Happy Mother's Day - from Jessica

How does one describe their Mother-in-law? Probably the most difficult question for an in-law. This politically correct culture has taken this revered spot and turned it into something farcical and ridiculous. So yes, the ultimate question, how does one describe their Mother-in-law, without offending the general public?In fact, Mothers-in-law are a mysterious fortune. They are the women who have reared our spouses from infancy--stayed awake with our husbands and wives when they couldn't sleep, healed their wounds, read them stories, did their laundry, and took care of every need. Without them, we would not be married to good strong people who follow their mother's example in taking care of their own family, and loving them so well. So, in this we have fortune #1.

Fortune #2 is purely selfish: we have a wealth of knowledge at our finger-tips each time we visit grandma, not only someone to hug and kiss our own babies. And what a better trove of knowledge than my own Mother-in-law: Dianne. What young mom wouldn't want the mother of eight kids as her own mentor? Or the old Regional store house rep for her personal knowledge base? Or the brave lady who single-handedly made her own bread each week--to feed those eight kids? She sews, does genealogy, sings, dances, plays the piano, and has a knack for making everyone feel at home and loved wherever we might be, just as long as she is around.

And Fortune #3--possibly a little selfish too, but c'est la vie!-- Someone to love our children as much as we do ourselves. Let's face it, our kids our always excited to visit grandma's house. They rhapsodize about it all the long way home. And we know what it's like, because we did it ourselves. And because grandma loves our children so well, we, the in-law feel loved and accepted by her just the same. It would seem, then, that the mother-in-law/grandma assumes the awesome task of bridging the gap between two stranger families to make them one. She is the "in" in "In-law".So world, you who are so politically minded, easily swayed by the winds of change, time, and temperance, we will make our own definition of "Mother-in-law". One that is three-fold: she prepares a way for our happiness through raising her own children, she provides us with knowledge gained over a life-time, and she makes strangers into friends and loved ones. And that, strange world, is a mysterious fortune.

Love Jessica

Happy Mother's Day - from Scot

For Mom on Mothers' Day,Happy Mother's Day! Even though I am not home to see you in person, Mom, I still want you to know that I love you and miss you. It is amazing but not surprising to me that you and Dad serve in the temple each week; I am grateful for the strong example that you and Dad have always provided for me throughout the years. The gospel is a marvelous thing, and I thank you for your testimony.Perhaps the best and greatest gift I can offer you today is the love and gratitude of members, converts, and friends that I received and felt upon returning to Chihuahua where I served my mission. The experiences I had were simple and probably not overly interesting to anyone else but Bryce Craig and me. But to feel the love of a people that I used to serve constantly was overwhelming. Yes, people remembered us; yes, they missed us; and yes, they loved us for the hard work, example, and love that we showed them. I do not wish to speak so vaguely, but one example will suffice: Laura Fierro Munoz. After church one day, a less active member wanted to take me to give a blessing to his dying brother-in-law. Elder Craig and I quickly set up an exchange so that we would be able to do so while maintaining our previous plans. When I arrived at the home of the brother-in-law, the whole family was waiting for me. I gave the brother-in-law, Memo, a blessing and proceeded to teach a simple lesson about the church and the restoration. The family was very kind and generous, and from that point on, Elder Craig and I taught Memo and his niece, Laura, the missonary lessons. Memo started a miraculous recovery from cirrhosis of the liver while Laura was diligent in reading the Book of Mormon. Both were soon baptized and within a short time, I had finished my mission. Laura was a surprise. She was the only person to ever stay in contact with me on a consistent basis since the mission. She was baptized at age 23, and I wondered how she would fare in the outside world without having other active members in her home. Nevertheless, she continued to send emails and pictures every month or so. She was working hard in her studies of dentistry as well as being active with the young, single adults. Later, she was surprised and a bit overwhelmed to be called as a counselor in the young women's presidency. Again, after several months, she told me that she had been called to be the young women's president. I thought it amazing that quiet Laura had independently gained such a strong testimony and such a strong desire to serve. About a month ago, she told me of her intentions to serve a mission.
Laura is now 26. She is still single and the only active member in her family, yet she has been strongly active in the church for 3 years. She is almost done with a degree in odontologia (something like dentistry) while also being active in young, single adult activities and serving as the young women's president in her ward. Her mission papers have been submitted, and I gathered from one conversation that she also received her patriarchal blessing and reads it often. She hopes to one day be married in the temple as well as have the rest of her family join the church. What a great example to me, and I am the missionary that baptized her. She is a small, cute, and quiet woman, and yet her example and strength are overwhelming. I was told by other members that Elder Uchtdorf (an apostle at the time) came to visit Chihuahua for a change in stake leadership several months ago. Laura was given the opportunity of providing the opening prayer at the meeting, and although all were nervous as to how she would do, everyone said that it was a surprisingly beautiful prayer. Immediately after, as she went to sit down, Elder Uchtdorf took her hand, smiled, and thanked her. Amazing. I haven't ever shaken Elder Uchtdorf's hand, but Laura has, and I know she is stronger from this simple experience.Well Mom, on this Mothers' Day, I want to remind you not only of the impact you have had for good in my life but of the impact you have had for good in the lives of others through me. You know how grateful and even still overwhelmed I feel for the chance I had to serve in Chihuahua, Mexico. Thank you for helping me be prepared for such a time, though I wasn't perfect, to tangibly witness the Spirit and blessings of the Lord to His people. Thank you for your service to me, for your teachings, for your love. In a way, you already have served several missions and touched hundreds of lives, through every one of us kids.Happy Mother's Day and I love you!
Scot

