Motherhood
Why is there a “parenting” category as well as a “mothering” category on this blog, you may ask?
To me, there is a beautiful distinction. I love to talk about parenting as the tool to raise the next generation. Using our own unique talents to infiltrate goodness into our children. To prepare them to be contributors in the world that needs their light.
My motherhood posts, on the other hand, concentrate on embracing motherhood. Sometimes through a world lens motherhood looks daunting and burdensome. But I believe it is incredibly empowering. We have innate nurturing power that not only strengthens our children, but in turn strengthens US.
As mothers, we have the sacred responsibility to “teach souls to fly.”
And I can’t think of anything luckier than cradling human souls in our arms. Opening the world for their goodness.
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A Simple Way to Connect With Adult Children Through Prayer
We all want ways to connect with our young adults, right? I mean, as parents we are in this funky land of “moving to…
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Motherhood Transitions – My Own Goodbye to High School
I’m pretty sure that the only “constant” on parenting is that is keeps changing. Motherhood sure doesn’t stay stagnant. There will always be motherhood…
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Mother’s Day Gratitude for Examples, Technology and Traditions- 2025
Oh Mother’s Days sure come in all shapes and sizes of beauty and sorrow and glory and reflection. Each year it’s a little different.…
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How Mother Earth is a Beautiful Model for Mothering
I have so much to say about Mother’s Day. Sometimes that day is such a swirl of gratitude and feelings that I can hardly…
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The Nurturing Power of Mothers
This week, leading up to Mother’s Day, I’ve been thinking about the nurturing power of Mothering. Motherhood is so incredibly powerful in all it’s…
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Attending to What Matters Most – My Lenten Sacrifice This Year
I had been trying to determine what I wanted to give up for Lent this year. I love this borrowed practice from the Catholic…
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what I learned from “The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”
I learned so much about parenting when I read The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Yow! It has left me really thinking about…
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predictability promotes the best development
I keep thinking about the developmental psychology class I took a while back that explored the “Attachment Theory.” I learned about the preciousness of…
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What Will our Kids Remember? – “Nature’s Long Tapestry”
Sometimes I wonder what my kids will remember from their growing-up years. I know I touched on this in the last post, but I…
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Do We Strive for “Superior” Motherhood?
I read the most interesting article a few years ago that made me think. In our world where “gentle parenting” is becoming king, are…
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three things I’ve learned about traditions and routines
Let’s talk about traditions and routines. Because I got this question that made me think about it: I know your family has a lot…
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A Halloween Challenge to “Memorize the Moment”
If you are on my email list this “Halloween Challenge” post will be familiar. You see, I sent out this email to my subscribers…
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how to get children to WANT to behave
This is a question so many parents ask themselves: how in heaven’s name can I get my children to behave? Especially when we’re at…
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The Elongated Arms of Motherhood — Happy mother’s Day
Last summer I found a new favorite painting. I mentioned it before, but have never come back to write about it. Because life gets…
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I love the People in my village
Lately I’ve been thinking about how much I love the people in my village. And also how important it is to step up to…
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Ragamuffins and pets
I came across this post about a day in 2007…the life of me as a young mother. Oh take me back to those velvety…
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the most important nine minutes of the day
I want to talk about a comment made on this blog a while back that talked about the most important nine minutes of the…
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Sending Claire off…How the “big” kids took their sister under their wings and eased their mother’s heart in the process
I thought I would be ok just sending Claire off to the MTC by herself. You see, she has eight more weeks of study…
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A New Podcast season begins tomorrow!
After all the temple/gathering celebration in Utah festivities, Claire got settled in with the friends she wanted to hang with before leaving. My sisters…
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Embracing the mess: how to find peace in the eye of the storm
Let’s talk about embracing the mess and mayhem that is sometimes motherhood. Oh this motherhood game can sure be a doozy. Even after our…
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One day immersed in the art and wonder of Florence
We had one day immersed in the art and wonder of Florence. Elle was our “guide” and led us to all things beautiful.
