mother i looove you, mother i doooo

That is the line of one of the dreariest sounding primary songs that I think there is, but it made my throat clench up and brought tears to my eyes to see my own two girls standing up in Sacrament meeting singing it to me today. At times like that I realize that I have all I ever really wanted out of life. I felt like I needed to also pay homage to my own sweet mother since I don't get to get up in Sacrament Meeting and sing that tribute to her anymore. A few weeks ago I got a hankering for one of my all time favorite treats, Jiffy brownies. One of the reasons I love them so much, besides their fudgy goodness, it that they are the first thing that I remember ever learning how to make. I remember every Sunday afternoon when I must have been in about the second grade (we were still living on Lincoln), mixing it up, chopping up the walnuts before I figured out what "optional" meant, and putting them in the oven so we would all have some to watch "Our House" with Wilford Brimley together. I remember feeling so proud that I got to know the recipe by heart. (Now I know that 1 egg and a tablespoon of water with the mix isn't all that tricky.) It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I was thinking about it that I realized that every Sunday all those ingredients were ready for me and that that hadn't magically happened. Something so little like that, that I never really thought about, helped to foster my love of cooking and in part, homemaking. Mom probably didn't think that was what she was doing either, she was just being a great mom.
So when I wasn't able to find the mixes anywhere for sale down here I asked her to bring me some when she came down for Natalie's blessing. She arrived with a whole case. (Which I secretly hoped would happen.) There she was, keeping me stocked with brownie mixes still, and still just being a great mom. Thank you for all the ways you loved me, Mom.
Happy Mother's Day.