May « 2011 « Girly Muse

Archive for May, 2011

And the winner…ugh.

May 26, 2011

So Scotty took the American Idol title. Yay, Scotty! I was so underwhelmed about the show, I fell asleep at the very beginning! I woke up to the kids yelling, “She’s doing a Mama, she’s doing a Mama!” I looked up and saw the back side of Jennifer Lopez doing the full body shake.

Yes, I happen to know that move…except when I do it, the world doesn’t watch in wonder. When I do it, my children convulse into fits of laughter…the kind that goes into hiccups.

After that, I drifted in and out of consciousness. I will have to watch again. It seemed like there were some great moments in the show…and also many fast forward moments in the show. I saw Jack Black shaking it at one point and we all got a good laugh at that.

Hearing Lauren with Carrie Underwood was fun. I think the girl is going to have a great career in country music.

So how about all those kisses? Scotty and Lauren? What are your thoughts?

Indigo was “resting his eyes” when Scotty was crowned the winner, so he missed seeing his favorite win. I thought Greyley might kick the television. She has still not come around to Scotty. WHATSOEVER. We had warned her that he’d probably win because of all the other little girls her age in the south. She rolled her eyes as far as they could roll and had some choice things to say about THAT.

It will be interesting to see whether these kids make it to the top of the charts or whether they fall into the place of some of the other unfortunate winners~ the American Idol abyss…

Posted in American Idol, May 2011 | 12 Comments »

Indy, Part 2

May 25, 2011

I know I should be blogging on Idol since I have off and on all season. It’s just…as I sat watching the show last night, I still can’t believe these are the final two. Isn’t there a country Idol alternative? How did this happen?

I will say this much. I think Lauren beats the socks off of Scotty. Her voice, when she does that soft thing, is beautiful. She can power ballad it too. Her tone is so sweet and pretty. I hope she wins. (But think Scotty probably will.) Did you see her mama praising the Lord while Lauren was singing? So cute.

What was all that about with the doctor?

Lauren’s 3rd song was exactly what she needed. It was beautiful. Steven Tyler has wanted her to win from the get-go…maybe she WILL win.

Well, there’s a 50/50 chance!

However, that’s not what I want to talk about today. Sorry.

I’d like to continue reliving my vacation, please.

Toward the end of the week, I got to see my dear friend, Brenda, from West Virginia. I met her precious girls and granddaughter and other sweet family. We filled as much visiting as we could in a short amount of time…just a day and a half. A quick trip to DSW was included…shopping is a must with Brenda. It was SO good to see her and so fun to finally meet her daughters and their families. I feel like I’ve known all of them forever.

Yes, I frequently wear Dr. Seuss name tags. It’s part of my accessories. Kidding. SUPER cute baby shower…wish I’d gotten pictures of the cake. Oh man, DARLING!

My girl collected a bunch of pink pacifiers from ladies who accidentally said, “BABY.” She was quietly listening and gathering. We have a fine collection now.

Greyley adores Brenda. Oh my, does she EVER. She BAWLED when we had to say good-bye. The visit went by so fast, for one thing…but for another, she is just crazy over her. She has missed her terribly since we visited Brenda & her husband, Glen. Brenda has a way of loving people in such a complete, unconditional way. She is pure goodness, she really is. And funny…

And look…here she is with her adorable daughter (and the guest of honor at the shower)…Nellie.

I was peeking through the kitchen taking this picture, so I wasn’t able to get Nellie’s fabulous pregnant belly. She has one of those pregnant bellies that are just screaming with cuteness!!!

My pictures of Shelly were too dark…doggone it. She is Brenda’s other daughter and is just as cute and sweet as she can be…with brown hair and brown sparkly eyes. Her daughter, Aliyah, is a doll too.

It was Indie’s first time to meet Brenda in person. He’s talked to her on Skype before and knows about her, so it was wonderful for them to finally meet. He was sick that day, so not his normal chatty, hilarious self, but there will be other visits where he can talk her ear off. Ha!