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A mother/daughter art “treasure hunt” in Italy – our first “MFMP”
Our first “MFMP” trip is in the books. A Mother/daughter art “treasure hunt” in Italy. What is that, you may ask? Well, I have…
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Shifting Mother’s Days – thoughts from 2023
Mother’s Days get more and more disjointed each year as kids grow up. But I think shifting Mother’s Days are pretty beautiful!
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a Giant Wave of Gratitude for my Mother
A little over a week ago I was at the grocery store. I was trying to grab some things to make dinner for Max…
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how to throw a sentimental “mother’s blessing” baby shower
Phew! We have had quite a week around here! The kids came home for spring break (and to work from home), so that we…
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the magic of parental listening
Let’s talk about the magic of Parental Listening. Because Lucy gave me a really good parenting tip a few weeks ago without even meaning…
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how to make the “care” we give our children become part of the fabric of who they will become
A couple weeks ago my friend sent me an article by Courtney Martin called “The art of care mostly disappears(except it is also eternal).“…
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a great way to bond with your teenage daughter:
A great way to bond with your teenage daughter: Do service and make friends together! I know this seems simplistic, but there is literal…
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“Peanut” and BBS gene carriers
Back when I got to announce we have a little “Peanut” on the way, (Max and Abby’s baby we can hardly wait to meet),…
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the gang (was) all here…the “little things” of the gathering
We thought only Grace was going to be able to come home for Thanksgiving. But in the end, EVERYONE was able to make it.…
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some love for young mamas
I wrote this on Instagram but felt like maybe there were young moms here who needed to hear it as well. I’m not sure…
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the harrowingly beautiful journey of motherhood
I had to snap this picture of my sister Charity the other night when we were walking through that fall wonderland up in Utah,…
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cherishing the here and now
Today is the day: Official GRADUATION day for Claire. The forecast says it’s going to be 107 so yeah. Be thinking of us sitting…
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“God must not have thought much of you to send you those easy kids”
My parents speak about parenting all over the world, and I know I’m a little biased, but they have some good material:) One of…
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The Gift I Gave Myself for Mother’s Day
This year I gave myself a Mother’s Day gift. It was the “present” of being more present with my family. I didn’t realize it…
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The ripple effects of creating “new lands” for our posterity
I’ve been thinking of the beauty of the ripple effects of motherhood leading up to Mother’s Day this year. The idea that our motherhood…
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pre-Mother’s Day weekend thoughts and a solo from Lucy
Let’s go back in time just a few years. Because I feel compelled to repost some Mother’s Day thoughts that made me tear up…
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so busy with the “doing” that I forget the “being”
Sometimes I feel like the Rapunzel’s “fake” mother Gothel at the end of Tangled when Flynn Rider (Eugene) cuts off Rapunzel’s magical hair and…
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a little fingertip confidence building to make kids feel love
Can you see those little almost-rubbed-off letters on those fingers up there? There was a night a few weeks ago where this girl needed…
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how to adjust when your kids start to leave you
I am always on a quest to create more organization in my life. Is it just me, or are most mothers on that same…
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Interruptions
Lately I’ve been thinking about interruptions. Because there have been a LOT of them! Perhaps that is because my brain seems foggy these days,…
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“friending”
The other day I was juggling a few different things when Claire needed some attention. Well, she didn’t “need” it. She didn’t ask for…
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brain building (piano & cello style)
I’ve always wanted to learn to play the cello. I’m not sure why, but I’m pretty sure the old movie Electric Dreams had something…
