Happy Mother's Day

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So today being Mother's Day, I would like to post a special Mother's Day post.

First, of course, starting off with my mom who I love so dearly. She taught me through her words and perfect example. I was not the easiest to raise, I definitely had my dark days, but she pushed me through those times and I am so thankful for that. I wouldn't be who I am today without Brianna Lindahl as my mom. Because of my mom, music is my life. She put me in dance lessons very young, allowed me to participate in special choirs, and then came to all the choir performances and dance recitals! And we all know those dance recitals are the LONGEST things ever! Especially when your child is only in one number and you have to sit through the whole entire thing! Mom's are troupers! She taught me how to perform and especially how to audition. Every time there was an audition for a show, I would recite my monologue and do my song for her in our family room. At first it was always really embarrassing. "Do I have to?" But I knew if I wanted to get the part, I needed her help. She would then help me come up with actions and make something not so good become great! (If you have ever seen any of the shows she has directed, you have witnessed her unique talent for creating something absolutely extraordinary.) I always remember her motto to us. If something embarrassing or awkward happened she would say, "It builds character!" A phrase I still use and think of all the time. Especially being here in China and making so many mistakes... it builds character! She also taught me how to clean well. She probably wouldn't believe that because my room was hardly ever clean... but I do know how! She would always say in the voice of Ms. Hannigen "Make this place shine like the top of the Chrysler Building!" But most importantly, she taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ, the most valuable knowledge I have. Because of her faith and example, I learned the power of prayer. If my mom prayed for good weather, be it for a wedding, girls camp, or anything else, she got good weather! Seriously! She is really something special. She taught me the strength that comes from reading the scriptures every day. She taught me the importance of keeping the Sabbath Day holy. She showed through her example the blessings that come from paying a full tithe and fast offering. I wouldn't be who I am today if I had any other mom! I am so blessed.

Thinking about moms, I can't forget to thank my second mom, Pam Salmons. (I don't have her email, so if someone could send this one out to her that would be great!) She took care of me from when I was born to middle school! She disciplined me when I rode my skateboard into the street after she told me not to and the neighbor tattled on me. She had an endless supply of goldfish and introduced me to the wonderful world of mustard pretzels! She cut my hair and pulled my teeth out with a string! Everyone was scared to show Pammie that we had a really loose tooth because she would tie a string around that sucker and pull it out! What better way to ensure tooth swallowing doesn't occur? She tried to trust me and my good friend Maddie with the scissors, but we just couldn't stop cutting our bangs when Pam wasn't looking! I guess we loved the crooked bang look. But she was always there to try and fix it. She always taught good manners to all her kids. She also taught me how to take care of kids. She would let us help with the little ones and I absolutely loved it. I wouldn't change my childhood at Pammie's house for anything! I love her dearly. I wouldn't be who I am today without her.

The next mother in my life, a new mother to me, is Beccie Buss. We haven't had a chance to have a whole lot of time together yet, but I know we will. I am thankful for her because of the son she raised. When you get to know someone, you are never surprised at who they are after you get to know their parents. Sometimes it's not so good, haha, but in this case it is SO good!! Because of that, I know that Beccie taught Jarek the importance of reading the scriptures every day. She taught how to have the spirit in your home at all times. She taught how to be kind and thoughtful to those who need comfort and love. Because of her, Jarek served a faithful mission and continues to live righteously after his mission. She raised him to be the perfect husband for me and I am eternally grateful. If you know Beccie, you know she is a fabulous cook. Seriously. That lasagna. No comparison. The peanut butter balls. (My weakness is peanut butter.) The caramels. Oh, she sent us a box with her homemade caramels and, well, I ate most of them. I tried to hide it but you can't hide that many wrappers! Everything she makes is so delicious! I am so thankful to have such a kind and loving mother-in-law and I am excited to get to know her better. I don't know how easy it is to add another girl to the mix, but she has made me feel welcome and loved ever since she heard the news of our marriage!

This year is very special. We have been away from our moms, but we have adopted a whole new group of moms over here in China! We are so very grateful for each and every one of these ladies:

Patty Donohoe - she is the most precious and loving lady! We share a love of music that really brings us together. She taught music and did exactly what I want to do. To put it simply, I want to be like her when I grow up, but not just because of the music. She takes care of us so well. When we have no electricity or heat, she opens her door to us and lets us stay until late hours of the night. She is an example of such strong faith. Even though she doesn't always know what the future brings, she knows Heavenly Father will take care of her. She is so brave and sets a great example for all those she comes in contact with. She is one very special woman.

