Motherhood - The Best Job I Have Ever Had

I have had many jobs in my life but by far the best job I have ever had is that of being a mother.  Nothing will or could ever match the joy and fulfillment that I have received from my work as a mother to my children.  It has been exciting, fun, exhausting, frustrating, joyful and fulfilling beyond the dreams that I ever had as a child.

My sister Kathy and I playing house.  Mothers wore pig tails back then!

For as long as I can remember all I have ever wanted to be was a mother.  It wasn't just that I wanted to have children but that I wanted to be pregnant and have that whole experience and in the end have a sweet little baby to share my life with along with my future husband.

The day it all began.  August 25, 1982 in Kensington, Maryland.

This quote by David O. McKay depicts completely how I feel as a mother and the importance of our role as mothers in the lives of our children:

"Motherhood is the greatest potential influence either for good or ill in human life.  The mother's image is the first that stamps itself on the unwritten page of the young child's mind.  It is her caress that first awakens a sense of security; her kiss, the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world."

David O. McKay, 1953 

I realize that this is not the hope and dream of every little girl but I have never shied away from my expression of love for motherhood - to anyone.  If motherhood were a badge, I would wear it on my forehead.  I am not ashamed to say that this was my goal and joy from the beginning of my life to this day and I am not sorry for the direction my life has taken or for the choices I have made.  Of course, there were other things that I wanted to do in my life as well but I knew that I had to be a mother and that the other things would follow along in God's time - and I believe that everything has happened the way it should so far.

It hasn't all been easy and some days were downright rough but each one was a gift and I would enjoy, thrive on or survive each one because it was all mine.  One thing is for sure.  Motherhood is a job that is much easier if you rely on a loving Heavenly Father to be your guide and your aid in all things.  I'm not sure how it can be done, good or bad, without that relationship.

 This was 1986 - don't judge the hair.  Matthew doesn't look very happy with me, does he?  Alex was!

 

As a young mother I wanted to spend my days with my little ones playing, learning and growing together.  My deepest desire was to be the one who was there to help them when they were hurt, to aid them when they were learnging to read, write and to do simple math problems.  My husband is the mathematician in our family so I knew that once past addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, my kids would be turning to him and I was totally fine with that!

 Such hams!  These kids were and are the light of my life and yet there were some days that they ran me ragged.  I wouldn't change one moment of our history as a family together.

 

I hoped to one day watch as they grew from baby to toddler and then on to a pre-schooler.  I thought about what it would be like to have kids in elementary school and how interesting and wonderful it would be to help mold and shape them during those years as they are so precious.

This is the time when you build the ground work of a solid relationship with your children.  If you aren't doing it when they are in their elementary years and keeping those lines of communication open, you are missing out on not only some great experiences with your children but you are also losing your opportunity to bind your relationship with them that will undoubtedly be needed as they go into their teens years.  Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of neglecting to give your teenagers all the attention you physically and emotionally can. 

 My mother-in-law said that she loved when kids were finally out of diapers and were able to eat a hamburger because then you could take them anywhere.  It is so fun to take your kids places and do things with them.

I looked forward to having teenagers.  Yes, I know that in this regard I may be considered just a little bit odd but I was excited about having teenagers.  I loved my own teenage years and I had a great relationship with my own parents so I wasn't too worried.  I knew that this would be a period where my kids would either tune me out or totally plug into what I was saying and that this was the time to really solidify my relationship with them.  I certainly could have done much better as I now look back and there are things that I would have done differently but my kids are all still talking to me so at least I didn't mess things up too badly.

Again, I knew that I would need to rely on heavenly help to keep me not only close to my children but to know when they needed me.  We would not always agree but the lines of communication would need to be open - not shut and this time of all the times in their lives would be the most critical.  These years were so important because at the drop of a hat they could change course to go down a wrong path.  This thought did worry me but I knew from my own experience that constant communication was key to keeping my kids close - now and forever.

I remember sitting up late at night talking to my dad and feeling a little bad about it but since I had so many siblings, if I wanted all his attention and to have a private conversation, this was the time to talk.  He worked so hard and had a long commute every morning and evening but I never felt like I was inconveniencing him or keeping him from sleep.  I wanted to be that way for my kids but I am afraid that I may have slacked on this one a little.  I can stay up late now when I'm not having to care for little ones or medium sized people but when they were all at home I have to admit, I was always tired.  

