A Near Perfect Summer Evening

I've made some wonderful friends over the last 5+ years I have been involved in the Power of Moms organization. These three ladies, have been my friends from the beginning. I love so much about them.

Saren Loosli, Koni Smith, me, Allyson Reynolds

(This is a picture of a cell phone picture. Somehow whoever got the "original" on their phone didn't send it to me! I'm quite certain it was Saren or Allyson-so it serves them right for being sort of cut of!)

I've individually spent hours with each of these ladies outside of Power of Moms stuff, but we've never spent time all together... Until this summer!  A few weeks ago we had a glorious summer evening together with our husbands and families. The children got along wonderfully, and the adults of course did too.

I had no idea the animals were going to be as big of a hit as they were

(I'm quite certain Megan is retrieving hay from her shirt, furthermore, I'm quite certain she'd be appalled I'm posting this photo!)

Much to my chagrin, even the adults ended up admiring the animals! I'm not quite sure how I feel about attempted dinner parties of mine turning into livestock admiring events. But such is my life now. I must get used to it.

 Our human sling-shot provided lots of fun! Even the moms and dads took a turn participating in the risky fun. Such a fun homemade investment I made 6+ summers ago!

 Before too long, an impromptu talent show occurred in my music room! Guitar solos, harp solos, some piano and even a little singing! Loved it!!!

Great evening! Definitely on all of our to-do lists to be repeated.

A near perfect summer evening.

Good Women in a Matter of Days

Wow! What a wonderful few days I have had. I am quite in awe at the quality conversations, moments and time I have spent with some of the best women life has to offer.

Back in November, my dear friend Koni asked me if I would be her assistant for a hospitality committee for the annual BYU Women's Conference. I've never attended the conference before, but after a couple of weeks of really thinking about it, I accepted her offer. Last week, all the trainings and meetings regarding our hospitality roles were put to the test. I've opted to leave my conference experiences to my personal journal instead of here, but suffice it to say, it was an amazing two days.

(We were soooo busy on Thursday. We were responsible for the guests at the Marriott Center, which is a LARGE venue. We spent the whole day on our feet running from here to there, and this was the only shot we got of us looking official in our "uniform." Too bad Koni's eyes are closed.)

I loved spending time with two dear friends, Koni and Allyson. Our paths met through Power of Moms, but it was fun to work with them in an entirely different women's venue.

(I think this is a picture of a picture--thus the blurriness.)

I LOVED running into this friend of mine from high school. Sharie was my best friend during much of my 10th grade year. I have fond memories of countless hours spent at her house. Sadly, as high school girls sometimes do, our friendship sort of fizzled at the beginning of 11th grade. I'm not sure I've seen her in person since high school, but when I looked over and saw her and her sister at a nearby photo booth, I couldn't contain my excitement. Loved seeing her!!

(Sharie and Tiffany)

This is a dear friend of Koni's. She is originally from Spain, and now lives in Washington. She came to Utah to help with the conference, and slept at Koni's house the same night as I did. Koni fell asleep early, and Mayte and I were left to visit with each other. I'm so grateful for the few hours of conversation with this lady. Wow! Truly, a woman of faith. We woke up on Friday morning, and each went into a different bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. When we met for breakfast, we were dressed as twins!

Friday night was the Power of Moms board meeting in Park City. I love the opportunity I have to work with so many top notch ladies. I will be forever grateful for my association with Power of Moms and the friendships it has given me.

(This is by no means all of the board--just the ones in attendance on Friday night.)

Not sure I could even begin to describe my feelings for these four ladies. I'll just say I love them. Truly, and deeply I love them. There are some lives whose paths are just meant to cross. These are some of them for me.

I have no idea why my face is tilted the way it is, and with a fake-looking smile. Rest assured, everyone laughed at me (with me?) when Rachelle showed it to us on her camera. We got NOWHERE near enough sleep on Friday night, but our time together laughing until our bellies hurt was well worth the hangover the next day.

(Koni, Rachelle, Allyson, Alisha, Tiffany)

(Shout out to my friend, Cheryl who took the above photo. She's one of my favorite women too, I just didn't get a photo with her THIS time.)

