happy mother's day

In honor of Mother's Day, I want to list some reasons why I love being a mommy.

• Collin's incredible giggle
• Ronan's sweet chubby cheeked smile
• having a reason to play with kids toys again
• my children make me want to be a better person
• every day brings something new
• getting to watch Playhouse Disney on Saturday mornings in my pajamas with 2 boys curled up on my lap
• Watching the wonder in Collin's eyes as he tries to understand why he can't catch the falling water in the bathtub.
• nursing my baby and knowing that I am responsible for nourishing and taking care of him.

I could go on all day, but the bottom line is I LOVE BEING A MOMMY! I can't imagine anything better.

My boys made Mother's Day special for me today. Dan made breakfast for me this moring before going to church. He and the boys bought me a Nintendo DS which was very unexpected. It is lime green and came in a very stylish case and with the Personal Coach: Cooking game. I now have 245 new recipes to try! After stopping by to see our moms we stopped at Game Stop and I got to pick out 2 other used games to play. Dan's main purpose for buying this for me was so that I would have something to do while I pump, even though I only have 3 weeks left of work. We got to eat Freddy's Frozen Custard for lunch, and I got my choice of anything home cooked for dinner. Over all: a good day.

I hope all you mothers had a special day as well!

And now, I would like to tell you all a little about my mother, and what makes her so amazing. My mom is one of my best friends. She has always been there for me no matter what. I can honestly say that I don't remember a single time in my life when I had a fight with my mom. That is of course not counting the times that my sisters and I were all in trouble together (generally for fighting over something stupid). My mom has always supported me in whatever I chose to do. When I wanted to join the Kansas Youth Choir in grade school, my mom (and of course my dad, but this tribute is for mom and he'll have to wait his turn) helped me fund raise by selling things at her office as well as driving me around to deliver everything that I sold. She has always encouraged me to do my best, even when I didn't want to. I remember preparing for a solo in high school in which my mom made me record myself singing and then listen to it to hear the flaws. Gag. I hated, and still hate, to listen to myself. Singing. Talking. I don't like my voice. Mom, however, was able to critique and inspire without making me feel bad about myself.
My mom was always a great cook except for the time she made this weird bread and hotdog casserole thing. Gross. We still laugh about it today. I call her quite frequently to find out how to make different things. She helped me with my homework, drove me places, played games with me, loved me, and taught me how to love. It is because of her that I am who I am today. She always was, and continues to be the woman who inspired me. She's amazing. I hope that someday my children will look back and be able to say with all sincerity that I was a great mother.

Thank you for all you do. You are incredible! I love you mom!