The Ihnen's: June 2009

My Mother.

This is my beautiful Mother Janna. If she knew I was posting this entry about her I think she would flip... But, tomorrow is a big day for her and our family and I needed to tell everyone about my Mother. Tomorrow my Mom is having surgery for her second cancer. When I was a freshman in High School she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. After two surgeries, a long recovery we were happy to find out that she was in the clear. It was exciting, triumphant and a huge achievement. She has lived the last couple of years cancer free and in remission... Until recently. Recently, she was diagnosed with a very rare cancer that has nothing to do with the previous cancer before. Although everything looks hopeful because it is slow growing and they have caught it very early, this is still my Mother and surgery is always terrifying. So... The point of today's blog is to relieve my fears and to tell you about this amazing women that I am so lucky to have in my life.

My Mother is so Smart and Talented. After receiving her Associates Degree my Mother got married, and started a family. Having 4 kids didn't leave her much time to go back to school, and I don't think it really mattered to her. By the love that she has shown for everyone in my family and how I was raised I know that she didn't need a degree to make her smart. From the time that we were all little kids my Mom found ways to contribute to the family. I can remember her teaching piano lessons at 6:00am in the morning before kids went to school. I hated it because it woke me up, but it was her thing, her talent that she is amazing at and she had so many students who learned so much from her. A lot of them I grew up with and they all tell me how much they love my Mother and the things she taught them. She still plays the piano today for different events, church and pleasure. I appreciate it and love her music more and more. My Mother started a business with her best friend Julie Hoyle when I was in 5Th grade. I remember all of us kids were so excited about the Dollar Shop until we realized that we had to help out. It was so much work! But... we learned so much from that store. We ran a business together as a family. We had to work together, grow together, learn together and struggle together. When business became tough, Julie and my Mother turned it into a scrap booking store. My Mother yet again surprised me. She wasn't the scrap booking type, but she started teaching card making classes, scrap booking classes in her store, through out the church and community. It didn't matter the challenge or the task, she could do it and she continues to do amazing things. Whether it is playing the piano, making my wedding invitations, teaching cooking classes, participating in a bell choir, or making her first square foot garden, it doesn't matter... She can do it and will do it because she is amazing. My Mother didn't need a degree, she was already so Smart and Talented.

My Mother is Loving and Serves Others. I believe this is her ultimate goal in life. She seems to always be helping anyone and everyone. I don't know how she does this, or where she even finds the time. Whether it is through callings in the church, the elderly ladies she loves (And They of course LOVE her!) a family member or good friend... she is serving and taking care of everyone around her and has her whole life. We used to joke in the house that our home was a "hotel". It seemed that someone was always staying in our home to visit their family, or a wedding or just here for the weekend and she loved to give her home freely to those who needed a place to stay. She loved this SO much... That one time while she was a temple worker a couple drove all the way here from Canada to come to the temple. They didn't have much money so rather than stay in a hotel they slept in their car. They had a box of vegetables and fruit that they ate. My Mother met them in the temple while working and she couldn't bare the thought of them sleeping in their car. Of course, she knew what she had to do. She opened her home to complete strangers, gave them a place to stay, fed them and made sure that they were taken care of so they could see the temple. We all thought she was crazy. Complete strangers! But... My Mother is so giving it didn't matter to her that we didn't know them, she would serve them anyway. I also had a lot of friends throughout my schooling that came from single family homes. I am constantly reminded from them of the love and gratitude they have for my mother who fed them meals, drove them to school, dance, and gave them a safe and happy place to stay. My home became a home to many friends in need. From the time I was a little girl she has always been an example to me. She has served me when I was sick, sad, scared, rebellious... You name it and she was there. I was lucky to have a stay-at-home Mom who participated in my life and made sure that I was always taken care of. Moreover, she made sure that I served in my community, church and to my family and although it was always a fight, I have grown so much today because of her example and because of the things that she knew I needed to do. My Mother is Loving and Serves Others.

My Mother is Spiritual. Growing up we were always taught to say our prayers, attend church and our meetings and to be good Christians. My Mother was always an example to this. Every morning I would run into her room to tell her something, good or bad, and interrupt her kneeling next to her bed praying. Her morning consists of the same routine and has for years... Prayers, walking, reading her scriptures, and getting ready for the day. It has never changed. When she leaves on trips she finds a place to go to church and is always prepared. She is the ultimate example to me when it comes to loving my Savior, having faith and being proud of religion and who I am. When I was in second grade and my brother Brad was in Fifth grade we were home schooled. I think about this time we had the most time to really learn of our Mothers love for the gospel and see her use it every day, all day long. I don't think I really appreciated it or understood it until I got older. Being raised in the LDS church I think you tend to forget how lucky you are and what all you have in front of you because you have always had it and never lived with out. She really pushed hard for us to read the scriptures together as a family and we finished the Book of Mormon. We said prayers more often together because we saw each other more and it is memories like those I will not forget. She often says all the time how much she wishes she could be more like her Mother Barbara. I see my Grandmother in my Mom every day. I wish my Mom could see how truly amazing she is. My Mother is Spiritual.

There is so much about my Mother I could tell you. I could go on for days. I think a lot has changed for me in the last couple of months. As a soon to be Mother I have not only grown so close to my Mom, but I understand the importance that Mothers play in the lives of children. I can't imagine life without my Mother. I know that this cancer is a small bump in the road and because she is tough she will fight it, be strong and live through this. But... This is still my Mother and I need her to know how much I love her, appreciate her and need her. It has been said by the First Presidency of the Church that "Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.” That is my Mother and I believe this with all of my heart.

So I ask of you... Can I steal your prayers for one day for my Mother?

For the past 9 months that Ryan and I have lived in our new home (New to us)... We have only had a dishwasher that worked for about 3 weeks of that portion. Can you believe that I have been washing dishes by hand my whole pregnancy? I can't either, but it is true. In a newly built home that we purchased our dishwasher decided to stop working. Little did we know that it was just a minor clogging problem and could be fixed so easily! My poor husband would pull the darn thing out like a million times, read about how to fix it online forever and still nothing seemed to fix easily. But, with the help of my father they were able to pull the job off and it is running and working beautifully! Never in my life would I think that the sound of running water in my dishwasher would be like music to my ears... But I am in love. Thank you Dad and thank you Ryan for fixing it before the baby is here! I am so blessed and SO happy... I don't even think you understand HOW happy...
:)

My Dad also managed to touch up the paint in the baby room, making it even more perfect. Once it is all put together I will post pictures for all of you to see. You all should be jealous because there is nobody like Howard Rew. He is quite the man and I am very proud to call him my Father. Now comes the fun part of decorating, getting everything ready, and hopefully get this baby out of me so I can meet her!!!
:)

This would be THE Howard Rew with his beautiful wife Janna. They are my parents and yes I thought it was only necessary to post this picture and blog entry about them because they are the best and you ALL should be very jealous.
:)