Editor's note: Entries have been edited for length and clarity.

Mom: Velma Madsen

Favorite motherly quote: "Boys, just don't get blood on my nice furniture."

I was raised in an amazing family that included seven children -- my sister and I, and our five brothers. I think motherhood is a process. You keep trying to figure out what does and doesn't work within the dynamics of your own family.

With five rambunctious boys in the home, my mom began with the calmly stated rule: "Hey, boys, no fighting or wrestling in the house." The rule and her tone of voice began to change over time. Next came a loud, stern voice, "OK, boys, no fighting or wrestling in the formal living room!" After time the statement and her voice once again changed. The voice seemed much more docile -- as if she were the one giving up the fight -- and the saying changed to, "Boys, just don't get blood on my nice furniture." The boys grew up to be strong, handsome and responsible fathers. The girls grew up hoping to fare motherhood as well as their mother. As for the living room furniture, it looks great ... that is, until the grandkids come and visit!

-- Judy Baird, 43, Orem, full-time student

Mom: Kimberlie Martinez

One of my favorite sayings my mother says is: "Watch it, Honkey Donkey!" My sisters and I loved when she said this because it showed what a fun person she always was. She also would write, "I love you, Honkey Donkey" on a napkin and put it in our lunches for school. We loved seeing that every day. It showed she cared!

I now catch myself saying that all of the time. It reminds me of my mother, of course. It's also just a fun thing to say.

-- Jillian Himes, 26, Provo, homemaker

This is for all the folks (and that's a bunch of people!) in the valley who remember my mom. She had a unique way of handling her kids. My two favorite "Bevisms": 1) "Do you want your teeth on a string to play with?" 2) "Craig, go play in the traffic!"

-- Craig Dunford, 59, Mapleton, optician

Mom: Ruth Broderick

My favorite motherly quote is, "You can either sink or swim." My mom, Ruth Broderick, said this to me many times while growing up. She always helped me look at the brighter side of things and want to "swim" whenever I started to feel sorry for myself or get upset. Now at the age of 38 (my mom is now 80), when something goes wrong, this replays in my mind. Hopefully, I can help my own kids want to "swim."

-- Jill Powell, 38, Cedar Hills, homemaker

Mom: Sherry Wheeler

One of my mom's favorite sayings is, "You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." If a kindness contest were held, my mother would win. She is genuinely sweet to everyone. I've watched her totally charm people, sometimes transforming a total grump into a new friend.

She's a cheerleader for family and friends, emphasizing the good they do and making people feel valuable because of it. Thank you, Mom, for showing me that kindness is a great characteristic to possess.

-- Kaye Nelson, 49, Provo, journalist

Mom: Sherry Wheeler

As kids my mom always told us to, "Look at the sky." She is always pointing out gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, beautiful clouds and brilliant stars. More than that, though, I think she also meant that we should always "look up" -- as in your outlook on life. She wanted us to look for the positive instead of the negative. Thanks, Mom, for always helping me see the beautiful things around me, and even more so, the bright side of life.

-- Jan Gray, Springville, stability lab coordinator

Mom: Elaine Barker Lowder

By the time I was a teenager, I'd helped my mom bake cookies and cakes enough to know the general procedure. One day she was preparing to bake a pie, and I got concerned when I saw her lay the rolled-out pie dough into the pie plate without greasing the plate.

So I asked her, "Aren't you going to grease the plate?" Without pausing, she said, "It's a damn poor pie that can't grease its own bottom."

When I finally stopped laughing (I'd never heard my mom use a "cuss" word), I asked where she'd heard that. She said from her mom, Myrtle Ririe Barker.

-- Justin Lowder, 51, Provo, piano teacher

Mom: Hazel Gertrude Mortensen Haynie

"Make your minutes count" is one of the many important sayings of my mother, Hazel Gertrude Mortensen Haynie. That saying has meant more to me through the years because there is such wisdom in its message.

I have said it many times to our four children because time is precious and also fleeting, and there is so much to learn and do while we are on this wonderful earth. She lived to be 100 years old, plus three months.

