Confession from an imperfect mother! Did I reallly do that? YES!

Backing up a bit...first things first...
I remember growing up and throughout my adolescent growing up years I would repeat the phrase, "I'll never do that when I'm on my own or have my own household!' Having such an inexperienced and judgemental attitude' I would judge my mother harshly at times. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED my mom! She was wonderful! Sometimes she would just do things and out came that phrase of never doing that or being like her.

It's laughable now looking back on it. The funny thing is...I'm so much like my mom! I do some of things I professed I would never do and some things she did that I liked I also do. One day I was thinking about her and asked myself...'Diana, what are some of the things you do that emulate your mother's qualities?' (She is deceased and I do miss her!) I mentally listed them. Did I like my answer? 'YES!' Yes, my mom was an imperfect mother too, but she was doing the best she knew how and was having a human experience like the rest of us.

My confession...Yes, I really did do that! (Would I change some, YES!)
What did I do?
The reason I am writing this post is an answer to myself in response to a recent post I read on my oldest daughter's blog and some traits she has that came from her mom. All of what she said is true, I won't deny it!

Did I get upset over messes when kids were growing up? YES!
Did I ever say, "I HATE MESSES?" YES!
Did I go on tirades about clean rooms, folding the laundry just right, etc? YES!
Was that silly and ridiculous? YES!
When teaching them to drive did I ever get upset if we got lost and say, "I don't want to be here, I want to be over there?" YES!
There are probably 100+ more things I said and did that probably have scarred them for life!

For instance...
My oldest daughter loved this one cat we had and would smuggle the cat into the car or little truck we had. I told her repeatedly, "The next time I find that cat in the car or truck, I'm kicking it out of the car and that's it! Good bye cat!" Well the next time came and 'I let the cat out and never looked back.' Was that awful? YES! (Bad mom!)

Another time, same daughter wanted to take a community class for gymnastic lessons at a local school. Prior to signing up it was conditioned on she and her sister not fighting so much. We are now in the car on the way to the school and they both got into it. I once again warned them about fighting or no gymnastic lessons. Did they stop? No. I drove up through the parking lot and told them to wave as we drove right on by. No lessons. Once again there was to be 'accountability vs. consequences.' There was crying but mean mom did not bend. Was that awful? YES! (Bad mom!)

Self-esteem is such a fragile thing for every individual. As parents we constantly need to nurture it so that our children grow up feeling good about themselves. I would often tell them, 'Be your best self. You are not competing with anyone, just do the best to your own abilities.'
One of my sons when growing up had a struggle with a few subjects in school and get an average grade and beat himself up over it. I would tell him that it was okay because for him it was 'his best.' He did not fail out of school. The sun was still going to rise the next day and he would still be who he was, a great person.

Looking back on those formative years I wish I could do some things differently if I had it to do over. I was OCD about messes and other things. Did I scar them for life over some things? Unfortunately, yes! I will be accountable for that. Looking from a grandparent perspective and watching my grandchildren grow up they are as normal as my kids were growing up and they are doing some of the same things my kids did. I am seeing their growing up years through personal experience and with different eyes. Sometimes my married children share what their kids are going through and sometimes I 'laugh.' I tell them that I am not laughing at them, just with them! Why do I laugh? I see myself years prior and stressing, fretting and going crazy and realize how silly I was! My dear children grew up with their imperfect mother.

Count your blessings! Children are blessings and one day they are gone and grown and on their own. They grow up from being wonderful little people into wonderful big people! Take a hint from an imperfect mother who was having a human experience like the rest of us (and like my dear mother); stop and smell the roses; stop yourself from saying something you'll regret. Sometimes when my children were really testing my patience spontaneously I would just grab them and hug them and tell them 'I love you!' It surprised both of us! It felt better too! I wish I did that more often than scolding them.

In a nutshell....we take the good and the bad from our parent's examples. We sift out the ones we don't want or want to change and accept the ones we like. Don't spend time looking back with regret, improve and move forward! :o)

Cute Bandana Drool Bibs!

Drool Bibs! I thought these were so cute! I saw them on a blog on Julie's blog, that is, on her sidebar. Julie, if you are reading this, I took the liberty of checking out one of your sidebar blogs. I hope that was okay. You make them out of terry cloth and flannel so they absorb baby's drool. The pattern is so simple. You can even reverse the sides! Measure fabric 12x12x17-inches. Sew right sides together, leave a 2-inch seam opening, turn right side out, sew down the edges, add Velcro and you're done! Simple! This size fits a baby up to 4 to 5 months old. You need to enlarge the pattern above that age. Next project is to enlarge the pattern and sew them bigger!