I am sure that there were times when my kids might have said that I didn't have a clue about what was going on with them and I do know that there are some things that I didn't know - THEN!  But I am a mom and we are usually more clued in to our kids then they think we are.  I do have confidence that each of my children knew they could count on me and trust me.  No matter what, this mom was and will always be on their side.  It is in my blood.

 This is the day Alex left to go on a 2 year mission for our Church.  Again, I could not have made it through these 2 years without a deep faith in a Heavenly Father that I believed would protect our son - and help us to not miss him too much!

As they grew to be young adults, graduated from high school and prepared to go off to college and to serve missions for our Church, I looked forward to this time as well even though the leaving home part would stink.  When you get to this point in your mothering you start to really see and appreciate the results of many years of hard work for you, your spouse and your child and it is so incredibly sweet!  Step back, take a deep breath and really think about all that has happened in your home for the last 18 years or so and how this person or people have grown, excelled, matured, and developed while in your care.  What an awesome thing to think about.

Now that my kids are all out of the house and have started families of their own, my role as mother has changed quite a bit and after all the years of "in the nest" mothering, I am loving the "out of the nest" mothering just as much.  I miss my kids, their spouses and of course the grand kids more than I can say but with every new day comes the opportunity to connect with them and stay in their lives - even though it is long distance right now.  We talk on the phone, share pictures and videos via cell phone, text or email and the best communication of all - Facetime or Skype!  These forms of social media have kept me from high tailing it out of my little town in Pennsylvania and moving to another part of the country!

The beauty of mothering is that it goes on forever and no matter where your kids go, no matter what they end up doing with their lives or who they end up with, you will always be their mother.  This is a job that you can never be fired from, never be let go from or can actually ever really leave and this gives many of us such comfort.  Being a mother is an awesome responsibility and I can't imagine how I would feel if there were a day that it just ended but thankfully, that will never be an issue.  

When our kids do leave the nest, we have had the opportunity to make our mark and hopefully it is a good one.  Whatever your circumstance, wherever you live and no matter what your example of a mother has been, be the best mother YOU can be.  More than anything else your kids just want your attention and love and that is easy to do - you can't really mess that up!

Happy Mothering! 

Read More »

Santa Doesn't Wrap The Presents He Brings You - Who Knew?

 

As Christmas Day gets closer I have been thinking about the traditions that our family have cherished over the years and how they have enriched the fun and excitement of the Christmas season for our kids.  There is one in particular that I am thinking of that I want to share with all of you now - especially those of you who have small children.  When I first became familiar with this tradition though, I was so surprised!

Now if you believe in Santa Clause - STOP READING RIGHT NOW!  This post is strictly for mommies, daddies or non-believers only!  I do not want to be responsible for ruining someone's childhood by giving away a secret here.  

When my husband and I had been married for two years we were preparing for our first Christmas at home with our little boy, Matthew, and we were excited about sharing that day as a family.  When we celebrated our first Christmas with Matthew he was only 6 months old so he was only interested in eating and sleeping and we had traveled to Idaho to spend the holidays with my husbands family.  

This Christmas we were still in school and like most young couples, we did not have a lot of money so things were going to be sparse but we didn't care.  We had each other and our little boy and we were really looking forward to waking up Christmas morning and enjoying the day with him.  

In preparation for that big day we had purchased one or two small gifts for each other and a few for our son.  They were all carefully placed on a shelf in our bedroom closet - not that we needed to hide them because our son was only 1 1/2 years old so he didn't really know what was going on and wouldn't know what to do with a wrapped package anyway.  One morning when my husband headed off to school for the day I was in that Christmas spirit of wanting to decorate, bake, listen to Christmas music and wrap presents and so that is what I did - all day long.

After feeding my son I put him down for a nap and quietly went into my bedroom to grab the presents that were hiding on the top shelf of my closet.  I took the packages out to our living room where I had the wrapping paper, tape and bows waiting for me.  I carefully took each package and one by one wrapped them up taking my time to make sure that each one looked like it had been wrapped by a professional wrapper.  After I finished wrapping each package I carefully placed each one under our tree and marveled at how beautiful it looked.