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how Mother’s Day went down around here
It was strange to have only one child home for Mother’s Day. I was with that one child last year as well, but back…
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the power of a mother
I’m still celebrating Mother’s Day around here. That’s my Mother’s Day gift to myself, I’m stretching out honoring the mothers I love. Ha! But…
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Happy Mother’s Day
I’ve been thinking lately about the divine role of nurturing (mothering). I know Mother’s Day can be tricky for some for many reasons. But…
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the “parenting pose”
One week a month or so ago when I was at the end of my “parenting rope,” my sister told me about something her…
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giving hope to mothers with snippy girls:)
Little did I know when all those little girls were bouncing around full of drama (which they still are…some more than others…) …that they…
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brain building
Did you know there are over 700 new synapses formed per second in babies brains? Interactions in the early years of parenting literally shape…
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A Love Note to young mothers
I’d like to offer a short “love note” to young mothers. Because I’ve been thinking about you lately. I’ve been thinking about me as…
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still-face experiment
Until I can get to Christmas recapping (hope everyone had a wonderful holiday), here I am to share one more take-away from my developmental…
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A Simple Way to Let People Know They Matter – The “Welcoming Response”
Over the last few months I took a developmental psychology class online. I have always been so fascinated by the effect that an intentional…
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Tuesday Night Swim Club (revisited)
The temperature around here seems to be hovering in the 117 degree range. It is hot. So the other night we found ourselves in…
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nostalgia and cherishing each other
I have been working hard on a little photo project lately. As I was sorting through pictures the other day I came across this…
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Mother’s Day and the rippling effects of the “impossibles”
Mother’s Day this time around was one I won’t soon forget, nestled in a hospital room with my Lucy, entrenched in the heat of…
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three unrelated thoughts on a Monday (blushing, determination, and my babies)
FIRST of all, goodness gracious, I felt so spoiled to be surrounded by so much kindness on my birthday. First and foremost from Dave…
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growing gratitude (and also a podcast on deliberate motherhood)
Our tree is growing a whole slew of gratitude. Started like this: And grew to this: And this…and still counting. I love having that…
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infiltrating our children with things we love
My sister and I were talking the other day about the tricky balance between pushing kids to love what you think is so important…
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comparison: the thief of joy or fuel for action?
I had an interesting bout with the “comparison trap” recently. For a couple years now my sisters, mom and I have had a group…
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the people who made me Mother, and what we did on Mother’s Day
I wrote some thoughts on Mother’s Day back HERE. I wrote about motherhood and it’s beauty and the people who mother in so many…
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ode to the motherhood journey
This is my mother: I feel heavy with love for her always. But specifically for the last couple days in preparation for Mother’s Day.…
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some addendum items from the I Am Mom Summit
I’m excited to share some relationship ideas via the I Am Mom summit starting today. (If you haven’t registered, get on over HERE to…
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pre Mother’s Day thoughts and a tribute to my mother
As a little addendum to my post about last weekend (back HERE), despite being on a little “fast” from technology on Sunday (along with…
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Mother’s Day 2017 — the real deal, and a Skype call with MAX
It’s funny, I look at these pictures of Mother’s Day and I think, “Oh, looks like a perfect day.” But Mother’s Day was kind…
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thoughts about a little dab of hair gel
At church a few weeks ago we sat behind a family with three wriggling young boys. They made me miss my babies, two…
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today’s the day!