Proof we didn't get enough sleep on Friday night. Why yes, these naps just may happened to have occurred while speakers were speaking on Saturday.

Completely separate from my time at Women's Conference or at the Power of Moms retreat, was the lunch I had with this friend on Monday. In full honesty here, for a few specific reasons, I have never been a big fan of the visiting teaching program in the LDS church. But I think my opinion of it is slowly changing. If it wasn't for that program, my life would never have intersected with this dear friend.

My friendship with Breeanne began just shy of a year ago. Our lives are so very different, yet so strikingly similar. When I think of the time I have spent with Breeanne, our conversations and our text exchanges, I think of two women navigating through life, and the importance of women supporting and loving each other. Breeanne no longer lives in my neighborhood, but when we met up for lunch on Monday, I was reminded what a blessing she is in my life.

(Breeanne and Tiffany)

As much as I would love to do a great blog post about the influential women and friends in my life, I likely never will. But believe me, my personal journal and my gratitude journal are filled often with  mention of women that I feel blessed to know and love. I'm really not much of a chit-chatter. I'm not as friendly as I should be with those I don't know well, but I'm trying to do better at that. The older I get, and the more women I meet, I realize how true it is that everyone of us has our own story. Our own paths, our own lives, our own challenges and joys. And what a true blessing it is when those things are shared with another.

“We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another, and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together.

~Lucy Mack Smith

Great Moms in Davis County

I spent Saturday with some wonderful mothers in Davis County, UT! I've been to more Power of Moms Retreats than I can count, but I have to say, this one was one of my favorites! Those mothers!!!!

These ones were some of the best.

I know I say it after every Power of Moms Retreat, but there is nothing like being in a room full of deliberate mothers. There is always so much focus, energy, and optimism about the role of motherhood, and I love it.

In the week leading up to the retreat, I spent a lot of time vacillating about whether or not this was possibly one of my last Power of Moms Retreat. There are some other opportunities I'm feeling drawn to right now too. But the fact will always remain...that I have a strong passion for motherhood and mothers in general. We are a mighty powerful force, together shaping the future of society. I feel blessed that for over 4 years, I have had so many opportunities to rub shoulders with some truly great mothers.

I so wish I had thought to take a picture of Lori Conger and me together! She was my co-presenter and a great mother! This is our second event to present together...boy do I love her! I have much to learn from her.

One of my favorite parts of the retreats is listening to the small group discussions, and looking at mothers' faces as they speak of things so dear to them.

 Motherhood is hard. But it is also so beautiful and joyous. I love that these mothers feel the same.

I wish we had thought to take the group photo at lunch time. A few people had to leave at different times during the afternoon, but this group still represents the fabulous group we had at the retreat.

As always, my thoughts return to the quote by Helen Keller that I know I think about after every retreat,

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."

I'm quite certain, that if circumstances allowed for mothers to meet together in groups like this weekly, we could quite possibly, solve every mothering problem out there. That many deliberate mothers together, supporting and encouraging each other is a powerful thing.

Motherhood Realized...

It was no less exciting to open the package with the second book I'm a part of, as it was the first. Although, we have yet to make it to Baskin Robins as a family to celebrate like we did the first time around. (And believe me, one of my children keeps reminding me of that fact!)

The week of the book launch was exciting, as I've mentioned before. Motherhood Realized made it to #27 of ALL the books sold on Amazon. It fell shy of making the NYT list the first week, but still, what an accomplishment! (It still could make the list in the upcoming weeks.) It hit bookstores on April 3rd, and I'm going to make a trip to my own Costco and Barnes and Nobles soon to see it in person on a shelf.

I'll be doing a few upcoming book signings at the Costco in West Bountiful and Lehi in the coming weeks, but will miss a book signing at Kings English (darn! it's a fabulous book shop!) in May due to being out of town.

(a few of the authors in the Motherhood Realized book)

I did however love the Book Launch event the Power of Moms put on last week in SLC. It was a wonderful evening. There was so much good food for thought, but my very favorite take-away came from a recent friend and mentor, Ingrid, who gave some wise advice. "Just keep showing up each day."

Some days it seems all I do is "show up", and there are some days I not only show up, but actually perform too!

