Mothers day

To start off I will say, Mothers day is both the most joyous holiday for me, and the saddest.  Being a mom, is the greatest gift that God, and my husband has ever given me. Mothers day means more to me than my own birthday.  However, anyone that has had a mom who is no longer with them on Mothers day, also understand how sad that can be.  I miss my mom all year long, but Easter and Mothers day I miss her the most.  My mother was an extraordinary woman, that has left a hole, that nothing could ever fill. However, I know my mom would not want me to focus on that at all.  She would want me to be celebrated for the Mom that I am.  So thats what we are going to focus on today.

me and my mom

My husband is usually really good at spoiling me.  Probably too good at it in fact.  He would spend every penny he had to make me feel special. This year, our washing machine blew up. Not literally, but whatever happened, it left black powdery scorch marks on my floor.  So we will say it blew up. While I have a beautiful new washer, we were left broke as a joke. I will admit I really felt sorry for myself for a minute there.  I felt like I didn't even want to celebrate Mothers day. Its been a rough week. 

I told my daughter to just sit down and make me cards with her brother, and that would be fine.  I love homemade gifts from my kids.  That wasnt good enough for her.  So I gave her my credit card and said $20 max, but I would prefer you spend closer to $10.  Her daddy took her to the mall, and they did there best to find me a gift I could open.  I requested Lil man to buy mommy some chocolate and I told him I would share it with him. 

 

On Sunday morning, I woke up to a lot of noise downstairs.  My husband and Daughter were putzing around.  So I closed my bedroom door, and stayed in bed until the noise died down. When I came downstairs I was immediately handed tissue wrapped gifts.  Lil man got mommy some chocolate truffles, and as soon as we opened them, he took one and popped it in his cute little mouth. Then he proceeded to throw a fit because I wouldn't let him eat the rest of them (hes 2 ).  lol  My Daughter bought me a really pretty necklace that say OHANA.  My favorite movie is Lilo and Stitch. And a POP figure of baby Moana, my 2nd fave Disney movie. I was really touched by her thoughtful gifts.  

My husband brought me a bouquet of handpicked flowers.  He went scavenging through my garden and picked me a bouquet. He said he wanted to pick some of my lilies too, but they looked too perfect and he didn't want to mess them up. This is the first time anyone has ever picked me a bouquet, besides my kids and nieces. It was a beautiful sentiment. Especially since my garden means so much to me. He also planned a beautiful picnic at one of our favorite places.  Its owned my the national park service. Its an old battlefield site.  Its absolutely breathtaking.  We sat under a tree with a soft breeze blowing by, and crystal blue skies, and rolling hills in the distance. He packed sandwiches and potato chips, and water for everyone.  We sat on a blanket and watched our kids play in the grass.  It was a picture perfect day.  

What really made our day even more special was my husband taking my camera and doing a photo session of me and my babies. I do not step in front of the camera very often.  I have huge body image issues. I feel so awkward and uncomfortable in front of the camera.  Most times, I also hate the way the pictures turn out, because I am not in total control.  I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my art, and I am very very critical of my own work, let alone giving control over to someone else to do it.  So just getting dressed, and getting the kids ready, was kind of nerve wracking.  

Most photographers say, "do this for your kids, they will want the memories one day" I have to say this was entirely selfish on my part.  I wanted pictures so that I could remember these days.  You blink and life has flown by.  In what feels like no time at all, your kids are all grown.  It feels like yesterday my almost 12 year old was in my arms, looking at me adoringly, touching my face with her cute little hands.  Time goes by too quickly.  So this session was entirely for me. Before my baby girl gets too grown, while she still crawls into bed and rests her head on my stomach, and watches TV.  While she still lets me run my fingers through her hair. Those times are fleeting and they are happening less and less.  Shes growing up. 

 Or while my lil man still wants to be held and cuddled, while he still follows me from room to room like a little shadow. I want to remember these days forever. 

Granted had the washer not blown, a lot of things this mothers day would have been different.  I am glad it went the way it did.  My husband had to get not only creative, but he really was thoughtful in his gifts for me.  A picnic, a photo session, and a hand picked bouquet, meant more to me, than if he had spend a million dollars on a gift.  Even my daughter really thought out my gift.  And I will have these memories forever.  It was a truly memorable amazing Mothers Day.