The Little Things:
Sometimes life gets you down. Sometimes it's stressful, a little too busy, or it can be the quiet mundane chores you are endlessly doing that wear you out but life is good. I love how little reminders pop up to refresh your memory of life's simple little pleasures. Also, I'm glad that sometimes I can be reminded of how good I have it. I was just reading on my cousins blog (Janice) about her gratitude that her husband has been cancer free now for 5 years. She talked about how many wonderful things have happened in their lives over the past 5 years. It's a reminder to be grateful for what you have when you have it!!
Mother's day reminds me of the fact that Jason's mom has been gone now for almost 9 years. I wonder what it would be like for Em to know her other grandma, the one we refer to as "the grandma who's in heaven." It's second nature for Em to say that and she's seen her picture and she knows where she is. I think it would of been nice for us to have more time with her, a lot more time. I only had a mother-in-law for the 1st 3 years of my marriage.
I also miss my grandma but I'm so grateful for the time we had with her. I was lucky to have her in my life for 32 years!! I'm grateful for the love she gave all of her family and she left us with such a legacy of love and faith. I am reminded that there's not a lot of meaningful things you can leave behind when you go, but love is one of those things. Grandma was the perfect example of what a grandma is supposed to be!
I'm grateful for the mom I have. I'm grateful for the things she's taught me and the love and dedication she gave (and still gives) to our family. I'm grateful that she taught me it's good to be a traditional mom and try and teach your kids some good old fashioned work ethic and values. I'm grateful for the good times we've had and the time we get to spend together.
I'm grateful for the oppurtunity I have to be a mom. It's such an incredible job!! Being a mother adds a whole new dimension to life. It is a lot of work and sometimes it is hard but it is so rewarding to get that hug, that painting with her handprints on it, that smile, that laugh. It's so peaceful to watch her sleeping!! It's such a sense of accomplishment when she can learn to write her own name, remember something we read about, and try new things. It keeps you young and reminds me of my childhood as I help her climb a tree, play with play-dough, and push her on the swing. I can see so many traits of Jason in her, and quite a few things she does reminds me of me when I was younger! I can also see things she got from her grandparents and even though one set isn't around to see it they would laugh to see her talking to complete strangers so comfortably. Anyone that knew Lidy knows that Em comes by this honestly. The way she teases everyone is just like Ray! It's fun to see all of the family traits in her and she comes with her own set of traits!! She is a very strong willed, fun loving little one!! It has been one of our struggles to not add more to our family but we sure are grateful for the one we have! I have no idea what we would do without her!!!
So I hope Mother's day will remind us to be thankful for what we have and remind us to enjoy it while we have it!! Life will throw some curve balls but there's always a rainbow after that fierce thundershower!!
Trev, Kev, and Em playing with her new doll house. Those 3 play pretty good together now. They are pretty inseparable. Lainey and Lucy are crawling now and very interested in what the older 3 are doing!!
This is Julie, me, and Ang (and Dax down below) at Emily's b-day party! These 2 have been my friends for what feels like forever!! I've known Ang since 2nd grade and we've been through a lot together, good times and bad. Through it all we've come to know that we can count on each other, share our deepest troubles and enjoy the happy times together.
Aurora, Em, Dax, Clara and Anna at Em's 5th birthday party!!! She had so much fun with her friends and they all brought her the cutest presents!!! We did a pinata on the front porch. It really didn't break but it had a little trap door that would let some candy out!! They had fun with it.
Em swinging for the pinata!
Aurora, Em, Dax, Clara, and Anna
-Addy, Em, Dax and Aurora
Jas came home with a dinosaur kit that had the bones encased in plaster and you had to dig them out and then you can make a dinosaur model. I thought that was cute. Em loves dinosaurs and I love that Jas is so thoughtful and will pick up little things like this so she will have something new and exciting to try out! Plus, it's a great learning experience.
