A Day To Reflect On The Blessing Of Being A Mom

I have to admit that Mother's Day is one of my favorite days of the year.  While this year is no exception of being treated like a queen with coffee in bed, a gourmet brunch made by my husband, church as a family, special gifts and cards made with so much heart and soul by the kids, a scavenger hunt with a very special gift at the end and even a date with my hubby that is not why this is my favorite day.   Although it feels great to be doted on a little Mother's Day is a day that celebrates my greatest love and passion in life ... being a mom.  Being a mom is a gift, it is a privilege, it is what I feel like God has called me to pour my heart and soul in to.

And while I count it a huge privilege it also comes with a heavy responsibility.  It is not all fun and games or always a bed of roses.  There are those days that I am just plain tired or maybe even completely exhausted.  There are days that I would like to have a sick day or mental health day.  There are days that I want to throw up my hands and say this training of these little hearts, minds and souls is exhausting.  There are days I wish I could express myself just like my 2 year old when he says he is done!

Yet when I look at the faces of my four little blessings all of those things fade away.  The finger prints I see all over the house represent so much more than more housework for me but little fingers that I love watching fold as they pray and grow in their faith. Those little fingers feel at home as they rest in my my hand and around my neck for a hug.  They are fingers that are full of life and creativity.

The socks that I dread folding and often are found in a big pile in my laundry basket cover the feet of my precious little ones.  I know someday I will wish I had piles of socks to fold. I will wish I could see those little footprints in the mud and then on my kitchen floor.  I love seeing where these little feet go and all the things they discover. I love watching all they have a will experience in life.  God has blessed me with these little feet to help guide and lead and what a huge privilege that is.

An old English Proverb says "the eyes are the window to the soul!" When I look into each of my little ones eyes and take the time to really look their little eyes speak directly to me.  I can see when they are full of excitement or hurting.  I can see when they are nervous or anxious.  I can see when they are feeling loved and treasured or when they just need affirmation and need me to tell them how much I love them.   I know I so often miss the boat on this one.  I know there are so many days that we are busy and hurrying through life and I don't take time to get down on my knees and look in their eyes to see into their soul.  I don't take the time to let them tell me what their little souls are feeling deep down in those hidden cracks.  I pray this is an area I can grow in truly slow down and look deep into their little eyes.

Their little hearts are a precious piece of them that God has given me to watch grow and mature.  I am often in awe as I see and experience the growth I see in their little hearts.  I see their hearts growing in their love for Christ, each other and others around them.  I see them worrying about and asking questions about little ones around the world that don't have a mom or dad or a place to call home.  I see them becoming aware of people around them who are hurting or in need. I see their little hearts being broken and growing for the things of God.  Yet I see the selfishness and sin that rears its ugly head in all of us surface and I often feel inadequate.  Those are the times I feel like this job is huge, like I am missing the boat.  The times I don't have words or the times I am busy with my own agenda and it had a huge affect on them.  These are the times that I am humbled and I cry out to God and ask him to continue to refine me.  These are the times that I am reminded that I have a huge responsibility with these precious blessings and yet God doesn't ask me to do it own my own.  I am so thankful that I have his guidance and have the peace that the places I am weak he will make me strong.  I am thankful that where I totally blow it he steps in and meets my children's needs where I can't or haven't.

Mother's Day by the worlds standard is about putting our moms on display and thanking them for every thing they do and yet on Mother's Day it is a day that causes me to reflect on the gift that I have been given and the huge responsibility that comes with it.  It also is a day that I truly appreciated the gift that my own mom was to me.  The way she invested her time, energy and love into being a mom and the example she was and is to me.  I also appreciated Eric's mom and the gift I have been given because of her.  I am married to a strong, godly man who treasures me and affirms and encourages me as a mom.

On Mother's Day my heart aches for a mom an ocean away that gave life to my sweet Max.  A mom that knew she couldn't care for him and selflessly gave him a chance at life.  She gave me one of the greatest gifts I could have been give, a gift of a son.  I pray that God fills those places deep in heart and soul today that have a huge void because of having to lay her son down at a train station for a chance at a better life.  I pray that deep with in her soul she knows he is loved, healthy and happy.  I pray blessings on her life today.