-- Louise Haynie Johnson, 84, Provo, retired social worker

Mom: Diane Mitchell

I'm sure a lot of people have heard the whopper, I'm about to "mumble under my breath" for the fact that it has come full circle! "I hope you have a child just like you!" There it is, the fate that has now come to pass. My daughter is, as obviously I was to my mom, a free-spirited, high-strung, moody megalomaniac. I have to smile as I look at my mom (who is, no doubt, along the same lines of bull-headedness), myself and now my daughter. We are blessed, independent, beautiful, powerful, passionate women (or women to be), and I thank my mom for that personality quirk no matter how challenging it is to face. Happy Mother's Day to all of those who have spawn who give them a run for their money.

-- Jennifer Crozier, 26, Santaquin, homemaker

Mom: Susan Denney

My favorite quote of my mother's (although I hated it as a child) was when we would ask, "What's for dinner?" She would reply, "Rabbit tracks and wind pudding." Another good one is if one of us would say something and use the word "we" in the sentence (and it didn't necessarily apply to everyone in the conversation), she would say, "Who's we, paleface?"

-- Georgia Solorzano, 27, Provo, homemaker

Mom: Judy Baird

I grew up with three sisters. I was the youngest of five. My older sisters grew up having more privileges than me. For instance, they would be able to go to bed whenever they wanted, have a later curfew than me, and they had cell phones. I was still little so I would go crying to my mom and tell her that life wasn't fair and she would say to me, "Fair is where you go to see the pigs." I hated hearing that quote because I knew it was so true. Now I tell my friends and sisters that quote, and I feel it was passed down to me just like her good looks. I love her and I know she loves me. Happy Mother's Day!

-- Torey Baird, 14, Orem

Mom: Phyllis S. Hepworth

I have a little saying my mother used to use when cleaning day came along. She would always say, "Now remember, if you clean the corners the middle will take care of itself." I used to wonder how that could be, but when I cleaned out all the little "corners" where dust or toys would collect, by the time it was all picked up, the whole room was clean. Or when scrubbing the floor, the same miracle happened.

-- Shannon H. Gowans, 73, Orem, homemaker, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother

Mom: Wanda Page Harrison

Our mother, Wanda Page Harrison, had a true funny bone. Her one-liners kept our family in hysterics at times. I wish I could share all of her famous sayings, but, understandably, some of them must be kept as our own family secrets.

A couple that I can share are as follows. "You make my tired ache!" This was said when she was disappointed with our behavior. If it was a really bad transgression, she would use a little three-letter word that begins with 'A' in place of the word tired.

Another saying was, "It will be a cold day in hell before you do that!" This was her way of saying, "No" and "Don't argue with me about it."

Our mother was a very classy lady. She came from the era that said wear hats and gloves to weddings, funerals and especially when shopping in the big city of Salt Lake. When she passed away, I inherited her beautiful hats.

At a family reunion a couple of years ago, I took the hats. I had sons, grandsons and great-grandsons choose a hat to wear while they read one of Grandma Wanda's famous sayings. Needless to say, the skit was the hit of the reunion. We were not laughing at her but were remembering her with great love and affection.

-- The Harrisons: Jacky, Owen, Page, L. D., Susan, Mark, Phillips and Todd

-- submitted by Jacky Caras, Spanish Fork, 65, retired school teacher

Mom: Shirley Collard

My mother always said, "By two shakes of a dead lamb's tail." For my entire family, it meant we better hurry and get our errands done.

-- Julie Thomas, 49, Orem, homemaker

Mom: Kaye Powell

My mother, Kaye Powell, is all about our family. I can't think of a specific quote she says over and over, but she has done so much for our extended family over the years. She tries her best to keep us all in touch and keep family parties happening as often as she can. We all appreciate how she works so hard to keep our family relationships strong. We love her very much!

-- Brent Powell, 39, Cedar Hills, service manager

Mom: Ruby Thomson Summers

My mom, Ruby Thomson, born in 1890 in Salt Lake City, married William Henry Summers in 1914 in the Salt Lake Temple. I'm the baby in a family of six children.

Mom was known for cute sayings by her family. We knew that many of her sayings were borrowed, but we heard these sayings first from her, so we always felt they were hers.

