A little Time Out...

For those of you who don't know, Time Out for Women is a two day women's conference sponsored by Deseret Book filled with inspirational and motivational speakers and performers. We went last year and loved it so much that we've been planning ever since to attend this year. I was able to go with my mom and my 3 sisters in law and Abby and Kaia got to tag along. There were 3,000 women there and it's so great to be surrounded by so many wonderful women.

The theme for this year was "Choosing to Become." There were so many great little tidbits that really uplifted and enlightened me. One of which was, "The only way to become what you want to be is by being what you want to become." That's a tongue twister but I love it. We can talk all day or always think about who we want to be but we actually have to act and do it. The other tidbit that I loved was that we have the opportunity to know our children as adults for eternity but we will only know them as children right now in these few precious years. This was a new perspective I've never thought about. We really need to treasure the years when our children are little because in the grand scheme of eternity they are way too short! I definitely came away with a renewed motivation to be a better woman, wife and mother.




A little personal story... I don't have a traditional journal, but I want to remember this special moment I had. A lot of the focus of Time Out was figuring out who you are and who you want to become and doing that. The whole day I was really thinking about that and really questioning in my head who I really am and what my role in life really is right now. As I was going to bed, Preston was already asleep in my bed and Abby was asleep in the pack n' play in the same room. I had to close the window and with the last click of the window closing Abby woke up crying. Of course I was a little bummed because I was super tired and ready for sleep but I needed to feed her instead. I laid down and nursed her in bed on the opposite side of the bed from Preston. Then Preston had heard me and woke up crying. He sat up and was confused and crying, so I was reaching out to him and telling him it was ok. He finally grabbed my outstretched hand and wrapped his hands/arms around my arm and laid his head on my shoulder. He was curled up so close to me. So I had Abby in my left arm nursing, breathing heavily all relaxed and Preston wrapped up in my right arm. It hit me at that moment that this is who I am right now, this is my role. I am the mother of these two wonderful children and I am able to nurture and comfort them at all times. Whether we get all the chores done, or Preston knows all of his letters, or whatever the day to day brings, at the end of the day this is what's important. The tears flowed down my cheeks as I held my two babies tight. I wanted so badly to have that moment last forever. I was grateful that Heavenly Father wanted to make sure that I knew exactly who I am right now. I haven't had a moment like that hit me so hard in a long, long time. It was very, very special to me and I feel beyond blessed.