I spent the rest of the day putting up decorations around our small apartment, baking holiday treats and listening to Christmas music.  It was a wonderful day for me and I will always look back on it with great fondness and affection for that first Christmas with Matthew where he might understand a little about what was going on.

That evening as I was standing in our tiny kitchen preparing dinner I was feeling so accomplished about the day and looking forward to my husband coming home so that I could show him what I had done.  I was excited!

When he walked in the door he put his things down as normal and gave me a hug and a kiss.  We talked for a few minutes and I pointed out all the things I had done that day except the presents under the tree.  I wanted him to notice that himself.  When he finally glanced over at the tree and saw the presents underneath he said, "Are those ALL the presents wrapped and under the tree?"  I told him that they were and asked him if he liked my wrapping job!

 This is little Matthew on Christmas morning.  The very reaction Santa hopes to see on every little persons face!

He looked at me with question in his eyes and asked me where the Santa Claus gifts were and I told him that everything was wrapped and under the tree.  He looked disappointed and I felt bad but more than that, I wondered what he was talking about!  In the house that I grew up in everything was wrapped and hiding in a closet until Christmas eve. 

My husband explained to me that some gifts were supposed to be wrapped and under the tree and that these presents were from and for family members and friends.  Santa Claus gifts did not show up under the tree until early Christmas in the wee hours of the morning and they were certainly not wrapped because Santa does not have time to wrap every single gift that he delivers.  This was the first time I had ever heard this news.  I was shocked!

I was shocked and then I was sad.  I was sad because I felt like I had let my husband down and how could I not know that Santa Claus actually brought gifts and that they were never wrapped?  I was embarrassed and I felt bad about ruining Christmas for my little boy.  
 

Here it is in the middle of the night AFTER we unwrapped the Santa Claus gifts!

My husband could see by the look on my face that I was upset and he quickly came up with a solution.  You won't believe what we did!  When our little Matthew finally fell asleep my husband and I sat down beside our beautifully decorated tree and carefully picked up each package and shook it until we figured out which gift was which.  We then took the few presents that my husband said were supposed to be Santa Claus gifts and unwrapped them and put them back in the closet where they would stay until very early on Christmas morning.  You learn something new every day!

 This was the next day, December 26, 1984, at Gma Meng's house.  See how nicely the Santa Claus gifts are displayed?

 

My eyes were opened to something else new that night that was never a part of my Christmas experience but has been since that time up to this day.  Santa Claus actually sets your gifts out nice and neat in beautiful piles around the tree for each person before he leaves your house!  He also fills your stockings that are hanging on the fireplace or wherever you have them, and places them beside each persons pile of presents.  Crazy!

There is one negative side to all this Christmas prepping and presentation and that is that the mommy and daddy of the house have to be up to help Santa make all this magic happen so that means they have to stay up late OR get up in the middle of the night to help.  Yikes!  That is hard to do!  One year my husband and I fell asleep and didn't wake up until we heard the kids going down the stairs.  We had to tell them to go back to bed while Santa finished up.  Hard to do when the sun is already up!

I have to say that of all the things we do at Christmas time, I think this particular tradition is great.  Even to this day with kids that are  all grown, when they are at home, they expect to see a nice pile of presents just for them sitting around the tree, some presents wrapped and some not wrapped.  It just wouldn't seem like a proper Christmas without this perfect display of Christmas.

It doesn't have to be expensive and it doesn't have to be a lot of gifts.  It is just important for it to look like Santa was there!

Happy Christmas preparations in your home!

Read More »

It's Alright to Take A Break From It All - Even If It's Just For An Hour!

When is the last time you took a break from everything and just focused on yourself?  For most mothers I think this answer would be that they don't spend a lot of time thinking about their next trip to the mall, movie or lunch date with a friend.  They are focused on their children's needs and how they can help them succeed in this world that is sometimes a very difficult place to be in.  Once you have kids, they are your life and that is how it should be. 

Read More »

Happy Birthday, Kathy!

 
Today is my beautiful sister's birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATHY!  Kathy is two years older than I am and most of my childhood memories involve her in some way.  If you have siblings, you know what I mean.  Good, bad or uncomfortable your siblings help to influence the person you eventually become and as you get older, that bond only gets stronger. 

From my very earliest memories in life she is there holding my hand, encouraging me, helping me to not be scared and teasing me - she is there up to that glorious day last month when my daughter was married,  she was there to share in our joy and happiness. I appreciate that more than she knows.

