Top 10 (or so) Things I'm Grateful For As A Mother

I recently joined a "Learning Circle" with the Power of Moms organization.  Ever heard of it?  Check it out at: http://powerofmoms.com/

One of our discussions recently, was about the value of motherhood.  We were encouraged to make a list of what we are grateful for as mothers.

Here's my list, in no particular order:

*My real first three reasons I'm grateful to be a mom are in the photo above.
1. I'm grateful to have the privilege of taking care of and raising God's children- that He trusts me enough to give me that opportunity.  Having children, and then looking at my children and being with my children, makes me feel special.
2. I'm grateful for motherhood because it helps me to recognize my weaknesses and motivates me to want to be better.
3. I'm grateful for the unconditional love I feel as a mother- I feel loved and needed every day.
4. As a mother, I've felt the supreme joy of going through nine hard months of pregnancy, but then experiencing the miracle of birth.  The rush of relief, and the feeling of "I did it!  I survived something extremely difficult and painful!"
5. I'm grateful to hold my newborn and feel close to God and heaven.
6. I'm grateful to have an amazing husband to work with in a team.  I can't imagine doing parenting alone.  It's meant to have two people at the head of a family- a father and a mother.
7. I'm grateful that motherhood has allowed me to get excited about simple things again- i.e. Halloween, popcorn, storytime, fieldtrips, museums, walks, parks, travel! (Well I'd be excited about some of those anyway)...Christmas morning, all holidays, birthdays...life as a mother is SO MUCH FUN!  My kids are constantly helping me to see the wonders of life.
8. As a mother, I've learned more about the value of time, the value of hard work, and the value of not being lazy.  I am learning to make the most of every hour of every day, and not waste it.  (Although I had full time jobs before being a mother, I didn't REALLY know how to work hard until after I became a mother.)
9. As a mother, I'm extremely grateful for God's help.  I believe all mothers/parents are entitled to God's help in raising His children.  I'm also grateful for other's help (family and friends) in raising my kids and learning from so many wonderful examples around me.
10. As a mother, I am grateful for a testimony that there is a God, a Savior, and if I make mistakes I can repent and get better.  None of us are perfect parents.  But God doesn't want us to feel constantly guilty.  He helps me to know how to make things right again when I mess up.  The gospel helps me as a mother, and helps us as a family to have a home of love, peace, and safety; our own little heaven on earth.
11.  I'm grateful for the perspective that motherhood gives me.  My children help me remember what matters most- God, family, the Gospel, hard work, serving others, honesty, education.
12. Motherhood has made me more grateful for my own mother and father and for all their sacrifices and service to me.
13. Motherhood has made me realize how important relationships are- how much of what happens in our homes and families growing up, really does effect the rest of our lives.
14. I'm grateful that as a stay-at-home mom I get to be at home during the day to get to know my neighbors (young and old), to serve them and their families too.  It brings me a lot of joy to do so, and if I were working a full time job outside my home, I'd be too busy to do some of that.