These are (some of) Ruby's pearls of wisdom:

"Cabbage is the broom to the stomach, but sauerkraut is the vacuum cleaner."

"No one has a good enough memory to be a successful liar."

"Many a man both young and old have gone to their 'acoffigus' for pouring water icy cold down their hot esophagus."

"Big feet? Good understanding!"

"You'd kick if you were swimming!"

"If I used my head, I'd save my feet."

-- Wilma S. Morris, Orem, homemaker

Mom: Zella Scott Sturgis

My great mother, Zella Scott Sturgis, was gifted with many quotes and I thought they were very thought provoking. As I thought about these quotes I was encouraged to do right.

"A stitch in time saves time."

"Anything worth doing is worth doing right."

Having four daughters she wanted us to take responsibility when dating, so she said, "After 12 a.m. is the devil's hour and it is the girl's fault for being out later."

A son was the caboose; I'm not sure what she told him.

-- La Jean S. Larsen, 82, Mapleton

Mom: Phillis L. S. Grayson

My mother, Phillis L. S. Grayson, is famous for her proverbial expressions. I was raised on them and my kids have heard them from their earliest encounters with Grandma Phillis. The great-grandkids are hearing the same things. If I were to choose just one that is most typical, or most closely communicates her unique personality, it would be the scriptural quote: "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

Mother's faith and commitment to righteous living are vividly demonstrated by her habits. Both physically and spiritually, Mom is clean. Her house is immaculate. Always. She is rigidly appropriate in dress, speech and conduct.

Now 80 years old, her reputation has always been one of flawless integrity. Her life is perfectly consistent with her belief. When Grandma Phillis says, yet again, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness," we smile and agree. We are converts to the principle because we know she practices what she preaches.

-- Linda G. Paulsen, Springville, artist/writer

Mom: Lucinda Pendleton Reid

"I scrubbed 'til the cows came home!" or "I feel like I've been drug through a knothole!"

These exclamations reflect my mother's ambitious hard work ethic throughout her life. Lucinda's mother died when she was only 4 years old. This tiny girl stood on a bucket before the sink in order to wash the dishes. She lived on a farm in Fruita, Utah, where she helped bottle fruit in big galvanized wash tubs over an outside fire.

She was doing a woman's work by the time she was 8. Also at 8 years old, she became the custodian of the one-room schoolhouse near her home. In the winter time, she arrived before daylight in order to stoke a fire in the potbellied stove. The schoolhouse is now a historic site in Capitol Reef National Monument.

Not only did she work hard for her family all her life, but for others as well. It was a joyful satisfaction to her to have a perfectly clean and orderly home. I wish I had half her energy, sort of!

-- Betty R. Harvey, 84, Highland, homemaker

Mom: Gale Stringham

"It sounds like you haven't worn your knees out yet. Remember what frog stands for -- fully rely on God."

When I hear these words spoken by my mom, or look at one of the many frogs she has given me, I'm gently and lovingly reminded that God is always there for me.

Sometimes I get annoyed because she says this so often, but if I really take a look at my life, I know my mom is right. Everything will work out like it's supposed to if I trust God and let him be in charge.

My mom consistently demonstrates this through her words and also through her actions. She is always focused on God and her family. She never gives up on me and the love she gives is unconditional. God sends angels to watch over us and he named mine Mom. I love you, Mom!

-- Wendy Webb, 30, Provo

Mom: Florence Powell

My mom had a certain saying I heard all my life, being raised in a family of four brothers and two sisters. We were raised in Alberta, Canada, and came to Utah as teenagers.

It was, "Wait until your father comes home." But I never recall that Daddy did correct or punish those that were out of line and needed it. Mom still ended up being the one to do the punishment they needed. (The four brothers were her problems, usually -- not us girls -- rarely.)

My word, I ended up in my life doing the same thing!

-- Edith Walker, 86, Orem, homemaker

Mom: Barb Clarine

When we were little and got hurt and thought we might have broken something, my mom would always say, "Oh, it's just a bruise!" We laugh about it to this day!

