Mother's Day and Birthday

Mother's Day was a nice day to give my mom a flower to wear to church and maybe even sign a card I may or may not have read that my dad bought for us kids to give to her. Then on to the hot ham and rolls for lunch!

As I became a mom, Mother's Day was slightly more meaningful to me. Now I got the flower for church and the hot ham and rolls. The signed cards, and even some homemade ones (my favorite!)

Last year I had a hard time facing May. It was going to be Mother's Day, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to celebrate with all of my children. I started thinking more about Mother's Day, and being a mother, and if I was going to be given a chance to be one for my baby girl. Not only was that in May, but my birthday as well- turning the big 30! Was I going to be able to celebrate my birthday with all of my family?? As you are well aware- God blessed me to do just that!

Fast forward one year...May was coming once again. Two Mother's Days? Two birthdays? Would I truly be that blessed!?! Mother's Day came and I rolled over to see two BIG blue eyes staring at me. "goo" came with a little smirk. Happy HAPPY Mother's Day to me! Next came in an AMAZING 5 year old with the biggest, loving heart you will ever see- "Happy Mother's Day mama, here's your card!" I was never so happy to see a card in my life :)

Then the 4 year old who can put a smile on your face no matter how down you are came running in- "I'm the baby, Ethan's the monkey!" Explain- There was a picture of a baby boy and a monkey in a crib. I hugged them as tight as I could, looked out the window, just as I do every morning and whispered- "Thank you God for today" The rest of the day was perfection. Then came my birthday. Yes, yes...the big 31! I woke up to some big blue eyes, a couple hugs, and a "mama, it's your birthday" with two thumbs up. How much more could I be blessed!?!...and yes, I turned towards the window once again with thanks in my heart.

That evening, my WONDERFUL husband took me out for an amazing night...filled with comedy sports, cheap beer and people watching! btw- the burgers there are incredible! Who knew!?! We even got hip and trendy and went to a bar on Water St. Yep, that was us for a night, a couple! Thank you Greg for being there for me through everything and for laughs and beer and love.

Thank you ALL for your support through prayers, and gifts, and money, and food and love. You helped bless this mom to enjoy another May, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Mother's Day

I was ready for church and I wanted to see if my mom was ready. She wasn't in her room, so I wandered around our house looking for her. Breakfast was made and sitting out - Sundays were the only days mom was responsible for breakfast, and it was always something good like coffee cake.

I saw her sitting by her desk, sniffling. I fell quiet. She was writing out a check, wearing her standard Sunday jewelry - a charm bracelet with a charm for each one of us ten kids. It tinkled and sniffled more as I edged closer. She was crying.

She ripped the check off the book and set it down on the desk like it was too hot to hold. And then she felt my eyes watching her and she turned. The first check I write, she told me, is for God. For offering. The first check is the tithe.

I remember the amount - not worth mentioning unless you want my LCMS rant - and today, I can connect that moment at the desk with the times we kids were running around with candles and eating ice cream from the freezer. It was perhaps the most exciting and fun part of being a kid. Our power was shut off.

Or the times we'd go shopping and march up to the cashier with a couple of carts of food. I remember the same tortured look on mom's face when she saw the total.

This sick week at my house today reminds me of every time I'd go report to her I'd thrown up, and how she'd stumble out of bed and console me and spill baking soda on the spot, cleaning it.

When she left Germany at 19, she never guessed she wouldn't return for over 30 years because the man of her dreams and the children. Each tinkling charm on that bracelet, the music of Sunday morning. The husband, children and the tithe first, and then the bills.

My mom taught me that anything worth something costs everything.

Mother's Day: Keep It Simple

The Tenth Law of Simplicity
Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.



I have been perplexed about this entry. All day. Besides it being dreary here, besides spending much of the afternoon with Zoe while Jen was out with her mom, sister and grandmother, I just felt like if I just wrote one phrase, it's all I could say. I have no miraculous C.S. Lewis quotes.

So I stumbled across the above quote, and it made me think I should just remove the obvious and add the meaningful.

Here's the meaningful: There is no love like a mother's. She holds you forever.