Happy Mother's Day Mom - from Chris cont...

Happy Mother's Day - from Chris

Happy Mother's Day Mom - from Renaye

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!

I look back fondly on my very early memories of you...the best being those in Grand Island.

I remember putting out a sheet or blanket on the back lawn, having a picnic lunch and then reading some books...you would often doze off in the sun!!! When we didn't do this outside, we would eat lunch inside and then climb up on your bed to read. When you fell asleep, RaeAnna and I would get the combs and brushes and do your hair as you slept...we loved your hair!!!

I remember planting a small garden in the back too and we each (the girls) had our own little flower bed with our choice of seeds...I think mine was Marigolds and Rebecca's was Morning Glory...i don't remember the others.

I don't know if it was a one time thing, but I remember you making Fruit leather! You whipped up the recipe and then poured it in cookie trays and left it outside on the back porch in the sun to dry....I thought that was the neatest thing!

I also thought it was neat that you could sew all our clothes! I loved wearing matching dresses and pajamas with my sisters...often I couldn't wait to get the hand-me-down from RaeLyn that you had made! I think we were in some fashion shows too wearing the clothes you had made.

I remember you singing all the time or playing the piano. You always played "Spinning Song" and one other that I don't remember the title....also all the Rogers and Hammerstein songs. And of course, there were the trips to "My Fair Lady" rehersals! What fun that was to see you practice and then later on stage!

I remember you making bread too....that huge dough ball that you would kneed! I thought that was an amazing feat to be able to handle all that dough at once! And I remember grinding wheat with you too....I loved watching the wheat kernals go down that hole in the top and then opening the drawer at the bottom with all that fresh, warm flour in it....you would always try to keep our hands out of that!

In all these memories, I felt your love and felt secure in knowing that all these things you did, in some way, for me. I now have these wonderful memories as examples of how a loving, dedicated Mother is to be.....always there for my children in whatever creative way possible.

I love you MOM!!! Happy Mothers Day to you!!!

Love, Renaye

Happy Mother's Day - from Rebecca

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Here's hoping that you have a wonderful day. I am grateful to have you as my mother. You have always been a great example to me and I hope that I will one day be able to follow in your footsteps.

Just a few thoughts that come to mind:

- Primary chorister - In all the wards I've been in, I don't think I've ever had a primary chorister that was as effective, interesting or creative as you were when you lead us in primary in Nebraska and Michigan. I remember that you were very fair because I was often sad that you wouldn't pick on me for some songs. I thought being your daughter would help. Ha. But, I do remember that I did like the song on "B-249" which I think was the "Kindness begins with me" song.

- "Stop and Turn Around" - for some reason I always remember that little lesson on repentance and I just shared it with my primary class last week. You would put your hand out in front of you and say "Stop" (with that look in your eyes in the picture on Brett's entry) and then dramatically turn your hand around.

- Reading books - I remember you reading a lot to us and falling asleep before all of us. We would shake you and try to wake you up to finish reading the book. Sometimes it would work and sometimes you would just keep drifting off.

