Happy Mother's Day...

{One of my favorite things to do with the family}

{Robert getting so big--love those freckles!}

{Kelsey has to roll around in the sand just like the dogs!} {Ryan...sweet, sweet Ryan!}

Hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day weekend. I had a great one and the kids would definitely agree. No fancy gifts or foot rubs, but just a nice weekend. Friday night Robert had a friend stay overnight and it was also Tim's birthday, so we went out for pizza. I came home with the kids and Tim got to go out with some buddies to watch the Red Wings play. Saturday Tim started a painting project, so our upstairs is in disarray since all of our bedroom furniture is scattered throughout. After fishing on Saturday night we shared a Concrete (frozen custard/Snickers) cake from Culvers and it was deeeelicious! On Mother's Day after church (speaking of church--I get teary every year, this year was no exception) we went to Big Boy for brunch. Tim got back to painting and I relaxed a bit with the kids. We jumped on the trampoline and got ready to go to Wetmore's Landing. Tim was able to join us...we had a fun time.

I remember one year when the boys were real young (like Ryan under a year and Robert two years old) and thinking a nice mother's day would be a day AWAY from the children...no noses to wipe, no diapers to change, no potty training, no meals to prepare, no toys to pick up, no laundry to do, no faces to wash, etc., etc. I think I sat in church on that mother's day and thought about all my inadequacies as a mother...dwelled on my weaknesses, lack of patience and wished I was a "perfect" mother....whatever that is!

I feel different now.

I think I have accepted that I will never be a "perfect" mother and that motherhood just gets more challenging and more complicated as my children get older...I guess, too, that the past couple of years I tend to think more about MY own Mom. I sure appreciate everything she sacrificed for us and did for me. I try not to take life for granted. I sure loved her. I remember telling her when my kids were babies, how much more I appreciated her now that I was a mother myself. I miss her....though I'm lucky because I also feel her love and presence in my life.

Have the best Monday.

Write it on your heart
that every day is the
BEST day of the year.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson