Our Heaven With Seven

AL and AA made these for me at school!  These little shoes actually originally belonged to HN and perhaps even HC!  They've gotten around...SO SPECIAL!

This Mother's Day brought out a lot of reflection in my mind...reflection about being a mother and what I thought it would be and what it actually is.  It's the most challenging thing I've ever experienced in my life...or probably ever will.  I am at a lack of words about my feelings as a mother...perhaps because I haven't slept through the night or even part of a night in the past couple of years, or maybe it's because reflection only occurs when I have a free moment and ends in dozing to sleep as I park the car in the garage (which happens way too frequently).  I used to hear other Mothers talk about how they are always forgetting what they went upstairs for or forgetting IMPORTANT items at the grocery store (like the groceries), or leaving their kids at a gas station...I had a point that I wanted to make but now I have apparently forgotten but I am grateful for the privilege of being a Mom to the five greatest kids ever!  I feel inadequate, challenged, humbled, discouraged, grateful, STRESSED, blessed, loved, tired, HAPPY, and hopeful that I will come out on top of this great challenge!  Look at what a fun Mother's Day we had this year.  We had a wonderful picnic with some great, thoughtful friends!

AL was having a great time taking pictures of me and JT! 

Can you guess which of these two flowers is my new favorite? 

Well it's the one on top...the dandelion!  Wanna know why?  Because whenever we go outside my little prince will grab one and say "Here, Mama!"  To me it is the most beautiful flower in the world!   Now look at the picture again...knowing the story...don't you think it's the most beautiful flower in the world!!

This is actually a replica...AA made me an awesome Mother's Day card this year but somehow it got lost.  I was really disappointed that it was lost because it had a history.  You know the little paper that is left behind when you use a sheet of stickers...well we had one left over from the cards that we sent out for Mother's Day this year and I was throwing it away and AA went crazy because she had hid it in her drawer to do something with later on.  She is always hiding things in her drawer like garbage and dirty laundry (or under her pillow).  So from time to time I go through and "clean house" well she caught me throwing that treasure away and went ballistic.  I wanted her to know that I validated her feelings and if she could give me a good reason why I should give it back to her then I would...after thinking for a second she expressed,  "I'm using it for your Mother's Day card..."  What would you have done? ...So I pulled it from the garbage and gave it to her...and she really did use it!

This little treasure was from AL and inside are some beautiful homemade flowers.  On the backs of the flowers it says..."Good for 3 Kisses, Good for 3 Hugs, and Mom's Choice"  Can't wait to collect those!!

The top card is from HC and is filled with the sweetest note.  She is maturing beautifully...Not really!!!!! She's been having  huge emotional outbursts all the time and driving me bonkers!!!

Okay, so that last sentence was written by HER (starting with Not really!!!) while I was on a phone call and she is gonna pay because I'm leaving it!!

HN made me the one on the bottom the inside is a poem

M y very cool Mom!        

O ur loving Mother!        

T otally Awesome           

H appy                              

E ats chocolate with me!

R ocks!                              

S uper!                              

D addy lover!                    

A wesome!                        

Y oung!                              

Love, HN

...and here are my wonderful kids at the park 

and here are a couple of the cuties that we had our picnic with...thanks guys!