"I Got You!"

Today Camry was playing on the couch with her favorite Teddy Bear. As I was walking in and out of the room trying to take care of Hartly and make dinner, I heard her yell to her bear, "I Got You!" And then of course she pulled him to safety from the other side of the couch and repeated the phrase "I Got You," softer and softer, until she held him close.

There's been so many times over the last few years where she's fallen, or gotten hurt, or been scared and I've picked her up and said those words, "I Got You." And some of those times I'm positive I said it without thinking. But some of those times I remember saying them with meaning- you know those times as a parent when you hope your words are reaching somewhere down inside your child...adding to their foundation that's in the building process. So I think when I heard her say those words, in an effort to soothe her fearful teddy bear...I realized that to some degree she knows I Got Her. I've got her back. I'll pick her up when she falls (even if she has to sit and cry for a second to learn a lesson).

If she can understand that I love her no matter what...then she will better be able to understand our Savior's love for each of us. He's Got Us. We fall. We get broken. We repeat mistakes. We don't deserve to be picked back up oftentimes. And I think sometimes Heavenly Father lets us cry on the ground for a minute. But They are always willing to pick us back up.

There's a million other things as a woman, as a human, as an individual that I could be doing/pursuing. Trust me I'm well aware what the world says I could, or should be doing.

But I got a couple girls. I got em. And if I continue to be there to lift them up, encourage, and teach and do all the other motherly things I'm supposed to do---then maybe I can raise a few kids who know how to handle themselves in the crappy crapperson world we live in.

Elder M. Russel Ballard said in conference just barely, "...there was a time when the walls of our homes provided all the defense we needed against outside intrusions and influences. We locked the doors, closed the windows; we shut the gates; and we felt safe, secure and protected in our own little refuge from the outside world. Those days are now gone. The physical walls, doors, fences, and gates of our homes cannot prevent unseen invasion from the Internet, the Wi-Fi, the mobile phones, the networks. They can penetrate our homes with just a few clicks and keystrokes."

If my kids grow up knowing that my husband and I are always there for them, then hopefully they will trust in our protection, our guidance, and see the gospel as a safety net. Maybe they will be able to better understand our loving Savior Jesus Christ. Giving my children a safe place to come home to with my heart is just as important as a physical place to live. Making sure the Spirit is felt in our home is crucial. Teaching them the safety that comes from the guidance of the Holy Ghost is a must.

It's good to be a mom. It's so hard...but it's so good. My heart and prayers to all parents in all your parenting. It's a tough world-but we can do it. We Got This.