One of my wholly unexpected but favorite aspects of full time mothering is the close bond I have with what I lovingly call my “inner circle.” Jen is part of that circle. She is a vibrant part of my life. She helps me remember that I can be a good mom without sacrificing my intellect. Almost daily, she reminds me to check in on the New York Times, so that I can keep up with the world. Without fail, she uses her wordsmith power to have me laughing so hard that I can barely breathe. She thinks. She acts on her thinking. She inspires me to be the kind of mother I so desperately want to be. When I think of Jen, I often think of the quote by Martha Hughes Cannon:
"Somehow I know that women who stay home all the time have the most unpleasant homes there are. You give me a woman who thinks about something besides cook stoves and wash tubs and baby flannels, and I'll show you, nine times out of ten, a successful mother."As Jen cleans her house, does her dishes, washes her laundry (have you ever asked Jen how she does laundry? Wow.), Jen is thinking of something besides her current domestic chore. She is solving a public relations dilemma for the Church (be sure to ask her about it). She is planning her PTA’s potluck dinner. She is thinking of how to explain to