This mommy heart also aches today knowing that our  little girl is born and an ocean away. I already have a deep love for a little girl I have never met or even seen a picture of.  A love that God has given me for a little girl he has handpicked for me to be mommy to.  It is mind boggling at times.  I can't wait to see God's plan unfold and I can't wait to see her face for the first time and then journey to China to have her in my arms forever.  God is writing her story and what a huge blessing that I get to be a part of it.  I get to be her mommy!

So today on Mother's Day I celebrate the gift I have been given, the gift and privilege of being a mom.  I have so many amazing moms on this journey with me and I couldn't do it without their love, influence, support example, and encouragement.

Psalm 127:3

Children are a gift from the Lord;  they are a reward from Him.

Happy Mother's Day!

Before I Was A Mom

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put them down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom - I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Author - unknown

I received this poem from a friend for Mother's Day and as I read it I thought .... this is so true life looked so different before I was a mom.  It also made me think of way God keeps molding me as a mom.  The influences and events in life that have had a huge impact on me as a mom.  The day each of my kids were born and I held them for the first time has been a definite molding event.  Each one of them has been so different from the time they were born.  If only it was as easy as having one and having the rest figured out, definitely a learning curve as you go. Second is the influence of my best friend friend Leigh Ann and then losing her tragically.  So many things she taught me about being a mom and now a inspiration to me in the legacy I am leaving behind. And thirdly, traveling around the world to become a mom to our sweet Max.  God is good! Through all the ups and downs in life I see him continuing to mold me as a mom.

There are so many wonderful people that have been a huge influence in my life and my journey as a mom.  I am so thankful for my own mom and the example she has been for me.  She taught me so much about love and sacrifice.  Being a mom was her passion and her priority and it showed.  I am thankful for my mother in law who also gave of herself and who raised her son in Lord.  I am thankful of her influences in his life and that I get the benefits of her love and prayers in having a godly husband that leads our family.  I am thankful for so many wonderful moms who are on this journey of motherhood with me.  I have learned so much from so many and am grateful for the love, support and encouragement on this journey! 

Being a mom is my love, my passion.  I am so thankful for my four blessings that call me mom.  I am thankful for the joy they bring to me and way they stretch and grow me each and every day.  There is no other place I would rather be in the world than walking through life with my four little blessings.  There are days this mommy things is easy and everything is smooth sailing.  Then there are days that are hard and days that I often feel inadequate in meeting the demands and needs of my 4 little individuals who are all wired and need to be loved differently.  When I really think about the responsibility God has given me in being mom to these four blessings ... raising them in the Lord, molding them, building character in them, loving them, praying for them, playing with them, disciplining them, providing for them, teaching them, training them .... the list of responsibilities is endless and is often overwhelming.  I am so thankful I am not at this alone.  I am thankful for my supportive, godly partner, my husband. But most of all I am thankful that my heavenly Father daily provides what I need and provides what I lack for my kids.  I am thankful he has entrusted me with these four special little people and promises to walk with me on my journey of motherhood.  For many this day is a day is filled with joy but for others I know this is a day that represents pain and loss.  Today I pray for and think about those who desire to be a mom and those that have lost their mom or their children.  

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms out there.  May God bless you today and in the days to come.  

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit  

Ephesians 3:16


More on our Mother's Day weekend to come! 

Being A Mom

Mother's Day .... a day that today has so many different emotions tied to it than it did last year. It was a day of ups and downs for me. There was laughter and there were tears.

Being a mom is such a gift, especially to these 3 little blessings. I feel so blessed that I get to do what I love everyday and that is be a mom. From the time I was little I couldn't wait to be a mom. I knew I desired to be home with my kids and I am so thankful that God has provided that for our family. I am also thankful that Eric has supported and encouraged me in that adventure. Even when times got tough and finances would get tight with the business he would always say we will figure out what we can cut to make it work. I am thankful for the role model my mom was to me. She was an active part of our life even when we went off to school. She helped in the office and classroom, drove on field trips and was always there waiting when we got off the bus.

Eric is such a good cook and often he takes over in the kitchen on the weekends. He enjoys it and it is a nice break for me. Well I knew for Mother's Day he would have something special up his sleeve. He made homemade bread dough from scratch. That bread dough turned into these yummy cinnamon rolls.

We also had fruit, yogurt and granola parfaits, scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions and some sausage. It was a yummy brunch! After brunch he sent me out for some time by myself while him and the kids got some things ready. The kids were so excited. I was welcomed home to this ....

A little bouquet of treats. It was so fun to read and see the cards and pictures the kids so carefully made for me. One by one they read the notes they had written me.