The other guest of the day was some buffalo chicken dip…have y’all ever had that? I wasn’t sure what I thought with the first bite or four, but then there was something about it that made me keep going back for more. And I’ve thought about it a few times since, so…I think I might have really liked it.

We crammed in as many hugs as possible, laughed a lot and then both began our long drive home the next day. Parting is such sweet sorrow…but I feel so blessed that I was able to see some of my dearest friends and family all in one visit.

Posted in American Idol, Family, Friends, May 2011, Travel | 4 Comments »

Indy, Part 1

May 24, 2011

It’s always so great to get away and always so good to get home. We had a nice trip in Indiana and came home to the hustle bustle of life, so I feel like I am just now close to caught up. Ha. What is “caught up” really?

Here’s the way we did the trip. Nate, Nama and the kids drove down and I flew. I know, I know, it sounds like I am rotten, but the objective was to not make Nama fly. She does NOT like to fly and hasn’t been on an airplane in a few decades. So Nate drove the trip going and had to leave midway through to come back to work. I drove home. Next time, I vote to drive GOING. It’s always better to drive GOING to the fun destination than COMING home when you’re beat from vacation.

They arrived at Nama’s sister’s house late Sunday night and that’s where Nama stayed the rest of the week. Nate and the kids picked me up on Monday morning from the airport. I like to think that vacation officially began then.

We started the trip out right…Steak N Shake! Oh yeah, baby!

We stayed with Jainean and her gorgeous family for the week. Thanks, Nean, for all the fun, the food, the laughs and the whole new set of memories. It’s always fun to see my friend.

Nean & Nate

Jainean was my college roommate at Indiana Bible College for the two years that I was there. Oh, do we EVER have the stories to tell!!! My lands. So many stories, so little time. She is HIGHlarious. And she thinks I’m funny…soooo you can imagine the laughs and the wheezing and the snorting. Yes, there is all of that. She’s a hoot and a true friend. I love her very much.

It’s been THREE years since I’ve seen Jainean and her kids and OH MY WORD, everyone’s grown up so much! It was so fun to get the kids together again.

This is Nean’s youngest, Cody…he has grown UP! Look at him all dressed up in his softball uniform. So cute.

It’s Indiana which is synonymous with BALL. We were able to go to lots of ballgames with the kids and chat away on the sidelines. It was a low key time. Ahhh. Then we ran over to Ellwood, about 45 minutes away, to see Uncle Paul, Aunt Peggy and Aunt Beattie. Uncle Paul is 92 and he is THE CUTEST old man alive…we all do an impression of Uncle Paul, even Indie. Greyley’s impression is spot on. He talks like no other and is SO sweet, SO kind, SO darling.

He still rides his bike. Yes. You can picture that, can’t you. I adore him. Preciousness personified.

Aunt Beattie and my girl…I believe Aunt Beattie is 92 also, maybe still 91…she is as feisty and wonderful as ever. She’s staying in a home not too far from Aunt Peggy and Uncle Paul and loves to have company. I wish we lived closer so we could visit all the time…and eat Mexican food together. It’s her favorite. Mine, too.

Aunt Peggy and me…I love this woman. I think she just might be a saint. She’s married to Uncle Paul. He got himself a younger woman about 63 years ago. Aunt Peggy is a go-getter, loves everybody with an open heart, paints, loves family history, is a peacemaker and takes care of everybody. She’s 84 and still going strong. I have been worried about her since I left her, though…she works way too hard.

Nate and his Aunt Beattie. He loves her so much and it is mutual!

Their banter is so funny and extremely sweet. Seeing Nate and his Aunt Beattie together just makes sense. They get one another.

Back to Indianapolis…we spent a day at the zoo.

Nate’s back, Sydni, Greyley, Brady, Indigo and Cody

We’re missing Samantha in this picture. She had to go to school. Oops, I forgot about the hooky part!

