Top Five Tuesday---well, sort of

I am actually posting this on Wednesday because Tuesday turned out to be a bit more than I could chew. I loved this idea that I saw on my friend's blog....if you want to see a master blogger at work check out her site at www.writingthewavesmama.blogspot.com . She is amazing times five!

I am amending it to my top 7...hey I'm already going to heck in a hand basket (I know but I just can't bring myself to actually type it..laugh if you will, I'm sensitive to it)for this blog since it's on Wednesday instead of Tuesday so here we go....Top 7 Wednesday!! :)

This week the theme was Top 5 (top 7 Jen Ramsey style) most influential people in your life.

1. My Grandmother. This woman is the most amazing person you will ever meet. She is so full of life and experiences, which she can recall at the drop of a hat even in her 90th year! :) She has lived such a wonderful life and traveled all over the world. She was married for 72 years and raised 5 children including one set of twins. Of those five, two have passed away. She is a pillar of strength and the ultimate example of commitment and positivity. She refuses to let life or the trials therein bring her down. I have so many wonderful memories of spending time with her and my Grandpa throughout my life. There aren't enough words to encompass the fantastic qualities that she posses and the effect she has had on my life.

2. My Mother. I miss her every single day. She was intelligent, strong, creative and various other attributes besides. She was so incredibly strong, enduring an 11 year battle with cancer without ever complaining to her only child. She reserved her fears and sadness to give me a better and less worrisome existence. I would have gladly been her shoulder to cry on but she knew that the mother is the backbone of the entire family and so she remained that backbone no matter what she was going through. She was always there for me, no matter what or when or where. I hope to be that for my children. I hope I will demonstrate just the smallest pinch of her amazing strength at some point in my life.

3. My Husband. Duh. I could fill a book with all of the marvelous ways that he has influenced my life. I think one of the greatest things he has done for me is that he has helped me to be a better person. He helps me to feel more confident about myself. He keeps me honest and helps me to overcome all the fears and worries that come at me. He's my rock AND my hard place...no matter what decisions I make and which way I lean, he is there to support and sustain me. He is also really good at handling my OCD, which is a blessing. He is so patient with me and allows me my hysterical moments...however plentiful they may be!

4. Suzy Wassum. She is pretty much what I want to be when I grow up. Suzy is always cute, her home is adorable and it smells divine...no really, it does. Also, her laundry smells soooo good. I have tried to duplicate the scents by using laundry detergents, fabric softeners and many combinations of the two. The efforts have been futile...you can't re-create the Wassum smell. Seriously, her sheets are softer than anyone else's and she is one of the best cooks I know. She has six kids (and one due any day). She home schools all of them, has an amazing singing voice and she is super creative. All these things make her someone to admire but what makes her an influential person in my life is her commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. She has such a strong testimony and the Spirit in her home is so AMAZINGLY strong. Being with her and her family brings such a great peace into my life.

5. The Prophet. Obviously in matters of influence I have to list the President of our Church. I feel so blessed to live in a time where we have a living prophet to guide and direct us so that we can live better lives. I am always thankful for the counsel given because I know that it comes from our Heavenly Father. While sometimes the things asked of us are hard to do, I have found peace and happiness in my life when I have followed the admonitions of our Prophet and other leaders.

6. My Friends. I couldn't possibly name you all but you know who you are!! My friends are the ones who are there to support and love me. I have been so blessed to have great friends. This year has been an especially difficult one for me and my family. I have felt many arms around me, received many a head scratch (thanks daynie), gotten phone calls, messages, cards, trips to brusters, flowers and prayers. I could not possibly list all the wonderful things that my sweet friends have done for me. I would be lost without each and every one of you. I am truly a blessed woman.

7. While the previous 6 are in no particular order I DID save the best for last. My number 7, and the very top of my list, are my children. I could fill a book...possibly several with the things that my children have taught me. I have learned that apple juice can travel to fill any space available...and it sticks there too. I have learned that you cannot get tree sap out of clothes save for cutting the infected area off completely. I have learned that you can laugh, cry and yell all at the same time. I have learned that pregnancy, in spite of its challenges, is a beautiful and miraculous thing that I have taken for granted for far too long. I have learned that your greatest sense of accomplishment can come from the achievements of your children. Their success becomes yours, their tears, their smiles, their fears...those are all yours too! My children have taught me responsibility, patience, creativity, fear, worry, anxiety, strength, balance, happiness, the power of prayer, the importance of the gospel, the beauty of life around me and a greater love than I ever thought possible.