Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day To ALL

We started our morning with church. Somehow, the idea of promised donuts makes everybody get ready faster! We made it on time! Mike went to fetch two of our friends from the nursing home, and brought them to church today. They are so cute; boyfriend and girlfriend.....

After church, we headed to Christina's for a nice Mother's Day Lunch. It was delicious and everybody had a good time.

When we got home, Erika gave me a beautiful poem.

Happy Mother's day to every Mother.

FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME.

For all that you have given me,
I can return but love. For you
Bound up the wounds I did not see
And gave me hopes and passions new.

I can return but love for you,
Whose unmoved faith my heart did move,
And gave me hopes and passions new,
And loved me till I turned to love.

Whose unmoved faith did my heart move?
The mother of my heart, not blood,
Who loved me till I turned to love.
And I became the soul I would.

The mother of my heart, not blood,
Bound up the wounds I did not see.
And I became the soul I would
For all that you have given me.

She is such a sweet heart.

Anna, cleaned her room so wonderfully, that I was wondering who she was!
Sarah was sweet and kind all afternoon.

The grand girls returned home, and I found a sweet note from Katie, and then got a phone call from Lilly saying she was coming to visit again on Saturday. She also told me what she wanted for her birthday. :)

Then I heard from all the guys..... I love them so much.
I really enjoyed talking to each of them, and the visit from Tim and Em.

It was a wonderful day.

Thank you Family.
I love you!

A Nice Surprise!

Aren't these beautiful!!!



I really do like flowers. :)


Thank you Chuck, Jodie, Katie and Lilly! :)

A Mother's Joy

I have two very dear friends and both of them experienced true joy this weekend.
The first one happened on Saturday evening, when her son walked down the isle of Believers' Chapel to be married to the love of his life.
The second one shed tears of joy when her son walked to his car to go to work for the first time since his terrible accident a few months ago.

Both incidents were so very different in nature, other than the walking.... but both brought extreme joy to the mothers.

Hopefully, nobody will have to experience the trauma of a child's life lingering in the balance between here and eternity, and hopefully nobody will have to see their child suffer. But for those who join the club of the wounded child, they are all too familiar with that sheer joy.

So, congratulations to my dear friend's children's accomplishments.
One for tying the knot, the other for going to work by himself.

Good for you both. :)

Ok, Call me Callous....

But I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this "tomb stone". She had everything right but the birth date. It was MAY not March. :)

I never heard her USE a name for him, as we don't name our food, so it could be just a dramatic act or it could be that his name really was Birdsaye. BUT.... either way, on Thanksgiving Day, he will be on my plate.

Happy Mother's Day

To all the Mom's out there.

There was a contest for Mom's from Teleflora and NBC. It was a "Nominate" your favorite mom contest yada yada yads....

I never pay attention to this stuff, but this one hit a nerve, not only with me, but with many of my friends.

There were several categories: Working mom, stay at home mom, and then there was NON-MOM!
What is a "NON-MOM"?
A non mom was an adoptive mom or grandparent.

What a SLAP in the FACE for every child who has yearned for a mom.
What a SLAP in the face for every MOM who has YEARNED for a child.

To their credit, they tried to "fix it", but then made it just as offensive by making an "adoptive" mom category!

So WHAT IS an adoptive mom? She is a MOM.

She is a mom who works or stays home. She is the face each little one sees when they wake in the morning, the one who wipes their tears, bandages their wounds, comforts them when they are sick, when they are hurt and cheers them on at endless events throughout their lives. She is the one who does their laundry, helps with homework and supports their every effort.
She is simply a mom.

We don't have "Non-kids", we don't have "adoptive kids", we have kids. They are OUR children and they are not less than. They are not loved differently. They are grafted into our families and they blossom there.

Teleflora and NBC REALLY, REALLY did a disservice to all moms. I hope they learn something from this.

I know this is just a "Hallmark made" holiday, and Mother's day is EVERY day around here. But I'm more concerned with the "message" sent AND how out of tune our society is as a whole. This didn't just get made up by 1 person. This had to pass through MANY MANY hands, and all those people thought those titles were ok.

What does that say about our society and how we view orphans who have found homes?
What does it say about how we view adoption?

Things to ponder......

Any way,

HAPPY MOTHER's DAY TO ALL!

Parenting

I have been thinking over and over how the last 30 years have changed our lives. Raising 4 boys, to Empty nesters, to raising 3 little girls. They didn't come the usual way, or maybe they did?
(kicking and screaming) Just larger. :)

I always say, we got our girls "potty trained and talking back". :)

There is much to be said about being parents on how to "change" or "tame" the wild beast of a child. But little is said about what really needs to happen and how God in his infinite wisdom, KNEW, that while we THINK we are teaching them, they are really teaching us.

They are teaching us how to use self control, they teach us how to ask nicely, they teach us how to love unconditionally, they teach us that we really don't have it all together, even if there is 1 child or 10 children.

The most important thing they teach us is to be on our knees in prayer for them and for ourselves, asking for wisdom from above, as the responsibility is huge and time is not slowing down.

Many years ago, I would read all about "this is what you do to make your child mind".
I didn't like the books I read, and tossed them for the scripture itself. I found the answers to my deepest concerns, and wisdom for my older children. Much change took place in my life in regards to parenting.

Now,I am more comfortable as I look inwardly and ask myself, "if my child is not obeying like I would like to see, with the right ATTITUDE, what have I been doing to come along side, guide her to the next step and help her to see what she should be doing? Am I being the example I should be? Or.. am I modeling what I am seeing in her?

This type of parenting has opened up a whole world of exploration and experience that is freeing and wonderful. Seeing the responses of those little girls, those eyes that look at you so lovingly and trusting, the pleasure of obedience. And.... it isn't law oriented, it is love oriented, it isn't law driven, it is love driven.
And it is a journey in life that we walk together. Mike and I as the teachers, and authorities in their lives, but always seeing that we too are being taught and under the authority of Christ. Oh my, how that perspective changes you, humbles you, brings you closer in your walk with the Lord.....

Are things perfect? No. Because WE are not perfect. But there is such joy in the journey.