My Honor

There is nothing in this whole wide world that gives me more fulfillment, more amazement, and more joy than being a mom.  I never thought that I would not be a mom – it was just not in my composition to omit this experience from my life.  There was a time, though, when my body didn’t cooperate with my desire to be a mom.  Once I became one, there was a time when I was so exhausted with the demands of being a mom that I didn’t know how I could go on.  And there was even a time when my spirit was nearly broken by the heartbreak that came with being a mom.  But all of this just speaks to what an honor it is to actually have what I have, live what I’ve lived, and be the one lucky person that gets to be called “Mama” by the three most amazing little people I have ever met.

And honor me they did this day.

Gabe and Ari made me beautiful flower pins in Sunday school.  Gabe’s teacher said he poured himself into it, and didn’t want to give it to her to hang on to.  He told he wanted to give it to me himself right then. 

Notice the white rose hair pin.  Gabe brought that home from preschool.  About two weeks before he gave it to me, he asked me “Mom, what’s your favorite color?”.  I told him “black”, because it is.  Gabe wasn’t really satisfied with my answer, so he retorted, “what about red?”.  “I like black” I said.  “What about pink, mom?” Gabe inquired.  “Okay… well I like white too.  That’s also my favorite color.”  Gabe seemed okay with that, and didn’t mention another word about it.  On the last day of preschool before Mother’s Day, Gabe ran up to me when I picked him, waving his gift at me.  Clipped to the envelope was a white felt rose hair pin.  He proclaimed excitedly, “Look, mom!  It’s white!  I remembered your favorite color!”.  I’m pretty sure that was the only mom crying at the pick-up that day, but they were all happy tears.

 

My family took me to one of my favorite places for dinner, Chelsea’s Kitchen.  My sister, Marci, joined us, and the few hours that we spent here were a close second to a real vacation.

It took a few snaps to get the family photo down. 

click.

click.

Okay, we finally got it! 

Okay, I’m not gonna lie… I posted the series because they were all equally cute, and I couldn’t choose!

We looked out onto the water, and if I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought we were at the beach.  It was, after all, the canal, but beautiful nonetheless. 

   

Silly kids.  Amazing food.  Breathtaking view of the sunset through the trees.  Idyllic weather.  And, hands down, my favorite people around the table.  The night was one I will remember.

 

My wonderful husband surprised me with gorgeous flowers, (and not to mention a killer watch).  When I first received the flowers, the lilies were closed and the entire bouquet appeared white.  When Jake handed them to me, he said excitedly, “Look babe!  They’re white, I remembered your favorite color!”.  Like father, like son. (Remember Gabe’s mother’s day gift story?).

I always said that I have never been much of a flowers girl, but to look at these, just makes me feel loved all over.