Being a Mom

Normally on Mother's Day weekend, or close to it, we celebrate with a mother/daughter luncheon.  I am missing that a little this year.  This is a picture of my newly adopted daughter last year, before we went to the lunch.  It was an emotional day for me, as it was a day of beginning to say goodbye to my friends, my family, my life.  The next weekend, we moved out of my dreamhouse.  The home that we brought this little girl home to.  But I was so thankful to have that day with my mom, my daughters, my friends.

This picture is of the year before.  I did not take Erika that year, but I love this picture of my mom.  She is so happy.  And Tori is so little.  Hard to believe that was just two years ago.

And I love this picture last year with both of my girls.  My friend, Alice, took it.  It captures how precious my girls are to me.

This next picture is a little random.  But I just love how Chris caught our family just having fun.  That is what I love about being the mom in this family.  I laugh daily.  My family makes me laugh and fills my heart with joy.  I am blessed to have three wonderful children.  I am blessed that I get to stay home with them and homeschool them.  I am blessed that I have had the privelege of raising them in a Christian home and surrounded by Christian grandparents and family and friends.

 Today, we were blessed with a care package of Dr. Pepper Jellybeans.  What a fun treat to receive at the post office.

 Tonight I am taking all the girls to a fashion show.  I am excited to just get to spend time with the girls.  We came home from market and put on face masks, painted nails, sipped lime water and ate watermelon.  All in preparation to be beautiful tonight.  I am sure the boys will play playstation or nerf wars or some other masculine type activity.

Being a mom is sometimes an unending, thankless job (or that is how we feel on our hard days).  But I am so thankful for this job.  I am thankful that the Lord entrusts my physical and spiritual children to me.  I had spiritual children in Katy, and now have some in Belmopan.  It did not take long, as there is a hunger in this world to have a mother, whether by birth or  not.  And God put a longing in me from a young age to be a mother.  It is all I ever wanted to be when I grew up.  And now, the Lord reminds me, I AM ONE.

I miss spending time with my mom this weekend.  And I know she misses her mom.  This is the first Mother's Day since my wonderful Grandma went to be with the Lord.  Our moms are important.  Its a big job.

This is one of my favorite poems.  It always makes me cry.

Before I was a Mom -

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -

I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life

so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.