The time has finally arrived. The Mom Conference is here! Be sure to register if you haven’t over here: MOM CONFERENCE REGISTRATION From there…
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FREE mom conference coming up quick
Ok, so I can’t believe how fast this MOM CONFERENCE dealio is coming up! NEXT WEEK! October 11-13th. That’s Tuesday through Thursday…
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thoughts on NOT being there
The other day, right out of the blue, Elle sent me these pictures: …and they made me so happy. Just look at that pure…
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Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the inspiring Mothers in my life. I’ve meant to come log in here all day to write up my…
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Friday q&a — babies, lots of them
Hi Shawni! I have been following and loving your blog for about six years now. I need your advice.I have two kids 20 months…
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spring break 2016 — with a little side-note thoughts on how much to push a child with special needs
Sorry in advance that this is long. I should do a whole separate post about Lucy and her first try skiing…and probably other stuff…
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stages of motherhood
I keep thinking about this young mother I saw leaving Walgreens a while back. She was carrying a baby and she had a toddler…
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music that moves me
Elle’s friend is an exceptionally incredible singer. I’m telling you, she’s so good that pretty much every time I hear her I’m brought to…
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“moments” amidst the Christmas chaos
I wrote yesterday’s post in a hustle. Such a hustle that I forgot to put in some kind of important stuff: Like how the…
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a little date-night with my girls
My memory is fuzzy in many respects. I can’t remember a lot of details of things (the reason why I’m now such an avid…
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the end of summer glory days
It’s late on Tuesday night and by the time this posts it will be the first day of school. The glory days of summer…
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I am grateful for Activity Days, family trees and thankful trees
When girls turn eight in our church they get to start going to “Activity Days,” (they get to meet with all the other girls…
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Friday Q & A — Tiger Mother stuff
This Q & A starts with a preface: It seems like there’s always a hot debate over how much pushing and high expectations are…
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what I have learned (so far) from being surrounded by “Tiger Mothers”
I’ve been thinking a lot about motherhood lately. Sometimes I love to put motherhood under a microscope and dissect it. And I love when…
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motherhood realized
Motherhood rocks. And sometimes in the midst of the daily grind we kind of forget that little fact. Maybe it’s the dirty socks…
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Friday Q & A — on keeping up with the important things
…on a Saturday because I couldn’t get my act together yesterday… Shawni, whenever you have a chance you have to give us a glimpse…
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a motherhood treat
Ok, really it’s a motherhood “retreat,” but to me it was a motherhood “treat” :).Lately my brain has been foggy. Like, really foggy. And…
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Friday Q & A — mothering
Will you share how exactly you are working on kind words amongst siblings. Its a huge problem at my house, too. And I’m desperate.…
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how our job charts look…
As we head into the weekend, I just figured I’d post my view on a Friday evening (as the little girls are having a…
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life with girls
Getting ready for family pictures at Bear Lake. Dave couldn’t resist snapping a picture when he passed by. That’s how we roll. Luckily Elle’s…
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road trip adventures
We reluctantly pull ourselves away from the lake, our car packed high with memories and sandy clothing. The cousin hugs linger and we pull…
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Mother’s Day {a little late}
I count my blessings every day I get to be their mother. And that they forgive me that life is out-of-control right now. I…
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a guest post from my mother and some links from my sister
By: Linda Eyre As Memorial Day comes and goes this year, I (Linda) am celebrating those heroines who came before me: my Grandmothers! Most…
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Happy Mother’s Day…
…to all the amazing mothers in my life. How I learn from you! A couple months ago on a beautiful spring day I sat…
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Teach These Souls to Fly
My Mom and sisters and I had a little breakfast together a while back.We sat around a table bathed in light form a huge…
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My favorite mother’s group: “MFME,” and “Gift from the Sea”
Last week I had a mixture of two of of the best things: my favorite mother’s group: “mfme,” and “Gift from the Sea.” A…
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what I learned from “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”
I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn a little while ago: And I can’t stop thinking about it and the lessons I found in…
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teenager offense (a repost)
I just re-read this post from a couple years ago while searching for inspiration on my teenagers and the notes I took on that…
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planting the seeds for a deep love of music
We slip quietly into our seats overlooking the instruments below. The melodic hum of their tuning ritual fills up the cavernous beauty in front…
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piano teachers
Our beloved piano teacher retired at the end of the last school year. Since then, I have taken on the role as “Mrs. Piano…
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“enshrouded” in a family
A couple months ago my brother-in-law forwarded me a link to this article. It’s been mulling around in my mind ever since. It’s not…
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get in the picture
On a plane a couple months ago I couldn’t help but notice the cutest ever baby across the isle from me. I tried not…
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international nights
On a whim a few weeks ago I decided we needed to get more cultural around here. So I decided to instigate one new…