This has been a great Mother's Day. My mom visited last week, so we got to spend a lot of time together then, and she and my Aunt Kelly are actually back in Florida with my Grandma now, spending Mother's Day with her and spending some time with my Great Aunt Ruth, whose health is failing really rapidly. I was really glad the timing worked out that I got to see my mom but they could still be there to comfort my Grandmother and be with her this weekend.
The kids woke me this morning with a plate of toast and butter Ava had made herself. It was pretty adorable! And really thoughtful. Ava blows me away sometimes with the sweet things she does. We managed to get up and around to church and the sermon was great and the music was good and we had a great relaxing afternoon playing outside in the nice weather. This weekend we cooked out with my Uncle and cousins Logan and Jordan. It was a great day.
I know Mother's Day is supposed to be a day about Mom's, and that's what past Mother's Days have been for me...being pampered and getting pedicures or going out to brunch or a special gift. But today, all I can think about is how blessed I am to have my kids, not how blessed they are to have me!
I cannot imagine my life without a single one of my kids, including Thor/M6 who hasn't graced us with his presence yet. At church today I was praying and just picturing each of them and what qualities about them I love most individually, and I have to say...I have some amazing children. They are sweet, loving, funny, and they have rolled with the punches in this past couple of years like pros. They are so happy, so joyful, even considering how much their lives have changed...I have been nothing but amazed by their flexibility, compassion, and love, especially at their young ages. I know they're not perfect, and they're fallible, crazy kids, but they're perfect to me.
I hope I never stop learning from them. If I can teach them half of what they've taught me, I'll know I've been successful as a parent.
So on this Mother's Day, I want to thank the five (going on six!) amazing kids that have made me a Mother. Ava, you inspire me every day with your sweet spirit and never-ending willingness to help. Jace, you brighten every day with your jokes and laughter. Eli, I will never forget your sweet face or soft hair, and you have made me a better person just by existing, you helped me to grow up and see the world differently. Seth, I am awed by your tenacity and will. You power through huge obstacles without a second thought. Seeing the progress you're making gives me more motivation than you'll ever know. Evany, your mischievous smile and laid back attitude prove to me that beauty can come from terribly sad situations. And to my yet to be born son? You're already a blessing to us. Because of you I took the plunge and moved across the country, a move that has proven to be the very best thing we could have done, no matter how hard it has been.
Thank you, all six of you, for blessing me, for letting me be your Mom, your Mommy, your Mama. You're the lights of my life, the reason I get up each day, and I thank God for you all each and every day, not just today.
(No, I didn't acquire another kid...that's the kids' cousin, Caedren. She's so great.)
