Pancakes in Bed

Well we struck on a great new tradition for Mother's Day (and we're going to do it for birthdays, too). We ALL had breakfast in my bed. It was fun! Jeremiah made pancakes and brought them up along with the butter and syrup and whipped cream and berries and peaches and we had a regular pancake feast. Like I said, it was fun.

My birthday was pretty sucky, so Jeremiah made up for it yesterday. I got a pretty pot, some lily bulbs, two little baby blueberry bushes, and some cash. (To continue the sweetness, Jeremiah spent a bunch of time tonight stirring together different kinds of dirt and planting my presents for me...and that was with work that he brought home still on his agenda before he can go to bed.) We had dinner with Jeremiah's family last night. The whole day was just happy and laid back.

I like having a day to be fussed over. Can we make this holiday bi-annual?

The best Mother's Day present of all, though, has been a while in the making. Just because I'm dense, maybe. Or perhaps because the very nature of the Atonement means that there are depths and shadings that will just take a long time to learn about and understand. Anyway, a few weeks ago I was reading a talk about the Atonement and all of a sudden it dawned on me that "infinite" means more than I had realized. I always thought that "infinite Atonement" referred to covering everybody's sins and inclinations to make mistakes. Then I learned that the Atonement also helps us with our sicknesses and sadnesses. But it finally sunk in that the Atonement applies to EVERYTHING. I am working hard to do my best as a mother, but no matter how much I do and how hard I try, it isn't enough. Enter the Atonement. It says in the scriptures that "by small and simple means shall great things be brought to pass," and this is absolutely true. I cannot point to big breakthroughs in my family, in how my children behave, or in how I keep house. But as I have been praying for the blessings of the Atonement, God's grace has somehow helped the day go more smoothly, helped me handle things better, and helped me be more effective. I slip, but then the Atonement comes in again! My awareness of how much God really loves us is increasing. I see His hand in our lives and I am so grateful... I feel more peace, even though nothing on the outside has really changed. So subtle, and yet so very wonderful. We are so far from perfect, yet somehow inviting the Atonement to be a bigger part of our lives just makes it so that being so imperfect isn't as big of a deal anymore. I really love the Savior for that.

I don't know how to wrap this up and feel like I could just keep going on and on. :) Not much to do with pancakes, but the occasional tangent is forgiveable, I think.