Here are just two of my favorites for the week! The winner of the huge Mother's Day prize will be announced in two weeks... Will it be one of these two? You still have two weeks to nominate your mom!
XO:
Ashlynn&Boston BRONSON
*****#1
I know everyone has their hardships and tragedies in life, but anyone who can pull through those and come out a better, more beautiful person has my vote. That brings us to my mother, Dixie Lyon Swensen.
Her mother, VeLinda, was killed in a car crash in 1973. My mother, who was in the backseat, was left with a broken tailbone and other injuries. At the age of thirteen, she was left without a mother at one of the most crucial times in a young woman's life.
Mothers, from the time we are born, are there to help us, teach us, and guide us to be the best possible human we can be. Our mothers are there to kiss away every scrape as we learn how to ride our hot pink Barbie bike. Your mother is the shoulder you cried on when your first boyfriend broke your heart. She is the one that is sitting patiently in the bridal shop telling you which wedding dress makes you look stunning. And she will be the one that spoils your first child rotten with love.
My mom didn't have her mother's shoulder to cry on. She didn't have her mother there to help her pick out her gorgeous lace wedding dress. Her mother wasn't there when my brother and I were born and couldn't spoil us with her love and wisdom.
My mom deserves to win this Mother's Day giveaway, because despite the fact that her mother was taken away and her guidance on life had vanished, she turned out absolutely wonderful. My mother has always been a hard-working, compassionate, lively woman. I can only hope to one day be half the woman she is.
- Chelsea Swensen
****#2
I have really enjoyed reading your blog and love what you are doing for mothers day. I have always wanted to nominate my mom for something like this and so here it goes.
My mom’s name is RaNae OConnell. She is the mother of 9 children and the grandma of 22 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Life has not been easy for her but through everything she has depended on the savior. She is an amazing example of faith and enduring to the end.
I am the second youngest of the nine children. When my mom was pregnant with my youngest sister a lot of craziness was going on. My dad was being unfaithful and our home started to fall apart. Her last pregnancy was so hard she was put on bed rest for most of the pregnancy. When she did go into labor she lost so much blood she had to have a transfusion. She literally almost died giving birth to my little sister. They had to perform and emergency c section and remove her uterus. As she was going through this traumatic pregnancy my dad had checked out. I can't imagine going through all of this without my husband, she did. My dads choices had a huge impact on my family, my oldest sister was 16 at the time and her life changed drastically. Not having my father around she began to look to other men for attention. she got pregnant her senior year. My two oldest brothers who were 14 and 13, both began to hang out with the wrong crowd. When my oldest sister got pregnant my parents decided to move from Utah to Las Vegas. My mom was determined to work things out with my dad and we all moved to Las Vegas.
Things were hard my sister kept her baby and within two years was pregnant with her second. My brothers were both in high school. Partying and drinking. They were always fighting and getting in lots of trouble. While my dad was still checked out, leaving my mom to pick up all the pieces of a failed marriage and nine kids with 16 years between the oldest and youngest. My mom is strong. She has told me this many times. “ I could wait around for dad to be the leader in our home or I could do it myself”. she did do it herself. We faithfully attended church every week, my only memories are of going to church with my mom. she supported my sister and her children. she prayed for my brothers and she gathered us every night for family prayer. On top of being a so called single mom (my memories of my dad are of him not being around much when i was growing up) and the main support to my sister who was a single mom, she decided to homeschool my sister just older than me, myself and my little sister. Every morning we had a devotional and she taught us from the scriptures, bore testimony of the savior and taught us what was right. When I was 16 my mom finally had enough. We were being evicted. My dad had been having multiple affairs, was excommunicated from our church, we would go days with out hearing from him. So my parents separated. We started cleaning houses and babysitting and moved into our own apartment. At first we didn't hear much from my dad. We went on living and my mom continued to be an amazing strength. she didn't speak bad of my dad but prayed for him. Through all of this my three brothers served honorable missions for our church. for those who knew my two oldest brothers this was a miracle. They are all very successful in their careers and families. All credit to my mom. she never gave up on them. My oldest sister went on to marry the third man she got pregnant by and had two children with him. she is recently divorced after 20 years of an abusive marriage. My mom again was her main support.
I watched my mom as she selflessly gave her life to her family. she knew she had to raise her children but she chose to not only raise us but give us all she could. she attended every soccer game, singing performance, and recital. she was present for our lives and she made sure we knew of her love for each of us. I went to college on a soccer scholarship and was the first in my family amongst the girls (6 girls) to graduate college. I owe this to my mom. she encouraged me to reach my goals.
Through all the craziness of her marriage my mom raised some incredible kids. she taught us about the savior and his love for us. This made such a profound impact on my life and the lives of my siblings. It is really tough, especially as a girl to not have your father around but my mom made up for it in so many ways. she is the most incredible woman I know and I feel she deserves to be recognized. Currently my parents are back together trying to once again work on their marriage. she feels strong that marriage is so sacred and worth salvaging. My mom works as a teachers aid in a special needs class room. she loves these kids and has become a role model to many . she comes to Logan for a month in the summer to see her grandkids up here and enjoy the beauty of summer in northern Utah. Just as in any family we are still going through many trials and my mom is the one right in the middle helping to make everything better. she is currently going though a very stressful situation with two of my sisters. she has had far beyond her share of stress, never a complaint always gratitude to the savior. she deserves to be recognized, she is amazing.
Katie taylor
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