Arizona’s Young Mother of the Year Enjoys the Small Moments of Being a Mom
Contributed By By Kara McMurray, Church News staff writer
Jill Geigle, her husband, Jeremy Geigle, and their seven children stand in front of the Gilbert Arizona Temple.
“Being a mom is just made up of all the small moments and all the tiny things—catching lizards with your kids, watching them riding their bikes, helping them with their homework—all those little moments make all of the sleepless nights and all of the sick days and all of the energy and time worth it.” —Jill Farnsworth Geigle of the Val Vista Ward, Gilbert Arizona Stake
GILBERT, ARIZONA
It is the small moments that make being a mom full of joy and reward, said the Arizona representative for Young Mother of the Year.
“Being a mom is just made up of all the small moments and all the tiny things—catching lizards with your kids, watching them riding their bikes, helping them with their homework—all those little moments make all of the sleepless nights and all of the sick days and all of the energy and time worth it,” said Jill Farnsworth Geigle of the Val Vista Ward in the Gilbert Arizona Stake.
In those small moments is where Sister Geigle has learned some of the most important lessons about parenting, she said.
“The best thing about being a mom is just being with my children and learning and seeing the world through their eyes and all the excitement and energy and fun [they have],” the mother of seven said. “It just opens your eyes to a whole new way of looking at something else. [I’ve learned] patience, unconditional love, making the everyday things fun, making the little things fun and happy, … [and] staying positive.”
One thing that helps in her home is the consistency of the gospel, Sister Geigle said. “The gospel is the motivation behind having a family, and it’s also the ability to actually do it. The benefit of some of the principles and behaviors of the gospel, like things as simple as the prophet’s teaching of weekly family home evening, daily scripture, and personal prayer, … make it so much easier to teach children successfully about Jesus Christ and give them that foundation.”
The gospel has been a foundation in her home and in her parenting philosophy.
“Start with love, teach the gospel, live the gospel, and end with love,” she said. “Set boundaries, teach and love, and be consistent.”
When she and Jeremy Geigle married in 1997 and started a family, which now incudes seven children, they realized the pervasiveness of the Internet. They started a nonprofit organization to fight pornography called the Arizona Family Counsel.
“It’s such a good thing for me to be involved in because it’s helped me stay on top of technology and how to stay smart and have the conversations I need to with my kids starting from a young age,” said Sister Geigle.
She said she was motivated by the love she has for her children to start the organization and make a difference. “That’s one of the things that I think kind of happens when you’re a mom … because you love your children and want the best for them, and you’re trying to help them so much. It compels you to become involved in their community, their schools, and the community you’re raising them in.”
