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| Such a happy newborn! |
Better late than never, but happy (SUPER belated) Mother’s Day (I get a free pass for being tardy, having a newborn, right?)! Though every day is mother’s day around here (I’m positive the world would implode if mom, a.k.a. me, went missing), it is appreciated when we get to celebrate things that are sometimes taken for granted.
Around here, motherhood is always very prevalent, probably because I’m in the thick of it at this point of my life. I’m not the only one either. Dolly is an attentive, doting mother to Woody. Rosie and Goldie have started sitting on their own clutches (fingers crossed for chicks soon!)…heck, even the ants that invade the kitchen ever spring have some queen mother tucked somewhere in our walls.
Motherhood has brought me all kinds of experiences that I never dreamed I’d have. Like the fact that I can’t do anything without someone interrupting me, unless they’re taking naps, have gone to bed, are watching television, or I’ve locked myself in a room–even then, they sometimes find me.
That means for about the past ten years, I haven’t been able to do anything on my to-do list without someone helping, from mowing, to milking the cow, washing the youngest sibling, cooking dinner, showering, taking out the trash, writing my next book, napping, tying my shoes, or eating my own lunch (because mine always looks better than whatever I’ve made for them, even if it’s the exact same thing).
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| Zoey “helping” wash Peter. |
Motherhood also means I’ll probably never have clean windows, floors, doorknobs, couches, or walls ever again.
Motherhood means clutter–everywhere. Shoes, crafts, coloring pages, clothes, hair ties, unfolded laundry, books, Legos, Tupperware lids…
Most of the time, though, the reason the kids made the mess in the first place is because of me. The scattered sheets of scratch paper are from Claire trying to create the absolute perfect rendition of a dragon that she can, so she can tuck it under my pillow to surprise me. The books are out because Zoey wanted to read together. Henry builds the most masterful Lego mansions in my honor, while Evelyn can stitch together the cutest little felt animals to gift to me. Kate loves to brush my hair and I might as well be at a spa.
Between the bickering, there are plenty of tender moments of love and friendship that can only be fostered by the unbreakable sibling bond. Warms my mother heart!
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| I love when everyone is getting along! |
Of course, being able to cuddle some adorable babies in my decade-long career of motherhood has been the cherry on top.
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| Claire, Kate, and Grandma peeked inside beehives. |
The highlight of the day was taking a drive up to the Indianapolis Temple, just to take a peek. In our faith, families can quite literally be together forever. What more could a mother ask for than to know the relationship with her children isn’t bound by this life alone?
As much as we tend to talk about what mother’s do for their families, I think more often than not, my children are the ones teaching me. Their unfailing kindness, ability to forgive, boundless creativity, total optimism, and unwavering faith is enough to humble me. Watching them grow and wondering what their future holds is as exciting as seeing where my own life takes me. One thing I know for sure is they’ll always hold my heart, they’ll make me proud, no matter what they pursue, and it’s been a complete honor to mother them!
