To all the Mothers in my life

Flowers from the sweet man who made me a mother.

What a sweet day it has been.

 And what a lovely week.  There will be so much to share in the next few days about Mother's Day (hubby out did himself again with breakfast AND dinner, scrumptious photos to come...)

 and... (insert trumperts here) ...

The Gallery Exhibit!

It was amazing, nerve-racking and fun. Francine came, and made it all so special.

But until I can fill in the details, I just wanted to share a sweet Mother's Day message by  Dieter F. Uchdorf (read the whole talk here).  

Happy Mother's Day to my dear friends and sisters, and to my sweet Auntie June.

I hope you had a special day.  God bless.

Forget Me Not

"Dear sisters, many of you are endlessly compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others. Please remember also to be compassionate and patient with yourself.

In the meantime, be thankful for all the small successes in your home, your family relationships, your education and livelihood, your Church participation and personal improvement. Like the forget-me-nots, these successes may seem tiny to you and they may go unnoticed by others, but God notices them and they are not small to Him. If you consider success to be only the most perfect rose or dazzling orchid, you may miss some of life’s sweetest experiences."

"As a child, when I would look at the little forget-me-nots, I sometimes felt a little like that flower—small and insignificant. I wondered if I would be forgotten by my family or by my Heavenly Father.

Years later I can look back on that young boy with tenderness and compassion. And I do know now—I was never forgotten.

And I know something else: as an Apostle of our Master, Jesus Christ, I proclaim with all the certainty and conviction of my heart—neither are you!

You are not forgotten.

Sisters, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love.

Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!

He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom. The Psalmist wrote:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? …

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”⁵

God loves you because you are His child. He loves you even though at times you may feel lonely or make mistakes.

My dear... sisters, you are closer to heaven than you suppose. You are destined for more than you can possibly imagine."

"Sisters, there is something inspiring and sublime about the little forget-me-not flower. I hope it will be a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet. Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves... And never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes you."

Gorgeous Iris from Francine's garden... 

she brought a hug full of glorious stalks of white, pink and violet, 

and they are so amazing I think I can hear them singing!  

(Yes, like in cartoons.  Don't flowers sing to you?)

Everyone should have a Francine.