It seems that on Mother’s Day, more than any other day of the year, I am overwhelmed with gratefulness.  For being brought into this world and cared for by my Mother, and for still having her here with me today.  She helps me raise my own littles.  She always reminds me to keep the little bumps in the road in perspective.  She is my number one sidekick on executing all of the crazy projects always floating around in my head (and vice versa).  She is my biggest cheerleader.  And she just plain loves me.  Happy Mother’s Day, Mother.  I know I speak for Sister and the rest of the lot when I say “Thank you for being you.  We love you BIG!”  (This is one of my favorite pictures of us with Mother… right before an Alice In Wonderland performance… I was the White Rabbit.)

On Mother’s Day, I also feel a fall-to-my-knees gratefulness for being able to be a mother myself.  I know what it is to long for a child with every fiber of your being.  I don’t take any moment of this for granted, and my heart goes out to all of the women out there trying, crying and praying for a child of their own.  Thank you, darling John and precious Whit, for making ME a Mommy!!!!!

I can’t let the opportunity pass to also say how proud I am of Sister for being the mother that she is.  She has faced so many challenges as a mommy – ones that would leave me curled in a ball sobbing – with grace, dignity, smarts and resolution.  She loves my precious niece and nephew fiercely, spends her days (and nights) volunteering at school, sports and the like, and is raising two kids with two of the biggest personalities I’ve ever seen.  Thank you, Sister, for being such a wonderful example and inspiration as we walk this road of mommy-hood together, and for loving my own children like your own.  If anything ever were to happen to me, I know they would be in good (with a touch of crazy) hands.

Last but not least, I want to send our love to Honey’s mama.  I don’t know how we’d get by without her.  She is always there to help us out with the littles, to cheer them on at their sporting events, to offer advise from years of experience on raising two rambunctious boys, and to help me out in my efforts to turn my black thumb green.  We are fortunate enough to live right around the corner from her and it has been one of the biggest blessings of our lives!  Thank you, Honey’s mama, for raising Honey the way you did and for loving me and the littles like your own.  (Honey is the little one on the right.  Uncle C is four years older on the left.)

Happy Mother’s Day to all of my real-life and blog land friends.  I find so much inspiration and encouragement in y’all each and every day.  My heart goes out to those missing a mom or a child today too. 

With that, I’m happy to say that my strep meds have fully kicked in so I’m really only battling the ankle today :-)  We started the day with Mickey Mouse waffles on the porch, had a lovely lunch at my favorite local restaurant and then I got to cheer on my littles at TWO tournament baseball games this afternoon.  Oh, and Honey has promised to do all of my bidding around the house (think pictures to hang, plates to hang, a rug to put down, a light to install, and light bulbs to change (does that make you happy, Daddy-O?)…)!!  Today is bound to be great!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxo