Tag Archives: unconditional love

What “Father” Means To Me

As a little girl one of my earliest memories of my Dad was how he’d tuck me in bed at night and I’d make him check inside my closet to ensure there weren’t any monsters there. Once Dad had performed his safety check I would know it was safe to go to sleep.  My Dad […]

Mothers Deserve To Be Celebrated Every Day

There are no words to adequately express the tender feelings I have toward my Mother on Mother’s Day. She gave birth to and raised ten children, doing so much of the time alone because my Dad’s job required him to travel significantly. Not only that but my Dads work required our family be moved every […]

The Greatest Gift A Father Can Give His Daughter

The most influential man in my life turned 82 years old over the weekend. That man is my Father, Gerald Rees.  He is my rock, my exemplar, my advisor, my hero, and my friend. He taught me that that I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to if I am willing to […]

Gift Ideas For Mothers’ Day That Show Appreciation

Nothing can choke people up faster than talk about their love for their Mothers. That’s because its really overwhelming to consider the tremendous sacrifice that our Mothers make for us. They bring us into this world at a huge cost to their physical bodies and then they literally care for our every need in life […]

The Pedigree Of Your Spirit Can Be Written On A Single Line

“However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are a child of God!”   -Boyd K. Packer That quote is so powerful! It’s like every time I read it a little voice in my head whispers, […]

As Much As Things Change, Some Things Will Always Stay The Same

The last day of August. I can’t believe summer is coming to an end. As sad as that is, I have to admit I am kind of excited for Fall. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. Of course my birthday coming up in September and the fact I’ve convinced my family we […]

There Is No Such Thing As Just A Mom

Whenever someone asks a woman what she does and she replies, “I’m just a Mom” I want to yell out – “There is no such thing as JUST a Mom!” When I look back at my life there is nothing I have experienced that is more challenging nor rewarding than that of being a Mother. […]

Protect that what you value most

When my two children were young they started calling me “Mama Bear” because they knew their Mama would fight fiercely to protect her two little cubs. That’s because we protect what we value most, and my kids have always been what I value most. Becoming a parent is one of the most surreal experiences in […]

Principles of Peace – An Easter Message

Peace…We can’t turn on the TV news or listen to the radio without hearing daily reports of worldwide tragedies, of acts of hatred and terror, of wars and rumors of wars. There is not much peace to be found in those reports. And on top of that we are all going through our own personal […]

God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want

“Whether we like it or not, God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want.”  C.S.Lewis I was recently talking with a friend who had a plan they had made for themselves and they had done all in their power to make it happen. But despite their best efforts […]

My Christmas Gift To You

Given that this blog is the last one you will read before you celebrate Christmas Day I felt it only appropriate that in today’s blog I should give you your Christmas Gift from me. As I thought through what I could possibly give that would be meaningful to each of you and that could have […]

Dads. Our First Love and our Forever Heroes.

Happy Father’s Day to all the Fathers out there! How do we even begin to pay tribute to all the men out there who grew up to be amazing Dads?! I have come to learn that any man can make a baby, but it takes a true man to raise a child. A Dad isn’t defined […]

“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.”

“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.” – Bill Waterson I LOVE that quote! My son, who is a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan, sent it to me once right before we were heading on a trip to Lake Powell (our favorite place on earth!), […]

Life Is Better With Friends

I have learned through the years that family isn’t just made up of blood…it is made up of those people in your life who build you up while giving you input on how you can improve, those who help put a smile on your face, those who pick you up when you’re feeling down, those […]

“Please pass me that parenting book. I need to smack my kid with it.”

The quote in today’s title pretty much sums up my day today…just kidding…only kind of…. We have known for the past several months that my daughter is going to be leaving us for 18 months to serve a mission. We have been given checklists of what to pack and prepare and all the things that […]

Things We Can Learn From a Dog

Our dogs are beloved members of our family.  I have two of the cutest dogs in the world. Not only are they adorable, they are also incredibly smart. My husband gets the credit for training them. He is definitely the dog whisperer at our house and has taught our dogs to do about every trick […]

Wisdom Taught By Example Of A Tree

One of my very favorite poets is Shel Silverstein, and one of my very favorite books, which he wrote, is called “The Giving Tree”.    It’s an amazing story of a tree that loves a young boy.  The tree cares for the boy, protects the boy, feeds the boy, and over the years ultimately gives every […]