Just yesterday someone joked that I must have "most of the answers". Of course I laughed! It coincidentally coincided with a text from a wise, wise friend and mother whom I absolutely admire, expressing her frustration with some mothering difficulties of her own. I'm a firm believer that very few (if any) mothers have most of the answers. Motherhood is difficult and challenging, yet it is mixed together with such beauty and loveliness that it comes together like a magical kaleidoscope--a beautiful result made up from a little of everything.

I love that I have friends and fellow mothers to share in the experience with. Some of my best learning and encouragement come from friends and fellow mothers. Two of these dear friends shared the Book Launch evening with me. Love them!

(Dear friends, Melanie and Kari)

The friend that text me yesterday wasn't exactly asking for any advice (she surely knows I have little to give), she was simply asking for some validation and support that she is not alone. No mother is! I hope every single mother alive knows that. That's one of my favorite things about Power of Moms events...seeing mothers faces and lives light up when they realize, there is a giant support group of women that are committed to being in this motherhood thing together and helping one another along the way.

Even if some days, the advice is simply to keep "showing up." 

Smiles Amid Barfs

We've had the stomach flu around here, and it hasn't been pretty. Megan is the only one that has escaped it so far. Mike and I had some kind of deranged synchronized throw-up schedule yesterday. We laid in bed together ALL day, with the exception of when we would each run to a separate bathroom/bucket. If we hadn't been so sick, I think we would have laughed at the synchronization. It was by far the most un-romantic amount of time Mike and I have ever spent together.

Things really went down hill around mid-day when Drew started throwing up too. Except Drew had it coming from both ends. Mike and I took unspoken turns helping him out. I'm not sure what made me cry more, the fact that it seems completely unfair that mothers are allowed to get sick, or the fact our little 4 year old nurse was now down for the count himself, and no longer at our beck and call.

Drew was asleep on the couch in our bedroom, and Mike and I were resting in bed when the germaphobe of the family, Megan came home from school. She promptly entered and exited our room in one motion, claiming she was closing and locking our bedroom doors and asked that we stay in our rooms. She then promptly began to Lysol the whole house. I was settling back into bed after another meeting of my head to a bucket and just beginning to think how silent and peaceful the afternoon routine would be with aforementioned germaphobe taking charge and not allowing anyone to interact with the sick parents (and Drew)...

When suddenly, I heard a loud commotion. This time it wasn't Mike and his throwing up (that can be heard from miles away), it was Luke arriving at the front door and yelling, "Ellie is throwing up on the bus RIGHT NOW."

I can't even remember if I started laughing or crying. It's kind of all a blur now. Luke started barfing a few hours later.

On the bright side to our otherwise not so bright day, I was receiving several emails and notifications about the new book I am a part of that was just released on Monday. Motherhood Realized: An inspiring anthology for the hardest job you'll ever love.  The initial success has been extraordinary! It is now #1 in "Motherhood" books on Amazon and yesterday afternoon was #122 in ALL of the books on Amazon. It was also on Amazon's Movers and Shakers List yesterday.

(Can you see it down there on the bottom right?)

Motherhood is far from glamorous. I can attest to that from personal experience yesterday and now today, as 6 out of  7 of us have dealt with the stomach flu. It seems sort of a funny twist of irony that amid the diarrhea and throw-up of the day, the book I'm an author in with the subtitle, "An inspiring anthology for the hardest job you'll ever love" was racing up the charts.

It certainly gave Mike and I something to smile about yesterday as we jointly parented together during times there wasn't much else to smile about.



Book Info:
Hop on over to Amazon HERE and buy a copy of the book! Or buy two or three or more! Buy one for the moms you know that would love it. We are focusing on generating orders THIS WEEK, by Saturday, March 29th. (That's what helps rank us high in lists and can potentially help us get on the NYT list.) Mother's Day is coming up in 6 weeks or so...buy one and save it for the moms you love.

Mothers in Albuquerque

Of all of the Power of Moms Retreats I have participated in, it seemed that the weeks leading up to the Albuquerque retreat experienced the most "hic-cups." There were a few times that we had to think seriously about whether or not to carry through with it, but I felt an underlying feeling that the Power of Moms ABQ retreat needed to go on.

