Week 18: Makes Me Smile

Most of my daily smiles come from these two amazing kiddos.

Week 19: Motherhood

On Mother's Day morning, I woke up to my sweet boy climbing into bed with me around 5:30am.  With no prompting of any kind, he remembered that it was Mother's Day and gave me "1000 hugs and kisses," followed shortly thereafter with the gift he made in school...a precious bookmark with his fingerprints.  My thoughtful boy then decided that he was going to make me breakfast - a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  And he carefully, without any help from me, got all the supplies and whipped up my sandwich.  I was blown away by his thoughtfulness, especially since Eric was out of town and he didn't have anyone to remind him.  He is such a loving and kind boy and I am so proud to be his mama.

Motherhood has been the most amazing experience for me.  The amount of love a mother feels for her children is startling at times.  My particular children are especially "spirited", which sometimes poses challenges - some days can be so tiring.  Motherhood, by far, has been my hardest and most rewarding job.  When I look at my children, I see their fire and passion and kindness and love and I feel hope.  Hope because I know they will be unstoppable in their desire to do good and spread love to the people they encounter.  Hope because they will be the next generation's movers and shakers and will help to make the world better.  Raising my kids to be kind, loving, and brave is the greatest contribution I can make.

On Mother's Day, I remember the many mothers who have positively affected my life.  Of course, my own Mom is a shining example of the selfless love of a mother. She is tender-hearted, strong, gentle, and compassionate.  She cares deeply about others and is selfless.  She gave me the gift of music and my love of animals.  She is devoted to her family and generous with her time. She is my friend and confidant, and I am so grateful for her.

I also remember my mother-in-law, Patti, who has treated me as a daughter since the beginning of our relationship.  I must be in the minority because of all the mother-in-law jokes out there, but mine is one of my best friends.  I feel  so very fortunate for her sense of humor, non-judgmental ways, and sincere love and care.

My grandmothers are also such strong and special women.  I feel so privileged to have them as examples for me and feel honored to be part of their legacy.

On this day, we celebrate all these beautiful, strong, and nurturing women who provide special care and love to those around them.  Happy Mother's Day!

Week 17: Beauty

The most beautiful things in the world to me are the smiles and laughter of these two precious children.  They brighten every day and fill our house with fun, silliness, and love.  

Week 16: Morning Routine

This is what my morning routine looks like on a Monday morning after a busy weekend - groceries everywhere from the morning's trip to Aldi, shoes spread all over, papers that need to be supported, and a doggie that wants to play...  I spend a good part of each day organizing these two rooms which seem to be a collection point for all things clutter.  It's not glamorous, but getting our house reset each morning is one of my biggest tasks.

Vera's First Communion

One of the reasons we went to Eau Claire for the weekend was that it was my goddaughter's First Communion in Winona.  Eric and I left the kids with Mom and Dad and headed down to celebrate Vera's special Mass with her.  She is such a sweet and special young lady, and she took on this new stage of her faith life with reverence and sincerity.  I was really proud of her. It's hard to believe that it was already 7 years since I held that beautiful girl in my arms as she was baptized.  Time just flies.  Congratulations and God Bless you, Veronica Jeanne!

 

Eau Claire

Last weekend we headed to Eau Claire for a visit.  It was a gorgeous weekend so we spent our time mostly outside.  We rode horse, played baseball, went fishing, went to the park,had a campfire (with s'mores, of course), met up with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma, and ate dilly bars on the porch.  It was a great weekend!

Mommy's Girl

Spending time with this beautiful girl makes me so happy!