Alexa had drawn this sweet picture of her and I.

She also had one of those cute fill in the notes that she had made at school. My favorite part is that she said I was 10 feet tall and weighed 78 pounds. I also love that she said she wouldn't trade her mommy for all the money in the world.

Emma too was so excited to read me the little book she had made for me!

She wrote about and drew pictures about all the hats I wear as a mom! I love hearing the little things that I just do that are things that they love. It makes me think more about the little things that I can be purposeful in doing that just make my kids day.

And Shane painted a picture too. He was so proud!

I was able to catch a little nap in the afternoon and then Eric finished the evening with some homemade rolls topped with some fresh halibut and made into a yummy melt. As we sat around the dinner table Eric had the kids list all the things that mommy does for them. I have never really heard a list of all the things that I do as a mom because doing all those things comes natural and it brings me such joy except maybe folding socks. But those things are the things I love about being a mom. I love taking care of my family, our home and all the other things that are on the mom to do list. I couldn't help but to feel overwhelmed with sadness and the tears again flowed easily as we sat at the table. I kept thinking about 3 precious children miles away who had just lost the most amazing mom you could find. As the kids kept listing things off I just kept thinking that every child needs a mom and why did these kids get that taken away at such a young age. So once again it was a day of joy because of the joy I feel as a mom but also great sadness as I continue to grieve the lost of my friend but today more importantly I grieve 3 little ones loss of a mom.

Eric's big Mother's Day project/surprise was ripping out all the overgrown evergreens in our front landscaping and replacing them with rose bushes and other flowers to give it some color.

The finished project! I can't wait for all the flowers to bloom!

Mother's Day Post A Little Late!!!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.  I feel so blessed to be a mom to 3 wonderful children.  It is so much fun to watch them grow and blossom.  I also feel very blessed that I have a wonderful husband who supports me, encourages me and loves me on this mom journey.   I am so thankful that he shares the same passion for me being home with our kids.  

My 3 Blessings and Me on Mother's Day 2009! 

My weekend started with Starbucks in bed on Saturday morning.  As I relaxed I had so much fun listening to Eric and kids making a yummy breakfast for me.  They even made fresh squeezed orange juice! They were so cute and so excited to make a Mother's Day breakfast for mommy!  I enjoyed some family time with them and then enjoyed a wonderful pedicure.  We enjoyed the beautiful weather in the evening and Eric grilled some Halibut and grilled veggies.  

Alexa made this darling card for me.  She drew 8 of her favorite things to do with me.  Some of them were cooking, cuddling, fixing puzzles, reading books, shopping and going for bike rides.  I hope she never grows out of loving to do things with her mommy! 

Emma made a place mat for me at preschool.  She had to fill in some blanks.  I love that she thought I was only 16.  The colored words are the words she filled in.  

My Mom

My mother is the most wonderful mom in the whole world.  She's as beautiful as a mother.  She is also very pretty.  He favorite food is salad and her favorite TV show is the weather.  She is 16 years old.  In the good old days when my mom was a little girl she used to ride a gator.  I think my mom looks funny when she puts make up on.  My mom can do many things! She is the best at being a mom.  I wish Mom would go to the mall with me everyday.  I wouldn't trade my mother for candy.  I Love You! Happy Mother's Day! 

Love 

Emma

On Sunday the kids sang in church.  What a treat to watch them sing their hearts out!  

We tried to hit our favorite brunch spot after church but the wait was over an hour.  Chef Eric decided to make a yummy brunch for us at home.  Eric is such a wonderful cook and it is a treat to not have to think about cooking on the weekend and to have yummy food to eat. Monday was a little shock to the system when I had to think about what I was going to cook.  I got spoiled on the weekend. 

Eric is usually really creative with gifts.  If he asks for suggestions I can usually count on the fact that I won't get anything I suggest.  He likes to be creative and surprise me so I'm not sure why he even asks if there is something I really want.  He came up with a fun gift for me or for us as a family.  He knows my love language is quality time and I love doing things as a family that build memories.  You'll have to wait and see what our new family bonding activity is in some future posts.  