I could have stayed in here forever…

LOVE the penguins! And this guy…awww.

That’s one big fellow. Brady is the cute one…on the right…in case you were confused. His brown eyes make me melt. Brady has pretty much always had me wrapped…his eyes light up, he’s mischievous, smart and sweet.

This guy’s eyes light up too. Like…way…up.

When we saw each other, it was like time stood still. There was just this connection. I totally felt like we were going to be on this journey together…

OK, maybe I’m getting that confused with The Bachelorette. Yeah, pretty sure that’s it.

And then I fell for these adorable creatures. I fell hard. Who wouldn’t?

I can’t take it. This little fella. Look at him! Or her. Or him.

Mama Giraffe asked for a copy of this one for her scrapbook.

And then tried to act all nonchalant about it…

OK, sorry, got distracted with the giraffes.

If you want to feel young again, just go watch an elephant for a while. You’ll feel downright nimble.

To be continued…

Posted in Animal Kingdom, Family, Friends, May 2011, Travel | 4 Comments »

See Beauty

May 20, 2011

This is going to be a jumbled post. Get ready. I have a few topics on my brain.

I have been eat, sleep, and breathing THIS the last while:

These are some fun new things I’ve designed for Staci Frenes. She’s speaking at a conference this weekend about “Cultivating Your Creative Life.” You should go on over and follow her blog while you’re at it. We got our brains together and I made these bookmarks and necklaces to go along with her theme.

These are my favorite…

One side shows the pretty eye, with varied eye colors and the other side says, “See Beauty.” I actually had a hard time letting them go and am ready to make another TON of them. They inspire me.

The necklaces are really fun too. They’re great for layering or just on their own.

There are four styles. Each has artwork on one side and a saying on the other…Create Beauty, Divine Work of Art, Love is a Creative Act and Working Artist…on leather or chain.

I made a small batch for a conference Staci did last month and then a larger batch for this weekend’s conference. Please pray they sell OUT.

And if you’d like to purchase~ I’m having some trouble with the “SHOP” part of this blog, so they aren’t in the shop yet, but if you’re interested in buying, just leave a comment saying such and I can email more pictures, etc. Each piece has a glass pendant lovingly soldered by me. (Bookmarks are $15, Leather necklaces are $15 and the Chain necklaces are $20.) I also have other colors of velvet ribbon for the bookmarks. They are plush and so delightful. Can you tell I love them?

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OK, American Idol. Scotty might have won me over (personality-wise) when he started bawling in the limo after the crowds went wild and then again in the parade. It seemed by the massive amounts of screaming fans that he will be the winner. It was so sweet and I liked seeing his humble side.

It was awful to see all the damage in Lauren’s hometown. It was really touching to see her talking to the families that have suffered. When she sang for the crowd, she sounded the best she has all season…her heart was completely into the song. It was one of the best hometown visits ever.

It is no surprise that Scotty & Lauren are the last two standing. They are so likable! I wish them well. Truly wish I liked Scotty’s voice because I think he’s going to take it.

I want Haley’s headband. Lurve it. She lets it RIP on Benny & the Jetts. We will be hearing more from this girl. She has got the pipes.

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I promised that I’d put up vacation pictures this week. I finally got them off my camera today. Since this post is already going on forever and is so jumbled, I will just leave you with this one sneak peek for next week:

Yep. It’s gonna be good.

Posted in American Idol, Animal Kingdom, Jewelry, May 2011 | 9 Comments »

Haley, Lauren and Scotty

May 19, 2011

Really?

This is really what we’ve come to?

I’m not sure I can even amp up enough enthusiasm to write about this one. The show lost me a bit ago…when PIA, CASEY and JAMES went home!!!

GRRRR!

Now Beyoncé…that girl can move, can’t she.

Great. Now I’m going to have IfYouLikeItThenYouShouldaPuttaRingOnIt in the brain for the next week.