- Singing - I don't know anyone that has a mom that turns up the music and goes around the house singing and dancing. But, a man in the hallway at work puts his music up loud and sometimes gets so caught up in it that he starts singing along. I'm the only person that isn't bothered by it. I told him that it made me feel at home to hear him singing along to an opera or musical. It always made the home feel like there was so much energy and love even if there was sometimes yelling in the background somewhere in the house. (-:

- Organization - I think I inherited some things just by being around Mom. There were books with appliance manuals, books with emergency preparedness, books with photo albums, books of babies, books of letters written, etc. I really haven't seen anything like it anywhere else. I still want to create a "Plan with Dianne" website so she can share all this information with everyone.

- Talks - now I especially enjoy my weekly two hour talks with Mom about politics, beliefs, insights, ideas, etc. It doesn't even matter if we agree or not, it's just fun to talk. Of course, I have to do this on the weekend while I'm walking because conversations during the week I can't respond as fast in conversation.

- Priorities - Mom always seems to have her priorities straight and is bold in declaring them.

All in all, lots of wonderful memories and thoughts. There are more, but that can be another entry.

I love you Mom!

Rebecca

Happy Mother's Day - from Brett

No clue if i'm doin this right, so here goes! I was just recalling the other day how Mom always gave us boys (probably not the girls, because they were "angels" as children HA!) that look that made you feel guilty for doing something wrong. Especially when you took cookies she had made for some other family hahaha oohhh good times. well this all for today, because I dont know if this worked and this is a really funky keyboard at Scot's house, and it is hard to use. Love you Mom.


Another memory - I remember when we still kept the piano in the family room and the computer was behind it. I was playing with the then new digital camera and i turned on some music. I turned on a song and Mom started dancing. Dianne Dynamite was born!!!
View at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3965831392400752199&q=rebecker89&hl=en

Additional Submission:

I must admit that Chris's video brought me to extreme tears. Especially the videos. It helped me remember the "good old days" and of course, Mom. I remember Mom getting me ready to go to Hinkle Creek for the first time. She was the cool Mom, supplying me with my awesome new shoes and my retro teal plastic fiber backpack. Mom always had my schooling in mind and often would buy extra Math books to help me in the subject I still struggle in. I remember the few times I would come home in tears because my clothes weren't cool enough at school and I felt like cheap white trash that lived behind McMillans auto shop. But after many hugs and squeezes I left Mom's arms feeling back at home again. I also recall (with tears even now in my eyes) my senior smiw sectionals. I had just swam the 100 back and had gotten second and thus sectional runner-up. After similar races before, I remember the look of her satisfaction, yet sympathy for my sub-par performance. But that day there was a different look. It was pure prided and happiness for me. For me giving my all inspite of a season altering injury and a career ending swim. My tears added volume to the pool as I warmed down after my race, knowing that eventhough I had gotten second, her eyes shined like I had gotten first. It is a very emotional memory for me. We all know and revere her smile, laugh, attitude (good), spirituality, and genuine love. But above all I must draw our attention to a subtle and (yes Dad, here it comes) symbolic thing about Mom.

I remember Mom's hands.

The hands that held us for the first time, fed us for the first time, shushed us for the first time. The hands that pointed the way to primary, and the way to school. The hands that gave us lunch money, and the hands that made us meals. I remember the hands red from heat, and pruny from the long hours spent washing all our dishes. I remember the hands that spanked us all, and hugged us all. Vividly I remember the hands that sent shivers throughout your entire body when they crept underneath our shirts, only to be followed by a smile and a giggle from Mom. I remember the hands that clapped for me at my wrestling matches, my swim meets, my football games, my track meets, my rugby games (no matter the outcome or how I felt she was always there with a smile and hug), my awards banquets, my Scout Courts of Honor, and my graduation from Seminary and High School. I remember the hands that hugged me goodbye as I was whisked off to BYU, and welcomed me back home again. I now see the hands, that have always been guiding me, clearly in my mind. They are now pointing me in a new direction. They are hastening me forward into the service of the Lord. They do not push or shove, force or coax, they merely invite. The choice is left solely to me, but the hands are not shy in showing that they long for me to go. And so I go, and offer my hands to the Lord and His work so that I might remind others of His hands. Mom, I remember, and will always remember, your hands, weathered and worn, yet delicate and soft. You have always been there for me Mom, even when I went on blind rages and got angry far too easily. But your maternal example of forgiveness taught me to be forgiving, and patient.

Thank you. I love you, Mom.