Mother's Day 2017

Today is a day to celebrate MOTHERS and I have some pretty special moms in my life...

To my mom: My mom's mother died when my mom was a small child, so she didn't necessarily have a role model to learn the whole parenting thing from.  Somehow she figured out how to do the mom-thing with grace and beauty all on her own. I'm so thankful to have her influence from my own childhood to help guide me in being a mom to two little girls. I thank God for the mama I needed as a kid, and the mama that grew into my best friend. 

To my girls birth moms: These two special women made what was likely one of the hardest decisions of their life, and through that, I get the gift of being a Mama. Their sacrifice was one of my biggest blessings, and I will never be able to thank them enough. I thank God each day for bringing THEM into our lives, and for bringing our girls into this world. 

To my friends: Thank you for being there as we go through mommyhood together. Thank you for being someone to bounce late night texts off of when I can't decide if my kid is sick enough to warrant a doctor visit, or to just laugh and reminisce about the wacky things our kids have done that day.  Or even just to send a Meme to try to prompt a laugh after a long, hard day.  It takes a village, right? Thank you for being a part of that village! 

Today I got to celebrate my SIXTH year of being a mom.  While we were in the waiting stages of our first adoption, I knew this day would come at some point, but I had no idea when.  I look at each one of these pictures, and know how special each one is. (And also, I told Kevin that I am going to be extremely sad when it comes time to take a Mothers Day picture, and both of my girls are too big to hold!)

Being a Mommy is one of my most precious titles, and I don't take it for granted or take it lightly. I pray each day that I can be the mom that my girls need. I pray that I can teach them, and guide them, and along with Kevin, give them a godly foundation for them to build their lives on, just like Timothy's mother and grandmother did for him.

"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice.  And I know that same faith continues strong in you." 

- 2 Timothy 1:5

This morning, Kate woke me up with a poke in the arm, followed by a kiss.  Then she stuck a card in my face and said "Happy Mother's Day!" She was so proud of her "cursive" handwriting, which was really just writing in print without lifting the pen, but I'll never tell her that!

These two girls are truly one of my biggest blessings. They are sweet, kind, funny, imaginative, CRAZY, a little bit wild, caring, and so very loving.  I treasure (almost) every moment with them! Thank you, God, for letting me be their Mommy!

And on a different note, Kate has taken an interest in my camera and BEGS me to let her use it each time I pull it out.  I'm not-so-secretly loving it.  I think this girl has some talent, no? I may have to hire her!