A brief history of my own Mothers' Days

Sunday, May 13, 2007 - My first Mothers' Day. Also Andrew's birthday. Eva was 1-1/2 months old.

Sunday, May 11, 2008 - Not my best one. Remember, Eva hit poor Matthew Willis at church and made me all embarassed. I thought Melanie wouldn't be my friend anymore. Little did I know she would become one of my closest friends ever. Eva was 14 - 1/2 months old, and I was over 7 months pregnant with Leighton.

Sunday, May 10, 2009 - Eva is 2 years and almost 2 months. Leighton is 10 months. I am happy to report that this is my first Mothers' Day in my life where I am not pregnant or carrying around a newborn. Feels pretty good. :) (No picture yet - I'll take one after church.)

Events of my day so far: I kicked off the celebration with a bang at 3am when I went around to wake up the kids and tell them how awesome I was. Oh, wait. Actually, they woke me up, both screaming at the same time at 3am, telling me how awesome it is that I still have to wake up in the middle of the night for them. Maybe next year I'll get a full nights' sleep...

Eva came in my room around 6:30. I turned on The Testaments movie for her to allow myself another 15 minutes of half-sleep. I gave up, made the bed, and came downstairs to make cinnamon rolls (from a can) for myself. I got a sweet email from Andrew, in a faraway land, wishing he could be home with me for the day, and also telling me that my gift was to be a sewing machine! I have been wanting one of those for quite some time, and I'm very excited.

We ate cinnamon rolls - I used the red "You are Special" plate - and I got Leighton out of his crib. Now we are enjoying this beautiful Sunday morning and delaying getting ready for church.

Today is a day for celebrating being a mother. As I reflect on being a mom, I realize that I am simultaneously a far better and a far worse mother than I ever thought I would be. Things I never imagined I would care about - preparing good meals, keeping my house clean, wanting to have a garden - are incredibly important to me. I have grown in the last 2 years in ways I never dreamed of, and I honestly love who I am becoming. I make hundreds of mistakes every single day, but at the end of every day I feel good about my efforts. And that's exactly where I want to be.

Today is also a day for celebrating mothers I admire. First, my own mother. I used to think I would be so much better at this than she was. (Horrible, but true.) But now that I am in her shoes (minus 6 children), there are not enough words in this language to write an adequate tribute to her. She has sacrificed more and given more of herself than anyone I have ever met. I only hope that I can be as selfless as she has been. I love her with all my heart.

Second, my mother-in-law. She raised the most wonderful man in the world and prepared him to be a husband to me - someone who desperately needed someone like him. She taught him how to work and to love the Lord, and I will be forever grateful to her.

Third, my Aunt LaDawn. The older I get, the more I love Aunt LaDawn. She raised 11 children and taught them everything she knew. (And she knows a LOT.) Poetry, literature, history, respect for our great country and for the founding fathers, the value of hard work, and countless other things. In the relatively short amount of time I spent in their home, I also picked up on those important lessons. The things I learned from her are things I want to teach my children as well.

That's all I have time for right now. Perhaps more will come later, perhaps not. I regret not writing anything last year, except for a tirade about my embarassement. I love my kids with my whole heart and I'm so grateful to be their mother.