional love!! Even when I'm sleep deprived, stressed, out of control, frustrated, out of patience and ready to self combust... I still love him more than the air I breathe and would do anything to help and protect him.

He taught me that, no matter how unfair life can get, you still get up out of bed everyday and go out into this very unfair and very cruel world.

He taught me patience.  Patience in learning new things, patience in the Lord's timing and patience for each other.

He taught me that even when people hit you, put gum in your hair, make fun of you and call you names and make what seems like everyone else hate you too, you still go to their birthday party, because "maybe if you do it will get better."  It didn't.

I learned that when you are worried about someone you love the Lord loves them more, and all you can do is pray and have faith that God will take care of them.

As a mom you pray!! A lot!!!

He has shown me that the gospel is true, that you are never too young to read the Book of Mormon and you can read it so many times you can forget how many times you read it, that the entire standard works can be read in a year and even when other people want to Bible-bash and prove you wrong, you can stand strong and immovable.

It's been the hardest, funnest, most tiring, frustrating years of my life.  I've cried tears of hurt and pain, but mostly joy.

On Thursday, this amazing young man that I've grown to love so much got a mission call to serve in Lubbock, Texas for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He will be preaching in Spanish.  I couldn't be prouder, proud of the strong man he is becoming and proud of who he can become.

Now just like when he was at the birthday party of his bully all I can do is pray.  Pray because I know that our loving Father in Heaven knows and loves him more than I do.  Pray because no matter where he goes and what happens, he will stand strong and stand with our Savior.

I will stand and be amazed at what he can and will do.

Happy Birthday!!!