I’m going to upset my Oklahoma and West Virginia friends here…so sorry, Loren and Brenda!!! But I am still rooting for Haley. Round 1, she takes it. She falls, yes, but her voice is just more interesting to me than the others. No, I don’t care for her personality. Her trying to be “sexy” really is annoying. But if I close my eyes and listen, she is by far my favorite…unless she growls and then all bets are off in that moment.

I doubt Haley will win. And if she doesn’t, I hope Lauren will…

I can’t bear Scotty. Still. Can. NOT. Bear. Him.

I get that he’s a good country singer. I even like country music. I’ve tried closing my eyes with him because his smirk is far worse than Haley’s sexy look, but it doesn’t work. He still manages to lose me. EVERY. TIME.

Lauren does pretty well. I like her. She’s sweet.

Round 1~ The judges agree with me. That settles it. Can we just all go home now?

Just so you know, everything that I think about Scotty…turns out my daughter feels it about a thousand times more. She is NOT. A. FAN.

Round 2, Scotty starts it out. I’ve ripped on him enough, haven’t I. Poor kid. It’s just…it’s the only time I’ve ever had the thought about someone that I want their eyebrows to be taped down for a week to get him out of the habit of wiggling them.

He turns me into a mean person, that’s what.

The judges lurve it.

THUD, THUD, THUD

(Pardon me, that’s just Me Banging My Head Against the Wall)

Moving on, moving on.

I do have to say that Lauren’s tryout was such a wonderful moment. She charmed the socks off of me and everyone else. I loved when Steven sang back to her…so, so sweet. I don’t know why I haven’t been quite as convinced by her ever since. I think she’ll have a great career, I really do. She has GREAT moments, but a lot of not so exciting or special ones too. What is it? I just don’t FEEL it with her. I think she needs a few years to be incredible.

She looks pretty as a can be, though~ LOVE her black and white dress. I’m admiring it when she sort of loses her way. I didn’t quite catch what happened~ did she not catch the key change or miss the words? I’m not sure. J Lo thinks she got “caught up in the honesty of what she was creating in that moment.” Maybe so.

What is that new dangley in Steven’s hair? Is it a feather? An earring? A bird? A plane?

I love how Lauren and her mother say, “Thank yew.” I really do. They are both darling.

This is the first time I remember seeing Haley’s audition. She way over sings, but still had the goods and they loved her. I think she’s improved a lot since the beginning.

I really like her dress (!!!) and the wind is awesome.

Round 2: Steven picks Lauren. JLo and Randy pick Scotty. Jimmy says Bruce Springsteen and Garth Brooks just had a baby. (Scotty)

That explains it.

Beyoncé lets us know that girls will rule the world. Good to know. I’ll have to get on that.

Steven is cracking me up mouthing hello to all his family on camera. He looks almost guilty each time…so funny.

Scotty does sound really good on the last song. It’s what he does going into his W’s that…well…it makes my toes curl..makes the hair on my back stand up…makes my toe jam sit up and go, NO!

Sorry, got carried away there.

Good job there, Scotty. I liked a lot of that.

I have LOVED Jennifer Lopez’s hair this season, but am regretting this particular ‘do.

Scotty’s dad does, “Baby, Lock Them Doors and Turn the Lights Down Low…” Hilarious!

Lauren won Round 3 with Jennifer before the other two even sing. Steven says she walked out like she owned the Grand Ole Opry~ which is exactly what I was thinking…how did I get the channel on the Grand Ole Opry??? For Pete’s sakes.

Haley sings the socks off of “You Oughta Know!” That is a HARD song and she SINGS it.

I voted. For the first time all season. And only once…

Haley slayed Steven. Jennifer loved Lauren. Randy picks Lauren for Round 3.

You know who I’m for…how about you?

