My Mom is one of the most gracious women I know. She is such a kind and sweet person who genuinely wants to love and be loved. She is the mother of seven children and thirteen grandchildren. She loves to shower all of us with gifts, compliments, treats, and long chats on the phone. She's an amazing seamstress and homemaker-and I attribute much of my love for all those things in that area to her. I have fond memories of her cooking, sewing outfits and costumes for us, cleaning the house while listening/singing to opera music, and teaching us how to be happy and thankful in every stage of life. When I lived in Beverly Hills as a nanny, I surprised her at Christmas with tickets to see Andrea Bocelli the following summer. My mom has an amazing opera voice and she would always listen to him when I was growing up. I knew she would find an excuse not to do it if she were to buy them, so I did it for her so that she had to come see Beverly Hills and treat herself for a few days. It ended up being an amazing trip because I ended up putting in my mission papers and getting my mission call while I was still in Beverly Hills. So when she came out for the concert, I arranged to go through the LA temple while she was visiting. It was so special to have that experience together betwee
n the two of us. Its rare in a large family to get Mom to yourself. ;) She's so sweet that On the way to the concert she even let me fall asleep on her shoulder on the bus ride up. She was beaming the whole trip and still talks about it all the time. I hope to be as lovely and graceful as this woman someday. I love her!