My Mother's Day Gift to Myself: Gratitude

A big thanks to Kirsten Ashley Photography for these great photos that I will cherish forever!

Happy Mother's Day morning to all my fellow Mommas out there!  Germany is covering me in a kind of cozy-but-dreary storm cloud right now... and I like it.

The clouds and wind and rain are reminding me of how grateful I am for cozy things.  Like chai tea and wool socks and warm boots and the love of my children.  

I'd obviously absolutely love a day to get spoiled rotten and have my little ones lavishly thank me for how awesome I am... but as they don't even know when it's lunchtime without me telling them, I'm pretty sure those kind of Mother's Day memories are still a few years out.  And my dear sweet husband is still at work right now, and will be sleeping much of this day.  

So this Mother's Day I am choosing to give thanks for the Monkeys who made me a Mother.  I don't care that they aren't making me breakfast in bed or that they will interrupt me 20 times today for potty breaks (more later on why you shouldn't buy fancy-new-pretty-smelling soap for 3yo's) or that they will bicker and whine and test my patience within the first twenty minutes of waking up.

Instead I will think about how amazing it is that these two kids are mine.  God gave them to me.  Those pudgy fingers and toes are mine to kiss whenever I want!  The giggles and smiles and silly sayings are most often directed at me! Lily frequently stops me and thanks me or tells me she loves me.  For no real reason!  Sammy holds my face in between her sticky hands that usually smell like food and copies what I tell her... "guess what Mom?  I wuv you so so so much!"

Motherhood is hard.  Ohmygosh it's so hard.  And I'm tired.  So tired.  But I wouldn't trade my badge of "Momma" for anything.  Galatians 6:9 gives me hope, today and every day...

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Don't give up Mommas!  And I hope you have a very happy Mother's Day.  Especially to the Mom who raised me and the Mom who raised My Love.  We love you ladies so very much!