Posted in American Idol, May 2011 | 7 Comments »

Jewelry, Jewelry, Jewelry

May 18, 2011

I’ve been working on a few projects lately…got some requests for some necklaces locally and have been doing some other projects as well. It’s a great outlet and once I get started, I don’t want to stop. These are some new additions to my Funky Gladys line…

I don’t suppose you need any necklaces, do you?

If so, you’re in the right place. I happen to have a few on hand…

Feel free to peruse and make your requests…at your leisure, of course.

When my daughter was little, we were at church and we were having one of those really great services. We were praying in our seats and Greyley was kneeling down between me and Nate. One of us leaned over to hear what she was praying because she was praying so fervently, so sincerely…and we heard her saying, “Jewelry, jewelry, jewelry…”

A girl after my own heart.

“Key to Time”

“Seraphina”

“Rosalina”

“Bethany”

“Birdie”

And this last one is from my “Light-bulb Moment” series…

I’m totally willing to wrap them up and ship them your way, should you so desire. In the meantime, I might have to wear them a time or two…

Posted in Jewelry, May 2011 | 6 Comments »

Road Bump

May 17, 2011

I’m home.

Bleary-eyed.

Long to-do list.

Grouchy.

Wiped out.

Off an hour due to time change.

Needing to do a sugar detox.

Wishing I could have a vacation now that I’m back from vacation…

But I’m home. And ahh…it feels good.

What should have been a 9 1/2 or 10 hour trip home took 14 1/2. If I told you every detail it would sound absolutely torturous and there were moments it felt as such, but we still were having fun for the most part. The road construction was FRUSTRATING and so was the WRONG TURN I took…and the coughing was LOUD and the stops took TIME, but…we made it. Woohoo!

We had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family in Indiana. (Pictures will be showing up this week, no doubt.) We also had some sickness~ Nama and Indigo~ so that put a little bit of a road bump in some things and also made the drive home difficult.

This all makes us especially happy to get home to lovely, sunshiney warmth. The birds are chirping, the grass is green and it seems spring has finally decided to come…or maybe we’ll just skip ahead to summer. I’m loving it exactly how it is RIGHT NOW. If it stayed like this, I’d be a happy woman. I already feel my grouchiness fading…give me some coffee and I’ll be good to go. I’m off to work on a project that has to get off TODAY…will tell you more about that soon too.

Have a good day. Peace out.

Posted in Family, May 2011, Travel | 4 Comments »

Anticipation & Turbulence

May 9, 2011

Happy Monday! Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. Thanks to my Mama, for letting me share her Sunday School lesson yesterday. I asked her to send me her weekly lessons back when she began teaching with my Dad, so I get to enjoy those every week…not as fun as hearing them in person, but…

I am in an airport as I write part of this and later on the plane…you know my love for airports and flying~ woohoo! On my way to Indiana this morning and I am so excited. It’s actually a family trip~ Nate and the kids are joining me there. Nama too. It will be a staggered trip~ we won’t all get to be there the whole time, but it’s better than nothing. I can’t wait to see my college roommate, Jainean, Nama’s sisters and brother-in-law, Aunt Peggy, Uncle Paul and Aunt Beattie, and finally, my dear friend, Brenda (who will be there from West Virginia!)…it’s going to be a fun-filled week.

Wanted to show my other fun dress from Mighty Swell. It’s a keeper. I felt very June Cleaver-ish for Mother’s Day. Ignore the hair-swooping pose. You get the idea.

There’s green grass and dandelions. Hallelujah.

Close-up of one of my Funky Gladys necklaces…more on these coming soon. I have new inventory!

Had a grand lunch with my kiddos.

And this next one is especially dear to me~ my son…he loves my neck. He nestles in it every chance he gets. This is him on his way in, going for the best part. I used to do that with my Mama and still do when I get the chance. I loved my grandmother’s neck too. There’s just something about a soft Mama neck…mmm.

I love my boy. I wasn’t sure I could be a good mother to a boy, but he makes it easy. He lights up my whole world.