Being A Mom

Wow, I can't believe that it has almost been a month since I have posted. I don't know where life has gone and I have so much I could post to catch up on life. I think I'll have to pick and choose. I love blogging and documenting things for my kid's for the future and for my family and friends to keep tabs on our lives. The only problem is my computer and blogging can be such a time sucker. I was at a MOPS conference a month or so ago and we had to write out the things that are most important to us in life and then we had to write out our daily schedule. It was an eye opener that my schedule doesn't always match what my values are and what are the most important things to me. We all talked about how in this day and age the computer can be such a time stealer if you are not careful. My eyes were also opened to the fact that so often as moms we are multitasking. We are folding laundry while fixing puzzles. We spend all this time with our kids each day but are we giving them the one on one, eye to eye time that they need? So with 3 little ones this also has been something I have been trying to do. They get along so well and do everything together that it is easy to just spend time with all of them but I've been trying to give them each some one on one, eye to eye time and not while I'm doing wash or cleaning the kitchen. Oh, it's always good to do a little self reflection.

Well, I'm going to stay up late and try to do a little catch up tonight in the blogging world since my husband is out of town. We're going to start back at Mother's Day since my kid's made me the sweetest little gifts. Hopefully I can blog a little more this summer since we have no schedule. Maybe not though since we live outside.

So back to Being A Mom. As I reflected on being a mom on Mother's Day these were some of my thoughts. I love being a mom. From the time I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a mommy someday. My mom stayed home with my us and instilled in me the importance of being home with your kids. I loved the fact that she was always there, saw all the good and the bad, was able to help at school and go on field trips and was home when I got home from school everyday. I knew I wanted to stay home with my kids and feel so blessed that I am able to do that. I know it is not a luxury for everyone to do that. I also feel very blessed that I have a husband who supports me and wants me to be home with our kids as much as I want to be home with them.

I had such a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. On Saturday I was served Starbucks in bed followed by a yummy breakfast. I layed in bed and read a book interrupted. I then proceed to take a bath that was interrupted. Kudos to my husband for keeping all 3 entertained and no one slipped upstairs. I then was off to get my hair cut and a pedicure. I had a little time to run some errands and then we had a picnic in the family room while watching a movie. What a great way to end a nice, quiet, relaxing day.

Sunday we were off to church and Sunday School. The kids all sang in church which was such a special treat on Mother's Day. The battery ran out on our camera so I didn't too many pics of them singing or the rest of the day which was a bummer. They were each so cute. Alexa knew every word and sang her little heart out. Emma is our drama queen and has quite the expressions when she does anything. Shane was just a cute 2 year old would would sing and then get distracted but what was going on around him. He was pretty cute though. My favorite was him saying out loud to his friend, "Jordan, there's your mom!" and then pointing to her in the middle of a song. He also had people laughing when the little boy next to him was singing really loud so he put his fingers in his ears for the whole song. I was so bummed we didn't get any pictures of that. Well at least it is written down!

We had a very yummy brunch and then we all took a 2-3 hour nap. Eric and the kids made a yummy meal for me at night and the kids had special gifts. They were so excited and I can't believe they kept it quiet for over a week. Their little gifts also showed their little personalities. I was proud of Eric for venturing out the Pottery Painting Place with all 3 little ones. He was a brave man.

Alexa is my little helper and likes everything in its place. She decided I needed somewhere to put my jewelry when I take it off. She also loves cupcakes so what could be better. A cupcake jewelry holder.

Emma is my little fashion queen and brings such a flair to our life. She would be my coffee drinker if I would allow it. I should restate that. She would be my Starbucks coffee drinker if she was allowed. She wanted to make me a mug for my coffee. She thought the best part of it was the lid so I can take it in the car. She also was proud of the fact that she painted it black and flicked her paint brush to make spots on it.

Shane painted me a plate with his precious little hand print on it. He was so proud of his hand and explained to me that the lady painted his hand and then he put it on his plate. He also said he gave the lady high 5 and then her hand was all messy. He thought that was pretty funny. He also kept saying bounce, bounce, bounce. Eric informed me that the lady had given Shane a sponge and told him to make it bounce around the edge like Tigger. So he was occupied bouncing with yellow paint on the edge of the plate.

It was a wonderful Mother's Day!! The best part was celebrating the gift of my 3 Little Blessings. The reason I am able to celebrate Mother's Day!!

Mother's Day Flowers

I had to post some pictures of the flowers I got for Mother's Day. Eric ordered them from my brother. My brother owns a landscaping business and flower shop in Sioux Center, Iowa called Ground Effects. They have the most unique flower arrangements so I thought I'd show mine off and put a little plug in for them if you live in the area.