Former Whiney, Worried Child Becomes National Young Mother of the Year!

Shawni was such a whiney child!  She was always whining about a brother who was mean to her or what we were having for dinner. In addition she worried about everything…her homework, her grades but most of all she worried almost every week that she had some new kind of cancer. 

Little did we know that little whiner/worrier who was  representing Arizona at the National American Mother’s Convention in Salt Lake City last weekend would be named the National Young Mother of the Year. Of course in hindsight, since all Shawni has dreamed of since the time she was two was being a mother….I should have known!

The convention just happened to fall on the same weekend as the big Fathers  and Future Fathers of Eyrealm gathering for diving in Cozumel and which had been planned and pre-paid before we even knew about the convention. Shawni and I absolutely insisted that Rick/Dad and Dave (Shawni’s husband) go and we would take pictures! 

It was great to have Dave’s mom and dad there since Dave couldn’t be. Once a mother, always a mother…as you see a mother on each side of the mother!

 

We were so glad that Dave’s dad was there to walk Shawni to her seat (she actually even wore heels) with the other young mothers at the banquet when they announced the new National Young Mother:

She found such lovely friends through this experience and it was fun for me to be with a dear friend, Elaine  whose darling daughter Emi was the Young Mother from Utah.

 

 

The Arizona Mother of the Year (right) and the officers of the Arizona organization were delighted!

 

 

 

We were so glad that Saren was able to figure out how to get there when a free ticket to the dinner popped up!

 

 

This is an lovely multi-faith organization which I have been involved with for many many years. In fact, if you can believe it, I was the Young Mother from Utah exactly 30 years ago!  Wow that made me feel pretty……old!

 

 

The convention went from Thursday to Saturday and was beautifully organized with outstanding speakers and events.  We met women from all across America who believe in the power of Motherhood and aren’t afraid to express their faith in God. It was a really inspiring experience!

 

 

On Saturday night they named the Mother of the Year. This year a wonderful woman from the District of Columbia won. With experience that ranged from losing a son to violence to being an outstanding teacher and mentor for young women who are in a half-way house as they come out of prison to unwed mothers, this woman has a lot of fantastic experience being a mother to multitudes!

After the dinner honoring the Mother of the Year, we finally dragged Shawni out of crowd who all wanted to talk to her to do a 30 minute TV show with the Mother of the Year for KBYU…make-up lady and all!  That was fun to watch and they both did a terrific job!

 

 

 

The next morning we had the great pleasure of sitting up close and personal at the live Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square performance.  They announced the Mother and Young Mother to the packed audience and then we were treated to the most incredible concert. I cried most of the way through.  I was just overwhelmed thinking of the blessings in my life!

At the end the choir, orchestra, conductor, organist and announcer all sang to US…”God be with you ‘til we meet again.”  It was a truly spiritual experience! Ah, what a weekend! 

“What a gal!” as Rick would say.  I am truly blessed to be this gal’s mother! Definitely no longer a whiner but she can still worry along with the best of us!