I love my girl. She is such a wonderful person. I am so proud of who she is and who she is becoming…my little lady.

It’s raining as I leave Minnesota. It’s an extremely bumpy ride. We almost had Nama fly instead of me, but she’s very scared of flying and hasn’t flown in MANY years. As I sit and go bumpety-bumpety, I am thanking GOD that I flew instead of her. Be blessed today, my friends. XO

Posted in Family, Fashion, Friends, Kids, Mama Musings, May 2011, Travel | 8 Comments »

The Legacy of a Mother

May 8, 2011

My Mama is teaching this lesson in her Adult Sunday School class this morning in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Love you, Mama.

Exodus 20:12

“Honor thy father and mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

Today is a day to give honor in particular to our Mothers… So we want to say thank you in our hearts for our Mother and all Mothers everywhere…

It’s been said that our Mothers have the most influence on us than anyone in our life.

None of us were born knowing how to be a Mother. I have to say though, that our own Mothers weren’t either. If you were fortunate enough to have a Mother who taught you many things, then you can learn from that or if not, maybe in some cases other mentors in your life…along with God’s guidance.

Even with the things we learn, we depend on God’s guidance to become the Mothers we were meant to be…

You as a Mother will find ways to be the Mother your children need.

Most of what we do for our children comes from our own example of word or deed…the things we say and do.

I think sometimes parents may forget to respect their children…

We want them to respect us, but really we teach them that, by being respectful and also by respecting them.

It’s different being a Mother to adult children…I’m still learning the life lessons of that…

By then, their respect for you is the most important thing…

You can be a friend to your children, but be a Mother first.

I pay tribute to my Mother today…

First of all, I miss her prayers…I count on them being stored up for me.

Everything I do reflects the values that she taught me.

She gave me life, but she also gave me lessons in how to be and how to live this life…

It feels like she’s a part of everything that I have ever accomplished…

Her sweet spirit and quiet strength and gentleness are always with me…it’s hard to live up to, very hard, but is always there nudging me along…

I will never forget her labor of love and sacrifice…

Her faithful service to God and her helping hand to others…

She took care of her bedridden Mother for 16 years…

She was also the District Ladies Auxiliary Secretary and Treasurer for many years…

She was my husband’s Sunday school teacher when he was a teenager and he still remembers things she taught him…

My Mother was not fashion conscious, and yet she made the most beautiful handwork things and clothes and wedding dresses.

I didn’t even know what it was like to wear something bought from a store…she could see something and come home and make it.

But sorrow came very early to her…

She lost her father at the age of 9 years old. With her father gone, she would come to know the meaning of hard work, learning at that age to cook and sew for her brothers.

Maybe it was God’s way of making her strong…

I never took my Mother for granted and there are times I wish I could say that to other people…

Her way wasn’t to push her thoughts on me, but she would quietly tell me the stories of her life to learn from…

My Mother was 42 years old when I was born, so I always knew there would probably be a day I would be without her…I miss her everyday.

My Mother loved and deeply respected the Ministry and was a trusted friend to the Ministry, and every Evangelist that ever came through had a meal , usually several, at our house, along with our Pastor and his family…

She was considered a Preacher’s friend.

At her funeral there were many Preachers that came from miles around…

My Mother and Dad both taught me loyalty to the Ministry.

This principle is established in the Word of God, a Book that my Mother loved and studied, religiously…

And according to the Word of God, we are admonished to “Touch not mine anointed.” The scripture says…

This means we are not to criticize or find fault with the Preacher, any Preacher, any man of God…

He has been chosen to direct us to God.

That is what the scripture teaches us and that is what my parents taught me…

One of the stories in the Bible talks about a man named Korah… He was unhappy with the leadership of Moses and started trouble, so God killed him and his followers…

And then there was Paul who said “Luke is still with me.”

It was important to Paul, the Preacher, to know that there was someone who would stand by him.