And it did...

Beautifully!

I was able to travel and present with Cheryl Cardall. This was her first time presenting at a Power of Moms Retreat and she did great! She has a passion for teaching and it showed.

These ladies made the ABQ retreat happen! Jen and Emily (on the left) attended the Phoenix retreat last fall and expressed an interest in bringing one to their hometown! And we did! Angela jumped on board to help make it happen too. Their efforts were endless. I've been involved in a lot of POM retreats, and I have to say I've never quite seen the diligence and hard work before that they put into making this happen. They never let the bumps in the road deter them. I give full credit to Jen, Emily and Angela for making the Albuquerque Retreat happen!

This lady, Barbara was our gracious host. We love to hold our Power of Moms Retreats in homes. As we talk about our families, and the things dearest to us, it is always nice to be sitting within the walls of an inviting home. Barbara's children are now grown, and we benefited from some of her wisdom and advice.

And just look at these darling babies that were part of the day! (One more left before this photo.) I love having babies in attendance at some of these retreats. It brings so many things into perspective as we see mothers in action...balancing note-taking and listening with the demands of diapers, feeding, rocking, and comforting.

The feeling it the room was powerful as we spent the day together discussing motherhood. Again, I was reminded first-hand how many wonderful women are out there in the world. I feel so privileged that I get to spend time with them so frequently. I loved the beautiful thoughts shared at the end of the day by a couple of our participants. Truly, heart-felt expressions of love and appreciation for not only motherhood, but for all of the other deliberate mothers around them.

I LOVED what one of our dear attendees, Angela who I now am happy to call a dear friend, said on Facebook the day after the retreat,

"There is something about surrounding myself with amazing women, phenomenal but imperfect mothers, that makes me feel like I am not as far as I thought I was from my end goal. Came home to my kitchen spotless and the kids happy. Perfect weekend! I am blessed."

It isn't likely that all of our attendees returned home to a spotless kitchen, (I returned home to my 6 year old having the stomach flu!) but I do hope these mothers returned home feeling as though that are wonderfully, imperfect, deliberate mothers who are doing a fabulous job in their small corners of the world.

Motherhood is beautiful. It is also hard and challenging. But there is something about these Power of Moms Retreats that always leave me feeling as though I really can conquer the difficult days ahead. Despite waking up early on Sunday morning with the need to hand my 6 year old a bucket to throw-up in, I realized this is what motherhood really is. Motherhood is the good mixed with the bad. The difficult mixed with the easy. The sad mixed with the happy, and the frustrations mixed with peace. And somehow all those juxtapositions turn motherhood into something beautiful and meaningful.

When I saw this photo, I teared up when I saw the little baby on the front row looking behind him. It's as though he is looking  in awe and wonder at all those deliberate mothers behind him!

Here's to the mom's in Albuquerque...
Love them!

PS-
In addition to an uplifting day meeting with some wonderful women, all of my prep work for the Power of Moms Albuquerque retreat finally taught me how to spell ALBUQUERQUE correct the FIRST time. Believe me, it took A LOT of times typing that word over the past 6 weeks or so to finally master that spelling the first time.

Powerful Moms

Last year when I was leaving the Phoenix Power of Moms Retreat, my friend asked, "Why don't more retreats happen in Utah?" I didn't have a great answer for her, but as soon as Allyson Reynolds approached me and asked about doing a retreat together this spring, I knew I couldn't turn down the opportunity!

What a wonderful day spent presenting with THE Allyson Reynolds last Saturday at a beautiful home in Utah County.

And what a fabulous day spent with these incredible ladies!

Sometimes motherhood is discouraging. As always seems to be the case right before a retreat, last week was a crazy week. There were numerous occasions I was reminded how absolutely unqualified I feel to stand in front of a group of mothers promoting motherhood. In fact, just the night before, I had one of those "motherhood moments" that I felt as though I surely needed to turn in my resignation to the Power of Moms organization.

But then I spent a day with mothers that know exactly what I'm up against some days. Mothers who have the same deep and abiding desires that I do to be a good mother. Yet mothers who absolutely know and understand the hard days and moments that thwart those desires. Motherhood is hard. But in the same vein, it is beautiful and wonderful. Truly a privilege.

