Sillies

 These pictures remind me of all the joyful moments motherhood adds to my life.

 tender siblings getting along...

 creativity...

 mastering new skills...

 I need these reminders right now because I've been really stressed lately.  Having a strong willed child is hard and the perfectionist in me just can't help but feel that I'm not doing it "right".  So many parenting books and blogs suggest that parenting is easy if you do it "right". Sometimes it seems challenges overshadow the sweet, endearing qualities of my little boy.

But then I look at these pictures of a sweet little imp who likes to find the snacks in my bag or the creative little boy who loves to make castles or a beach out of the pillows and I take a step back and remember that even if parenting is the hardest thing I've done in my life, it's also the most wonderful.  Thankfully, if I've made any mistakes, I have another 15 years to correct them before Liam is sent out into the world.  In the meantime, I'm grateful for the power to change and be forgiven, the encouragement and support of family and friends, as well as the wisdom from the scriptures and General Conference (my very favorite talk on parenting can be found here). 

Also, a finding a parenting book on strong willed kids has definitely helped give me perspective and validated my feelings.  Now I just hope it has useful suggestions...