-- Krysta Knudsen, 27, Pleasant Grove, mom

Mom: Beverly Peterson

"C-A-Y-G." It stands for "clean as you go." All eight of my mother's children learned not only to cook, but also to clean up along the way. Instead of putting eggshells next to the mixer while making cookies, put them right in the trash. Don't wait until the cookies are done to start cleaning up. Every friend who came to our house growing up knew it, and now each of our spouses knows and often repeats "C-A-Y-G" as a reminder to keep the kitchen from getting messy.

It spread to other areas of the house and even beyond. Some people make messes as they move through life; my mom cleans as she goes so that everything (people included) is cleaner and better for having come in contact with her.

-- Jeff Peterson, 31, Provo, student

Mom: De Hill

Anytime my mother is asked how she is doing, she replies: "Mean and ornery as ever!"

-- Hannah Anderson, 32, Payson, stay-at-home mommy

Mom: Lea Reaves

"I am not impressed!" I don't know the circumstances surrounding the creation of Mom's favorite saying, but it was her way of letting us know when she was not happy about something us kids had done. Now that my brothers and I are no longer teenagers, we don't hear it so often, but it doesn't keep us from joking about engraving it on her headstone one day.

-- Casi Koense, 27, Orem, mommy and student

Mom: Stella Jarvis Peterson

Her favorite saying was this song, "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad, or made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed, indeed."

And also the saying, "Nay speak no ill, a kindly word, can never leave a sting behind."

-- Lois Salisbury, 81, Provo, retired teacher

Mom: Denise Warner

One of my mom's favorite quotations is, "How do accidents happen? By putting yourself in a position for them to happen." In other words, if you want to have dumb things happen -- do dumb things! Her saying has made all of us kids think twice about our choices. That's a good Mom!

-- Haley Warner, 21, Orem, orthodontic assistant

Mom: Peggy Shaw

"Think positive, believe you can," my mom always said. Mom, we will never forget the times in the old blue Cadillac. Every morning, we would go driving down the road, listening to the "Think Positive" song on the way to school. It didn't matter if we were happy or mad. Mom, you would hold us in your arms and sing that song to us. We hated that song growing up, and now that we are grown up and have children of our own, we find ourselves singing it to our own kids. Mom, you have taught us to try to focus on the positive in our lives instead of the negative. You wouldn't believe us, but the song "Think Positive" has helped us many times.

Mom, we want you to know how much we love you. Thank you for having such a positive attitude through all your trials in life. You have taught us more than you will ever know. Happy Mother's Day, and this one's for you.

Love, Kim, Jennifer and Shane

-- submitted by Jennifer Huff, 31, Spanish Fork, self-employed

Mom: Shirlee Chadwick

"This, too, shall pass," is Grandma's favorite saying. Mom, Grandma, there isn't a time we can remember when times were good or bad. You always looked at us and said, "This, too, shall pass." Mom, you always said good times can't last forever, as well as bad times can't last forever, either.

This quote has helped all of us in some point in our lives. Mom, Grandma, thank you for being you. Your personality and all the fun memories will be with us forever. We always know there will be a good laugh when you're around. There's never a dull moment with you. We love you more then you'll ever know. Mom, thank you for everything. Happy Mother's Day.

Love, Craig, Peggy, Jennifer and family, Shane and family, Kim and family

-- submitted by Jennifer Huff, 31, Spanish Fork, self-employed

There is no way we can describe the importance of mothers to their children. They make all our lives richer and fill our lives with lots of memories. When we think of our mother, we all remember her strength and endurance to the end.

Our mother had 11 children, she was married in the heart of the Great Depression, and she lived with the concepts of "Use it up, wear it out, make it over, or do without" and "What will be, will be." And that is exactly what we did, sharing, caring, wearing things out and living by the rule of "What will be, will be." Looking back on memories shared with our mother, there are precious and treasured moments. She is no longer with us. She passed away in 1988. Not a day goes by that we do not think of her. Our mother was the best, every memory we have of her is wonderful. Her death has left a heartache no one can heal. Her love leaves a memory no one can steal, for "What will be, will be."

Miss you, Mom!

-- Darlene Anderson, Payson, 69