Kathy was there when:

I was hiding under the stairs with our brother Alan at our home in Maryland, using my Easy Bake Oven to cook or bake anything we could sneak out of the kitchen while our parents were not around.  To this day I am surprised that we didn't burn the house down!

I ate a whole package of Ex-Lax as a pre-schooler because I thought it was a candy bar.  She sat with me and talked to me while I rolled around in agony on the couch.  It was awful but she did her best to console me.

Swinging on the swings.  We LOVED to swing and had hours of fun swinging as fast and as high as we could!

Learning to drive a car! 

The week that all of the Washington, D.C. area closed down due to a snowstorm that closed all schools and government offices for a week.  We had so much fun not only playing in the snow but shoveling our very long driveway with our dad and enjoying every moment of the work because we were able to be with him and then loved running inside where mom had made big pans of hot chocolate.  Priceless!

She is in my memory for many other occasions but those early years are really special to me.

Kathy is the mother to these beautiful people who are the light of her life and they are two of the coolest people I know. When you are a young mother you learn that your children help to ground you but as they get older, you KNOW that they balance you in ways that you never even imagined.  Although it is sometimes the toughest job in the world, it is the best.  What a gift to be a mother!

One of the things that I admire about Kathy is her positive attitude.  Yes, she has had tough times and certainly her life has not been easy but I have noticed over the last few years that she continually points out the good in all things and chooses to take the high road.  She is a good person.

Kathy's children are all grown up with spouses and children of their own and doing so well in their chosen fields and in their families.  I am proud of them too and love them very much.

These people complete her life.

Adorable grandsons and

gorgeous grand daughters.   Who wouldn't be hopeful and positive around this bunch?!

I belong to a great family that I love so very much and each one of them has played a very special part in my life and they continue to each day.  Happy Birthday, sweet sister.  I hope that you are enjoying a beautiful day and that the next year will bring you even more joy, laughter and happiness than even you can imagine!

Love,

Becky

Read More »

Mixed Emotions

I never thought it could be possible but it is.  You can actually experience sadness and joy at the same time but it can be a good thing.

This is a picture of my beautiful daughter Jennifer when she was 3 years old and oh my, was she a little princess!  You can't see them very well in this picture but she was always wearing patten leather shoes or saddle shoes and we were never allowed to leave the house without her purse, even though there was never much in it.  She was all about pink, flowers and dresses - until about the time she started middle school.

 

Two weeks ago this now 24 year old married her sweetheart in a beautiful ceremony with family and close friends surrounding them and it truly was one of the sweetest moments of my life.  My joy for Jennifer and Richie was overflowing as I watched and listened as they covenanted with each other and Heavenly Father to be married for time and all eternity and to live their lives in accordance to His will.  It was a glorious day indeed and one that I will reflect on often over the years because it is the beginning of their family and it will be one of the joys of my life to watch them grow together!

Can I just say that giving away a daughter in marriage has been different for me than giving away a son and that it has been hard?  I love my boys with all my heart and I am so happy that they each found wonderful women to share their lives with.  I love their wives like they were my own daughters and I already love Richie like he were my own son.  He is a good and gentle man that will take care of and love Jennifer with his whole heart and he will be faithful to her as she surely will do the same for him.

This post is certainly not meant to make mother's who don't have daughters feel like they are missing out or that their feelings are not as defined and important as what I am trying to express just because they don't have daughters.  I believe that mothers of son's can have the same anxieties and feelings of loneliness that I am trying to express here.   This is just MY experience in dealing with the reality of children growing up - specifically my daughter. 

A few weeks before Richie and Jennifer's wedding day I started feeling some sadness but it is not for the reasons that most might think.  What I have been feeling is hard to explain and I'm not sure that even I can express the emotions that have been flowing through me but I want to try because it has affected me in a way that has moved me deeply as a mother.

Since long before October 24th, 2014 I have thought about and prayed for answers as to why I have been feeling this disconnect and sadness regarding Jennifer that I didn't feel with my sons and I have tried to figure out why this was happening to me.  I want to share a few of the thoughts that have been bumping around in my head but I won't be sharing all of them - just the most important ones that seem to have really kept me thinking! 