Ann Wilson - You know why I really like Ann? Because she allows chocolate chip cookies for dinner! How awesome is that? My kind of dinner. From that, you can understand how fun she is! Ann taught us our Sunday School class when we first arrived in Xi'an and we loved every minute. It was the marriage class and we learned so much from her about how to strengthen our marriage even while living in difficult circumstances. I wish we got to have more classes with her! She is thoughtful and never hesitates to serve those around her. She, too, is a strong example of faith and kindness everywhere she goes.

Deanne Stevenson - Now something you have to know about the Stevenson's is that they have done all these incredible things and lived in really awesome places! But you would never know it because of how humble they are. Deanne is so full of love for those around her. I witnessed that love one day when we went to the park with her. A Chinese lady who cleans the streets was doing her usual route and Deanne stopped and said hello. We spoke to the lady a little in Chinese and she said "We never understand each other. She speaks English and I speak Chinese, but I know that she really loves me." How special is that? Incredible. And that is the kind of person Deanne is.

Tiffany - Tiffany's love story is incredible. One of a kind. You'd have to have her tell it to you because I couldn't do it justice. The faith that girl shows is incredible. She is pregnant now and will have a baby in the summer. Because the hospitals are awful in China, she and her husband will go to Iran, his home country, to have the baby. Then they will return to China to continue working. She is constantly faced with challenges, but she keeps going and keeps her head up. A person can learn a lot about bravery from Tiffany. I guess I don't think of Tiffany as a mom to me because she is close to our age so, but she is almost a mom and I love her very much so I wanted to include her, too!

Christine - Christine has lived and taught in China for three years. What a strong lady! It isn't easy living here, but she finds strength in her students and in the simple things she encounters each day. She teaches that you have to enjoy the little things in life to be happy. She has challenges, but continues to find strength in others and strength in the gospel. She says she is a terrible cook, but that is not true at all! Every time she has made anything for us it has been delicious! We always want more of what she makes! She loves to make slide shows of all the places she has been and the things she has seen, which I think is such a good trait. That way she can always see the good things no matter where she is. We love Christine so much and we are so happy to have met her this year in our little Xi'an branch!

Kathleen Despain - Even though the Despains faced a lot of challenges before coming here to China, they finally made it here and I am ever so happy that they did! Kathleen adds such a wonderful spirit and she is a wonderful mother to us, as well. She has had her share of challenges, but instead of letting them control her, she took control of her life. She chose to come to this country to teach English and spread the love of Jesus Christ to all she meets. She is so adventurous and brave! We share the same sense of humor I think! She is so kind that she shared a big block of cream cheese with us! That is like gold! She always shows kindness and love to all she meets. We love having her as a part of our lives.

Sandy - If you want to learn how to be faithful and endure to the end, look to Sandy. I have so much love for this lady. Besides the fact that she makes chocolate covered cherries that are to die for, she also serves those around her constantly. Her home is always open to those who need it. She is a food expert, which I love, and well, I think she is an expert on all things! I gain so much strength from her, as I think everyone does, each Sunday when we meet. Her children love her, her students adore her, and all the members of our branch love her and care for her so much. I hope someday I can have the faith that she shows each day.

Cindy Powell - Oh, Cindy! How do I describe her? Totally awesome! Her hobby is scuba diving and she speaks fluent Japanese because she lived there with her husband for a long time. So she is pretty cool. She and her husband went to Hong Kong with us and we got to explore the city with them. I hope we are like them when we are their age! Cindy is such a great person. I don't think there is a person in the world who doesn't just love her! She is so kind and tries so hard to make others happy. She lets us cook for them even when it isn't that good because I haven't gotten a lot of cooking practice! She loves to laugh and make other people laugh. She has a heart of gold and only wants the best for those around her. I love her dearly.

Each of these women have changed my life for the better and I am a better person because of them. These ladies in Xi'an are so special to me and, even though they aren't related to me, they feel like mothers and I love them so very much. It will be so sad to leave them, but they will stay with me forever. I wish I could talk about all the women who have made a difference in my life, but there isn't enough time for that. I love my mother so much and there aren't enough words to express my thanks to her. The only way is through actions and being the daughter of God she has taught me to be. Thank you to all those wonderful women who have made me the person I am today.

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Photos

Me and Mom
I love my mom!

Eternal Families
The parents who we love forever.

Happy Birthday Patty!
This was at Patty Donohoe's birthday party! On the left we have (front to back): Sandy, Kathleen, Patty, Cindy. On the right: Tiffany, Pimpin, Deanne, me

The Powells
Cindy and Jordan and their great face masks at our Christmas party last year.

Mothers
From left to right: Pimpin, Ann, Cindy, Sandy, Kathleen, Patty