Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my sweet wife McKell.

This is Kenny writing by the way, I wanted to write a bit about how great of a mother McKell will be to our future children.  I read a book Freakonomics recently, and in it they reviewed a study about a parent's effect on children.  From what they found it is not what the parents do that effect the kids more, but it is who the parents are.  The traits the parents possessed were picked up by their children far more than any act they did.  So what kind of kids are we hopefully going to have? Let me introduce their future mother, McKell.

First off, for those who don't know McKell very well, she has been more baby hungry than anyone I know and this is since she was born.  She has an innate desire to love and help children.  She almost killed her little sister Madi while hugging and swinging her around while her parents filmed it.  She is consistently bringing up new ideas for things to do with our nephews and our primary kids. She even offers to babysit kids in our ward all the time. I have no doubt that our future children will be able to feel their mother's love.  I will love our kids as well, but I'll probably have my favorites and love them more. 

.... More than other children that is. I will love our kids all the same. ....Whew.

Anyways, when I picture mother McKell (and future Nana Mckell when we're old and wrinkly together with grand kids), I picture her portraying several attributes I know she has already perfected to a T. 

To begin, the most beneficial characteristic of McKell is her ability to feel the Holy Ghost and follow His promptings.  While working as a therapist, she has come home on days and told me many times that when she is doing sessions with clients she feels prompted to say certain things or to not say other things.  Putting her knowledge aside, her first priority is to follow the spirit.  That yielding to the Spirit has already led her to accomplish so much in her life.  Her testimony of the gospel is firm and her faith that God will guide her is incredible.  Our children will learn from her example how to trust in God.  I will learn from her example how to parent each of our kids. 

Another trait McKell has is the ability to make each individual person feel understood and special.  This will come in handy when we have our 6 kids (or more). Currently McKell is working with roughly 15 individuals each week on a one to one basis, and probably closer to 60 or so others that she is influencing and teaching throughout the week.  She knows their names, their story, their struggles and her heart goes out to each of them.  As I watched her start this job and her internship I think the hardest thing for her was being able to leave work and to not think about everyone at work throughout the night.  She wants to do everything she can to help them, even if it is not very common. Last Saturday she took two ladies at her work and they volunteered their time to go to the youth care in Draper to tell their story to kids who can still change so much.  I'm sure those kids at youth care learned more in that 1 or 2 hours than maybe an entire week.  This desire to go above and beyond will give our kids a unique gift in learning and growing.  

One of McKell's favorite things which I share with her is the love for the outdoors.  I'll admit that our children will be forced to get tan in the summer and cold in the winter because McKell will make sure to give each of our kids ample opportunity to love the outdoors.  With her therapeutic recreation degree she knows how important these activities can be.  I'm so happy I have a wife that will push our kids (and herself in the process) to love doing things that require exercise.  McKell has that love, which is why she chose to run a marathon and is training to do another half marathon right now. 

Her determination in life is one reason I love her so much.  If she would always just go with the flow or give up when things got tough I wouldn't be married to her.  Literally, she would have been married long before I came home from my mission.  I am so grateful that she sticks with her guns and will defend what she knows is right.  She never gives up.  In her marathon she ran with a hurt foot for the last 6 miles, pushing past shooting pain in her heel with each step.  While getting her bachelors she knew she was suppose to be in Ghana so she left by herself with no program to find what opportunity God was setting up for her. Since going to Ghana myself this task seems even more daunting.  I was McKell's sidekick the entire time.  I let her bargain with people, make plans, talk with people, and pretty much do everything.  How she was able to learn all that on her own and end up the queen mother of a village in the middle of nowhere is absolutely absurd, that's what it really is.   I love the fact that being married to her guarantees me an amazing life.  She does not let adversity get to her one bit. 

One of McKell's strengths in life is the ability to communicate.  Perhaps this goes with her ability to love.  McKell is an expert communicator because she knows how to love.  Our kids will have troubles and fears and no doubt they will turn to their mother for advice.  The girls will go to her for advice on guys and the guys will go to her for advice on girls.  They'll come to me to fund their dates.  McKell knows me so well it's scary.  It's like she's in my brain and knows exactly what to say and do at precisely the right time. Our kids will grow up and be awesome influences on others because they will know how to communicate.  Or they will choose to be really terrible influences, either way they will be very influential.

While in college McKell and I would study for our American Heritage class together and she claims that I would do better than her and study less, but I feel this is only half true.  I'm grateful she thinks I'm smart but in all honesty if we were asked now about things we learned in that class I'm sure she would by far surpass me.  She has already gotten her bachelors, is just about to complete another program at the U, and is anxiously waiting for the day she can start her masters. She has a burning desire to be continually learning throughout her life.  She is the best at learning from others and is open to new ideas all the time.  She is the master learner.  This desire is also shown in the many new tasks she learns.  She see's a idea she likes and instantly she learns how to do it. Currently she is re-upholstering our couches, making a coffee table, and if you saw our wedding reception you may be surprised to know she designed and made everything there. I believe I did help paint one of the doors though, so she shouldn't get ALL the credit. You know which one.

I'm a firm believer that kids will learn what relationships are suppose to be like by how the parent's relationship is.  Not to say we are completely perfect, but I find it so easy to love and serve her.  I love how much I'm in love with her. If I had to place a bet on anything in my life, it would be that I will love her until the day I die. And since God is good I get to do that after this life as well. I'm so fortunate to have her as my wife and I'm absolutely giddy to think of how great of a mother she will be. ...in 7 months.

Happy Mother's Day babe.  

PS. just kidding, she's not pregnant and won't be any time soon.