A "Thank You" to some special Moms

My mom and my kids

Mike's mom, Valerie, and my Lynnie

I am blessed to have some amazing Moms in my life.  They lead by example, and I learn a lot from them.  I want to say a few "Thank Yous" to a few of my favorite Mommies!

First, to my mom.  Thank you for teaching me to sing while I do the dishes (and all the time, even when I'm supposed to be quiet - and even though no one wants to hear me!).  Thank you for always fighting for me to have the best of everything - the best education, the best childhood, the best medical care when it was necessary (which was all the time), the best church home.  Thank you for never settling when it came to anything I did.  Thank you for being at every basketball and volleyball game I had, even though I rarely played in either.  Thank you for always being my loudest advocate.  Thank you for teaching me that loving your kids is WAY more important than keeping a meticulous house.  Thank you for teaching me how to be a mother.

And to Mike's mom, Valerie - Thank you for raising such an amazing man.  Thank you for teaching him honesty and integrity.  Thank you for teaching him, by example, to have an amazing work ethic.  Thank you for teaching him to help others whenever he can.  Thank you for giving him the best life you possibly could so that he knows how to give his kids the best life he possibly can.  And, most importantly, thank you for sharing him with me.

To my Mimi, thank you for teaching me to cook and for sharing all of your delicious recipes with me.  And thank you for your conversations and advice.

To my Nana, thank you for teaching me how to love others.  Thank you for adoring Papa and being an incredible example of a strong marriage.

To Rissa, thank you for being so strong and so patient and teaching me more than you probably realize you're teaching me.  You've taught me how to be more patient and calm and accepting of life's situations.  Thank you for being such an amazing mom to your A and for being such an amazing example to other moms out there.  You're doing the job of two people, and you're doing it with grace, and I adore you for it.

To Samantha, thank you for having FUN with your kids and mine and showing me that you never have to grow up just to raise children!

To Erica, thank you for sharing your talents and being a true example of a Proverbs woman.

To Maureen, thank you for your constant joy and for showing me how I supportive I want to be when my kids have kids.

To Sara F, thank you for your smiles and hugs and laughter in all situations.

To Christin, thank you for teaching me to appreciate all the gifts God has given me and to never take them for granted or minimize them.

To JRV, thank you for showing me how to let kids be kids.  Thank you for showing me that it's ok to let kids play in puddles and make mud pies and just have fun!

To Lindsay, thank you for teaching me how to save money and encouraging me (whether you realized it or not) to be a stay at home mom.

To Mary, thank you for being so organized and taking such good care of our t-ball team.  Thank you for your love and hugs and for totally "getting" me and my twisted sense of humor!

I'm missing countless other mommies.  I appreciate so many of you for so many reasons.  You are leading me and teaching me by example, and I love you for it!  

Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful Mommies out there!!!

Still want to hear about my day?  Well, keep reading! ;-)

Frustrating:  As usual, I had great intentions to get things straightened up, and very few of them happened.  I had a really rough morning.  It was one of those mornings where I thought I was on time (for Bry's t-ball game), but I was too comfortable so I ended up running for my life and being late.  Lynnie pulled her cute ponytail out, Bry couldn't find his hat (even though he specifically told me yesterday that he knew where it was), no one was able to join me for the game, which meant I couldn't be dugout mom since no one could watch Lynnie.  I was NOT in a good mood when I got to the ballpark.

Awesome:  Blessings started pouring in from there.  Our amazing team mom, Mary, had made little gifts for each of the t-ball moms.  Then Lynnie was a perfect angel at the game.  It helped that I let her play in the dirt as long as she wanted.  She wore herself out doing that, so she actually napped for the majority of the game.  Then Bry had some really great plays, including a hit off the pitch which resulted in a double.  Yay, Bry!!!!  When I got home from the game, our mail was there.  My cousin's wife, Tiffany, had sent me a beautiful Mother's Day card with some really encouraging words in it.  I've met the girl just a handful of times, yet she decided to really brighten my day with a Mother's Day card.  It made me cry very happy tears and made my heart smile at the same time.  I mean, WOW.  And Gwyn stopped by out of the blue with a bow for Lynnie.  I had asked her if she had ever thought about making a "house divided" bow since my hubby is a Florida State fan and I am a Florida fan.  She made one and randomly brought it over, and it is so so so cute!!!!  Talk about an unexpected blessing!

Here are some pics from Bry's game today.  We had so much fun!  What's the best thing you've learned from the mommies in your life?

Worn out after playing in the dirt!

Getting REALLY dirty!

Go Pirates!