I wish I had taken more photos of the day. Photos of mothers laughing together, some crying together, and some sitting around a table sharing advice and ideas. There is something so powerful about being in a room with 50 deliberate mothers.

(Instead all I got was this photo taken at the end of the day. I always love seeing the small groups gather at the end as we say our goodbyes.)

I've been to a lot of Power of Moms retreats in the past few years, and I have loved every single one of them. And until Saturday, I don't think I could have pinpointed an absolute favorite thing about a retreat. But I can now...

This guy.

Mike from Mia's Italian Ice in Lehi.

It wasn't the free afternoon treats that he brought us, or the $50 worth of gift certificates he gave to us to give away that propelled him to my favorite POM retreat experience thus far. 

It was him standing in front of almost 50 mothers, and sharing his love and respect for mothers! He shared a personal experience of his mother and grandmother, and his poignant message probably touched every mother in the room. He was so genuine and sincere in his praises for mothers...it went far beyond a marketing ploy.

(Please, go to their Facebook page and "like". And if you're in the Lehi area, go to his store! Definitely taking my family there next time we are in the neighborhood.)

I wish I had taken a photo of all of our Power of Moms trainers that we had in attendance. But we forgot until the end when we were the only ones left.

I love that Power of Moms trainers don't claim to be any experts. We are simply mothers who love motherhood and want to help encourage and lift other mothers. We facilitate the discussions, and give a few ideas, but the greatest moments come as we learn from each other in attendance.

As I drove home on Saturday night, I couldn't help but think of April and Saren and their individual dreams they had that eventually brought them together and has made Power of Moms what it is today! The website is a wonderful resource, and there is so much great stuff on there. But the in-person retreats and mini-retreats? Nothing can quite compare to a group of mothers sitting together in the same room sharing experiences, feelings and stories that are dear to their hearts. It is a powerful thing!

Following each Power of Moms retreat, I am reminded me of the quote by Helen Keller...

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." 

Mothers supporting mothers is a prime example.

Love Power of Moms!

Arizona Mothers

Sometimes motherhood seems hard. Some days I wonder what in the world I can possibly do to help one of my children through an issue, or other days I wonder how I can feel more peace in my day-to-day life. Some days I want to curl up in a hole and hibernate for a season.

Other days, motherhood seems like an absolute dream job. Hand-written notes show up on my pillow, slobbery kisses grace my cheek, a teenager tells me she thinks I'm a "dang good parent", and general feelings of peace and joy fill our home.

Too often there are weeks where the hard days outweigh the dream days. Last week was a little bit like that for me, and so a Power of Moms retreat in Phoenix, AZ was a near perfect way to end the week.

So often during the hard days of motherhood, when I feel discouraged and allow myself to think I'm the only one in the world who ever feels that way, I remember I am not. I KNOW all over the world there are mothers who at times feel the exact same way.

That's what I love about what I get to do as a Power of Moms trainer... I absolutely LOVE the opportunity I have to meet so many other mothers and learn together with them. These mothers love their children. They love motherhood despite the difficult days. They can laugh, they can cry, they can learn and they can teach.
I feel beyond blessed to have spent a day learning from them.

Jonelle Hughes was a dream to present with. What a great lady. She has such a clamness and peace about her that I want to incorporate more into my own life.

One day I will have a photo of me presenting without using my hands!

What a thrill to have had my cousins in attendance!

Actually, my father-in-law and her dad are cousins, and so who knows what that makes us exactly, but LOVE dear Jennifer.

My favorite parts of the retreats is seeing women together in small groups discussing motherhood. The feeling in that room is indescribable as I take a few moments to stand back and simply observe.

Not sure why Jonelle, Maurie and I didn't get a better photo together, but these ladies? A definite MUST for a future trip together. Love them.

When I think about the time I spent in Phoenix the last couple of days, I am reminded of a quote by Helen Keller, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." A group of mothers sitting together in a room together, is a powerful, powerful thing.

(photo courtesy of Jonelle Hughes)

Love these opportunities!