Ashley is going to try these out on Doug, Jr. and get back to me and let me know how they worked. I hope they work great! :o) My model is a small bear. I didn't happen to have any babies close by to model for me. :o)

Valentines - Sweet Memories!

This is what my hubby brought home for Valentines for me! Pretty sweet, huh?! One dozen long stemmed red roses in the vase with the baby's breath and ribbon! I have to say that I was pretty impressed and very HAPPY! Neil doesn't always bring me flowers because of my allergies. These roses do not have any smell, the baby's breath smells like honey suckle. :o)
The card on the left is my card to him and on the right is his card to me. We've had silly cards, serious cards, simple cards but both of these were very nice cards. :o) After 41 years of marriage he still surprises me! ♥


The heart shaped box he gave me about 28 years ago. Yes, I still have it! Why? To remind me that once I did get a box of chocolates, a huge box of chocolates! It has the very faintest scent of chocolate inside. When I am in the store I look at the boxes of chocolates and I have to say, I haven't seen any near as pretty as the one I got long ago! Am I going to keep the roses? Probably not, but at least I have a picture!

One more look at that awesome box!

We are usually practical when it comes to Valentines. I have to say that he always gets dark chocolate kisses from me. I'll have to do better next year! :o)

Who Am I...Martha and Mary

I read this book a few years ago. I like this book . I also like the author, Camille Fronk Olson. I have heard her speak at Women's Conference at BYU-Provo. She is an intelligent and spiritual woman! I like her portrayal of these two beautiful sisters in the scriptures. There is a little of Martha and Mary in all of us. Both sisters had 'chosen that good part'...learning from the Savior and implementing His teaching and example in their lives. Martha found that 'One needful' thing... learning from the Savior. I like the picture on the front of the book with the oil lamp. The wick is trimmed and burning brightly. It has adequate oil. It represents to me our testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the living water that if we partake we will never thirst.

I love the scriptures. I love learning. I am grateful that each day I am given another opportunity to try and be better.
Am I careful and troubled and cumbered by many things?
Greek translation...
Careful-worried, anxious, full of cares.
Troubled-bothered by surrounding circumstances, disturbed about things.
Cumbered-preoccupied, distracted.

Do I take offense easily?
Do I judge others righteously?
Do I freely forgive?

It was good to reread this book again. I will definitely be rereading 'A Heart Like His' and 'Mary, Martha, and Me' (Diana) throughout this year. When I put my name in there it helps me to focus on what I need to be doing. While I am reading other works at the present time, these two books are additional sub manuals while supping from the 'scriptures' which is my main handbook and focus.

Note to self...Has my heart changed?

I read this book about 4 or 5 years ago. I bought it when it first came out. I absolutely LOVE this book! It should be a handbook for every single woman on the earth! It needs to be read and reread and reread every year!



A friend of mine gave me the picture below as it expressed what she felt when she participated in reading this book. I absolutely love the picture and quote she included below the picture. I pasted it inside the cover of my book as a reminder of her and of this book and what changes it helps me adjust.


I don't make New Years Resolutions, rather I choose on a few areas that I can work toward self improvement throughout the year. I knew from the get go in January I needed to 'reread' this book again to help me work toward 2 self improvement goals I set up for myself for this year 2011. I just finished this book. It's a simple read, only 106 pages. If anyone chooses to read this book may offer a plea to 'don't race through it!' Read, ponder, digest, enjoy every single page. When you finish the book wait a few days or even a week and pick it right back up and reread it and enjoy it again, and again, and again. I read this book about 8 times a few years back. We even had a class on it in RS that I lead. It's one of my favorite books! I love it! The steps you follow are so easy and simple and you don't have to make projects!

What's it all about? It's about 'opening your heart a crack wider to feel God's love.'

The author is Virginia Hinckley Pearce, Pres. Hinckley's daughter. She is so open and honest and opens her heart to us. Do we take a chance and allow people into our hearts or do we slam the door shut, let our heart shrink to the back wall of our chest and forbid entrance, or, do we open our heart to feel God's love and in turn have others feel God's love through our love?

I also have another quote I pasted in my book (it's not part of this book, I just loved it so much I pasted it in there as it seemed to flow with the theme of the book).
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This poem was written by Audrey Hepburn when asked to share her 'beauty tips' and it was read at her funeral years later. (She was such a gracious and lovely person.)

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone...
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed,
revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you even need a helping hand,
you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have
'two hands'; one for helping yourself,
and the other for helping others.

If you share this with another woman, something good will happen...
You will boost another woman's self esteem, and she will know
that you care about her.
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There is divinity and goodness in every person we just need to open our hearts and look for it in ourselves and in everyone. Each of us is a child of God and He loves us. He doesn't give up on us or throw us out!

From Ezekiel 36:26
'A new heart also will I give you,
and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you an heart of flesh.'