Mother's day

My munchkins enthusiastically planted pink & white flowers for me for my mother's day gift. They also helped plant some marigolds with my tomato plant. It's so beautiful to have color in front of the house now. Something about digging in the dirt just feels so good!

Despite what you might hear while on the phone with me, I really do enjoy them & love being their mommy. Ben & I were very happy in the first 2 1/2 years of our marriage, but then something happened and it changed everything- we had a baby. And instead of our world being flipped upside-down, it was actually more like bringing life into focus and we could truly see. And we became immersed in the bittersweet world that is parenting.

And now being in their shoes I am grateful for not only my Mom, but Ben's Mom as well. They both keep me grateful for how good I have it now with blessings such as affordable well-constructed diapers, bottles w/ drop-in liners & Mylicon to name a few! Mom H. has truly been a blessing for a mother-in-law. I could not have picked better! And my Mom is always there with advice for me, I don't always listen the first time, so I'm very grateful she's always there to repeat it for me!

My Oma is also such a blessing in my life! She is who I want to be one day. She's so loving, faithful, joyful, & hard working. Oh, and she makes the best jam ever. You can ask any of my family, it's like you can taste the love when you eat it. Now I just have to work on getting a dozen jars back to her for a refill.

My darling Grandma J. is gone, but I still think of her often. I can't smell a gardenia or pass a garden without thinking of her. Her memory is what gets me digging in the dirt. I feel such peace when I'm in the yard doing what she used to do and it brings a connection to me. A connection I want to pass on to my children.

So we dug in the dirt today and started our garden. And as it grows, and as they grow, we will share these experiences and I will share my memories of these wonderful mothers in our family.