In my mind there is something wrong with waking up your children for church when it’s still dark outside.

Eight o’clock church is brutal. Yes, I did say “EIGHT.” It’s even more brutal when you have four girls to doll up…well, five including yourself. And you want to keep your “date night” on Saturday night, but who is gonna bathe all your kids and put socks in their hair (so you don’t have to use a curling iron in the morning) and set out their clothes for the next day if you’re gone? I better start training my babysitters better.

But, of course, even at eight o’clock, church is worth it a hundred times over and we feel the spirit just the same.

I really do love church. Love it.

Today as we were sitting on the hard chairs in the cultural hall (still never early enough for the comfy ones up front) and all my girls were clamoring to sit practically on top of me, I remembered this post that I loved and it made my heart swell up.

I am a Mother. And I couldn’t be more thankful.

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16 Comments

  1. Shawni you are so sweet. I love church too- and being a mother 🙂 I keep thinking about your kindness to me. Everything was delicious. My kids keep asking me to get that cookie recipe from you, if you wouldn't mind.

  2. EIGHT AM!!!! You are a SAINT… well, obviously a latter-day saint! I'm curious about the socks in the hair thing, and loved the post you linked to. I will think better about the lap sharing thing. In our cold building, I've always been grateful that kids climbing and sitting on me equals warmth, but now I'll recognize another warmth as well.

  3. Please, please share how socks in the hair make it so you don't have to curl anyone's hair in the morning. I have two girls with lots of hair that HATE curlers. It doesn't matter what time of day church starts (1 P.M this year, jealous much?) it seems like we can only get 2/3 of us ready with curled hair.

  4. i'm one of the weird ones…i love early church! BUT 8:00 is a bit too early even for us! i'm thinking our 9:00 is perfect.

    we did move our date night to friday though, for all the reasons you explained.

    good luck, and i love the sock idea!

  5. My name is Emily and I am a blog stalker (with about a million other people that love your family from cyberspace.) I hope it makes it a little less creepy that I kind of have a connection…my little brother (and brother in law) were good friends with a certain sister in law of yours, got that? Anyway, I am so perplexed by the socks in the hair comment because I have four daughters of my own, you see, and hair is always an issue at our house. Curls…with socks?!..please explain.
    Lovingly,
    Emily from Connecticut

  6. Socks? Please share! I have three little heads of hair, plus one on the way….so, four girls to spend many years of dolling up, as you said.
    Is there really a convenient time for church? Now that we have 11 am it's wonderful in so many ways beforehand, but SUCH a disaster after as the kids are starving/in desperate needs of naps. Sundays are intense! {But I love 'em nevertheless.}

  7. I, too, am intrigued by the socks in hair comment. And though you don't me (I do comment some) I can vouch for Emma Jo–I do know her. I didn't know she read your blog, too. I'll have to talk to her about that.

  8. I am SOOOO with you on this one. Love church too, but not so early. We have 8:30 and for whatever reason the whole week of work, school and clinic accumulates on Sunday mornings and I am just tuckered out! Working on that right now! Thanks for sharing this post. 🙂

    Christine

  9. 8 AM is killer! Yikes 🙂 Out here we are perma-9 o'clockers. No other ward in our building but a singles branch… I haven't had a break from 9:00 for over 3 years BLAGH. Oh well, I do love me those long afternoons 🙂

  10. I don't know you, except through your book and now this blog. I have to say you are my favorite author of any blog I read. You uplift and I love it! I am a mother too, and am so thankful. Thank you for being who you are and sharing so often. And I will say, many times I end a post having had a little cry, or a great laugh (and sometimes both). I love that you keep it real.

  11. Wow! I wish I could say that I love Sundays. Actually its about half love half hate. The hate part is almost always related to hair issues making us late and putting me in a really bad mood. I need to work on the bad mood thing for sure but maybe this little sock trick will help. So that I can actually go to church without feeling like crying before I even get there. With 4 girls myself this could be the tip that changes Sundays forever around our house. I also enjoyed the link and your positive outlook on mothering. You are definitely a great example for mothers. Thanks.

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