Is it because she changed her last name which really changes her identity as a whole and she is now the member of another family too and we take a backseat?  No, I want her to feel loved by everyone and the idea that she has this new and exciting life and wonderful family to join herself with is happy news for me.  They will surely be blessed to have her in their circle and will love the light that she is.  

Am I worried that now I am even further down the chain of people she will seek for advice or call when she has exciting news?  Maybe, nobody wants to feel like they have been demoted but what a blessing for her to have a wonderful mother and father-in-law to lean on and go to when she needs help or in times of joy.  I have also prayed for a good family to share everything with so this can't be the cause of my distress.  

Could it be that I feel like my mothering of her is over because one day she will be a mother herself and that she just doesn't need me in that way anymore?  Perhaps, but if I have done everything in my power to teach her what I think she needs to know to BE a wonderful mother then this should not be a weight on my mind.  Not that I am a great mother, it's just that hopefully in this one responsibility in my life, other than being a wife, I hope that I haven't messed up too badly.  In my mind these are the two most important roles in life.  And she will always need me, right?

Holidays will not be the same.  Jennifer has spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas with us for 24 years - that will now change as she will be spending some holidays with her new family.  If I am truly a giving and loving person I would not feel like I am somehow missing out because of course, it's not all about me, it's about Jennifer, Richie and their happiness!

I have also thought:

Why isn't my husband feeling these same feelings and crying at the drop of a hat?  That just doesn't seem right to me!  

Did this happen to my mother and if so, why didn't she warn me?

I think I know why I have been having trouble and it came to me yesterday as I had the opportunity to just sit in peace and quiet with no interruptions or noise from anything or anyone else.  Are you ready?  It really is a beautiful thing.

My heart is full because I know that all the things that I have prayed for, planned for, hoped for, spent hours preparing for, crying over, being sick over, laughing over and sweating over have now come to pass.  Jennifer is married.  She has done it the right way, in the right place, with the right person and she has completed this most important step in her growth and maturity in this life.  

How could I feel anything more than complete happiness over her?   All these emotions are not because it is a let down after the wedding or a release of stress but a deep and powerful joy that she is where she should be and WITH the person who God created for her.  Nothing beats that feeling for a mother or a father.

I'm grateful that Jennifer found someone to share her life with that will honor, protect, love, support, tease her, do everything he can to make her happy and be her best friend forever.  The look in her eyes when she talks about or sees Richie is beautiful and you can feel that love that she has for him.  She is crazy about him! 

 Cathie Frost Photography

Richie and Jennifer were meant to be together - I have no doubt about that.  They are so supportive of each other in the ways that are most important.  He calms her down when she is anxious and she encourages him when he needs it.  They were best friends first and they both place God as number one in their lives and in their life together and I believe this will help them as they navigate their life through the ups and downs that will surely come their way.   I know that Jennifer is counting on mostly ups!

I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to be her mother, to be with her, to learn from her and see the beautiful young woman she has become and I am thankful for the place that Richie has in her life.


To my other daughter Elizabeth - thanks for not getting married for a while because I'm not sure that I can go through this again in the next year or so!

I love you all!

Read More »

Pre-Wedding Family Fun!

My husband and I just returned from a glorious week in Utah to celebrate the wedding of our daughter to the man that quite simply, as she says, "completes her." In the run up to the wedding we spent several days together as a family with our children, their spouses and their children and it was one of the best weeks of my life. Why did it have to end? I would go back but everyone has now gone home and life has moved on. I know that is a good thing but sometimes it takes a few days to adjust.

I will have pictures of wedding festivities in a few days but until then, here are some photos of our family time.  Priceless!

My little cutie-pie!  She is just the happiest baby.

This is one smiley baby girl!

Holy smokes.  Look at those blue eyes!  

Mr. Smiley.  This is one happy boy!

Twins

Everybody loves Aunt Lizzie.

Riding the train - the most exciting part of the trip for some!

The talker - I LOVED conversing with him about everything!

The charmer - so sweet.

Cousins sharing their toys - a sweet sight to see.

Grandpa was supposed to be wearing these two down but I think it was the other way around!

We are a happy family!

We ended our week here at the Salt Lake Temple with our sweet Jennifer Marie Meng and her prince, Richard Scott Frost and his family.  Wait until you see the pictures - Stunning!

Read More »

I'm the Mother of the Bride!

