Happy Mother's Day!

Jason and the kids gave me the roses on the table, a photo album, some sparkly butterfly magnets, and a Starbucks gift card for Mother's Day :-) The best gift of all would be for my kids to be nice to each other and get along, but I guess that gift will be on my "wish list" for next year :-)
After church and lunch this morning, I took the kids to Walmart to buy a little two-person boat so that we can go boating on the lake in the evenings. I only bought a two-person boat (not a four-person boat) and one life vest because if something goes wrong, I know I can save myself and one other person. I'm pretty sure that I CAN'T rescue four people, so I can only take one child each evening. There won't be any fighting about who gets to go, though, because we already have a system for this type of situation. Joel was born on an odd-numbered day, so the odd-numbered days of the month are "his days." Makenzie was born on an even-numbered day, so those are "hers." Luke was born on the 30th, and he's the 3rd child, so he gets all the days that are a multiple of three :-) Anyway, I'm REALLY looking forward to going out in that boat!!!!

Next we went to the library so the kids could find some good books to read :-) We were going to go to Starbucks to get strawberry cream frappacinos (I have no idea if that's spelled correctly or if that's even what they're called, but they're yummy); but since we had to drive through the McDonald's parking lot to get on the road to get to Starbucks, we just went through that drivethrough for hot fudge or strawberry sundaes :-) almost just as yummy. We were going to eat them at a nearby park, but it was PACKED. We drove to my favorite park (which today we renamed "Raging Creek Park" because the creek flows so fast and loudly) and ate there -- until Luke got too chilly and we had to finish in the van.

We made it pretty much on time to church -- amazing! So overall, this was a pretty good day :-)

Now on to what is really on my mind today -- my mom. Just in case anyone didn't know, let me tell you -- I have one of the very best moms in the entire world! My whole life, I've KNOWN (not hoped, not thought, but known) that my mom loves me with all her heart. I can't remember one day that my mom didn't say and show that she loved me and was glad that God had given me to her.

My mom is the kind of mom that often gets taken for granted because she does everything that needs to be done to make life good without making a big deal out of it and without complaining about it (or at least I don't remember her complaining about it in my hearing). I don't remember feeling stress coming from her or a "hurry up" kind of frenzy. Everything just ran smoothly, and growing up was just nice; and for that, I thank you Mom!

My mom is the kind of mom who accepts her children for who they are and doesn't try to control or change them. I think I'm a little different from my family -- not better, not worse, just different -- and of course, I (like all people) have faults. My mom never made me feel bad or awkward for my differences or my faults. She always made me know that she loved me and was proud of me just the way I was. That kind of acceptance makes a child able to learn, grow, and change into a confident adult; and for that, I thank you Mom!

My mom is the kind of mom who taught a good work ethic by example, not just by words. I learned from my mom the importance of getting work done before playing (most of the time, anyway). She taught me to be responsible; and for that, I thank you Mom!

Since I left home, I've met some people who did NOT grow up with a mom like mine. While I'm very sorry for those people, I've come to more fully appreciate my mom, thank God more often for her, and tell her more that I love her.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!