My legacy cannot be measured in money…

My Mother saved and saved her money just to pay for her own Funeral, and my Dad’s…

And she made sure there was no debt to leave behind…

But out of everything that she did leave us,

1) Her Love

2) Her Values

3) Her Gentleness

4) Her love for Mercy and Kindness

5) Her Prayers stored up for her children…

I think out of all of these, her greatest legacy was her love and deep respect for the Ministry.

I have often thought about the scripture where Mary the Mother of Jesus asked him to turn the water into wine at the Wedding…

He wasn’t quite ready to perform a miracle and make Himself known…and he seemed a little put off by her asking…

But I realized just recently in reading that scripture, the respect He must have had for His Mother, because He did it anyway, possibly “for” His Mother…

Mother’s day is a blessed day set aside to give thanks and appreciation to God for our Mothers…

I think He would want us to consider the love and respect He had for His own Mother, and pay tribute to all Mothers everywhere…

Happy Mother’s day…

Posted in Mama Musings, May 2011, Mother's Day | 3 Comments »

Guilt x 1,000

May 6, 2011

Happy Mother’s Day weekend, all you beautiful Mamas!

If you’re anything like almost every mother I know, you don’t believe you are truly a great mother. It seems the ones who have never had the thought that they aren’t a great mother, are simply mothers who don’t think about their kids much at all.

No, it seems in becoming a mother, we receive an extra large dose of guilt.

We wish we could do this better…we want more for our kids…we come up short…we disappoint…we fail…we can’t give as much as we should…we don’t have enough time…we’re not present…we just want to sleep…and so on…

We also receive infinite amounts of forgiveness and grace.

With one hug and a whispered, “I love you,” in my child’s ear, all hurt is washed away. When I sit and play a game with them or just really listen to their stories, my transgressions fade into the sea of forgetfulness. It’s a beautiful thing.

I know it doesn’t always last forever. We can wreck it. We can damage the relationship and so can our children. But as the parent, when we truly love, no matter what, our children will always love us back. Nothing gets any better than that.

Indigo came home with a paper he’d filled out for me at school. It’s “Some Special Facts About My Mom.” He filled it out with his adorable, messy penmanship and I will keep it forever.

The bold letters are his answers.

Her hair is black.

Her eyes are brown.

She weighs 75 pounds.

She is 34 years old. (I think Greyley put 26 on hers when she was that age, I like her answer better. )

This is what my mother does all day: Wash dishes

Her favorite food is salad.

I laughed so hard about the washing dishes all day. Some days it feels like that is truly the case! And it’s hilarious about the salad…so not true…but cute that he thinks so.

The good thing about being a mother is it is never too late to make the relationship better. Our children want with all their hearts to feel their mother’s love. There is really nothing they want more than the love of their parents. If they feel the love, they probably don’t realize how much they want this, but the instant they feel us disconnect, they flounder…

I believe my job as a mother is always going to be, love first…just as when my children were babies and cried for me when they hurt, I hope I can always be the one they come to when they need comfort or when they just need to be loved. In keeping this job, it means I have to love even when they’re not acting how I want them to, even if they are not showing love to me in return, even when I don’t feel like it. It seems impossible at this moment that I wouldn’t feel like it at some point, but things happen…life happens! God, help me, please.

It’s a big responsibility…this motherhood business. It is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. But there is nothing so wonderful, so pure as the love between a mother and her children. I pray for strength to do it right…every day. And the days that I don’t get it right, that they’ll love me anyway.

My hope for mothers everywhere is…let go of the guilt. No more. If there’s something you’re doing that is deserving of guilt, change. If you are doing the best you can do, step it up a notch and do better. Otherwise, just love your kids passionately and everything will be okay.

I wish I could see my Mama this Mother’s Day. I’m so thankful for her. She is lovely, inside and out. She loves me and I love her.

Have a wonderful weekend. XO

Posted in Kids, Life, Mama Musings, May 2011, Mother's Day | 6 Comments »