                

                

Mother of the Bride (MOB) - what a great title!  Like any other major event in my life, I have thought about what this time would be like for years.  I have hoped she would be ready when the time came and even more importantly, I have prayed that the right person was being prepared for her as we were trying to raise a righteous and beautiful woman for the man she would one day marry.  Our prayers have been answered and she has found a wonderful man to share her life with and we love him already!

When my sons were getting married I cherished every moment of my time as the Mother of the Groom and the experience was amazing.  My sons also found beautiful and wonderful women to join their lives with and start their own families - what a glorious and amazing thing to witness.  I love this time of life!  

Now that I am the Mother of the Bride I want to make sure I don't miss anything but since I have never been the Mother of the Bride I thought I should do a little research.  My first thought was what are the specific things that I should be doing to help my daughter and her fiance with the preparations for their special day?

First and foremost, I don't want to step on anyone's toes and do something that I'm not supposed to do.  I checked several websites, talked to a few wedding consultants as well as friends who have helped their daughters through this process and I think I have compiled a list of things that should help any Mother of the Bride. As the time gets closer, the stress level gets higher and it's important that you keep your cool so that your daughter doesn't feed off of your anxiety.  I may have messed this one up already.  Sorry, Jennifer!

Credit for all of the beautiful photos in this post go to Cathie Frost Photography located in Prescott, AZ.  You can find her at www.cathiefrostphotography.com.

Aren't they beautiful together?

Here is what I learned:

1. You would think that every Mother of the Bride would know this but in the excitement of it all you can forget that you have a specific role to be a support and source of strength for your daughter.  Listen to her concerns, her ideas and her excitement no matter how small.  This is the most important day of her life as an emerging adult and she needs you to be a part of it in every way. She will let you know when you are doing too much and she will surely cry out for help when she needs it.  Just listen!
2. If you haven't already, contact and possibly meet the grooms parents.  This will make the arrangements and details easier to handle as parents if you are already familiar with each other.  Plus, the bride and groom will feel more comfortable knowing that you are working together as a team on their special day.
3. Be prepared to serve as the main contact for any and all wedding vendors that need to be coordinated with such as caterers, photographers, florists, reception venues, etc. Making phone calls and getting quotes is a huge part of what you will be doing so make sure you have a good phone plan if you don't live close to where the wedding is going to take place!
4. Of course one of the most important things you will do is to help your daughter pick her wedding dress.  I was not able to be there for my daughter so one of her sweet future sister-in-laws went with her, took pictures and sent them to me so that I could be part of the day. That meant so much to me.  When I noticed a thing or two that I thought might be a concern for Jennifer, I sent a text message to remind her of our conversations so that she would make the right choice for her.  Trying on wedding dresses can be such a fun process that you can lose sight of what you have been dreaming about all your life!
5. Compile names and addresses of family and friends to be included in the guest list for the wedding announcements.  Updating addresses can easily be done through social media such as FaceBook, Twitter and Email by private message so that personal information is not shared with the general public.
6. Let everyone know where the couple is registered.  
7. Help document gifts so that thank you notes can be sent out as soon as the gifts arrive.  This will alleviate a 4 day project of writing thank you notes after the wedding.  Making sure that every single person who sent a gift of any kind or helped with the bridal shower, wedding, reception or any other detail is very important.
8. Attend and help organize the bridal shower, if asked!
9. Working with the bride, decide what you will wear for the big day.  Also, consult with the groom's mother so that you can find dresses that compliment each other rather than clash! 
10. On the day of the wedding, make sure that you are ready in advance of your daughter.  You want to be able to help her get dressed and focus on her before the ceremony.  These will be sweet moments for both of you so be ready! 
11. The Mother of the Bride is the hostess of the reception so it is your job to welcome and greet all guests.  It's a tough job but someone has to do it!
12. This should really be at the top of the list but I like it at the end because of all things you need to do for your daughter, this is the most important.  Tell your daughter every time you talk to her while you are helping to plan the wedding how special she is and that she is the most beautiful bride you have ever seen! Talk to her about how important this day is for you too and that you will do everything you can to make it the most wonderful day of her life and her fiance's.  The more you say it the more she will trust in it and it will be a gentle reminder to you to keep it all in perspective. That is most definitely your job!

I love you, Jennifer.  Your next, Elizabeth!

Happy wedding planning!  

Read More »