Mother's Day Revisited

I have to be honest, Mother's Day has never been one of my favorite holidays.  Usually, the day comes to a close with feelings of disappointment and sadness due to unmet expectations, and I find the pressure to feel happy a little overwhelming.  I'm not really sure what made this year different.  Maybe it was the lack of planning and expectations, or maybe my kids are just getting a little older, but it was a really nice day.

We began by being relatively on-time to church, which we followed by lunch at a local restaurant over-looking Pensacola Bay.  The weather was lovely, the water was beautiful and the black-eyed peas and corn fritters were spot-on.  After lunch, my seven-year-old announced that we should play tennis for Mother's Day.  I still haven't decided if this was for his benefit or mine (I do love the game and play all the time), but we got on our bikes and headed to the courts.  The day came to a close with my parents joining us on the porch for dinner.  Scott had cooked ribs all afternoon on the BGE, which we served with a Caesar salad and grilled rosemary bread.  It was all delicious, but the kicker was the homemade Bushwacker for dessert!

It was not an extraordinary day, but it was a good, happy day spent with my children and my mother, which made for an extraordinary Mother's Day.

Linking up with

BLoved Boston / Still Being Molly / How I Spring

Mother's Day

Growing up, I always knew that I wanted children.  Three is a good number, right?!  With my first, I was looking forward to that first picture of mother and baby that I had seen so many times.  About two weeks before my due date, I developed Bell's Palsy.  Long story short, half my face was paralyzed until about a week or two after delivery. Needless to say, the delivery room pics are not blogworthy!  Not able to smile, I look so sad on what was the happiest day of my life. Yes, that's Virginia in the Moses basket with me nowhere to be seen.

Fast forward 15 months (yes, 15) and I was one week overdue with baby #2.  I actually came down with the flu and had to cancel my appointment to be induced.  I was so sick, there was NO WAY I could even get out of bed much less deliver a baby! Once I was finally able to deliver, he aspirated meconium and was whisked away to the NICU. No mother and baby picture that time either! I had to send my parents to take a picture of him through the glass so I could see him.

In this case, the third time was the charm.  No Bell's palsy, no NICU and no need to be induced! I went into labor at home and we rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night.  A couple of hours later, sweet Sally was born.  The gender was a surprise. I was 100% convinced that she was a boy (same way with my first, who is also a girl).  As you can see, I finally got that picture.

I guess what I am trying to say is that sometimes things do not turn out the way we envision them.  Being a mom is much harder than I ever could have imagined.  I am pushed to my limit almost everyday.  God gives us enough to get through each day. I praise him for the rest and rejuvenation that I get each night when I sleep. Watch out if I do not get the 8 hours that I need!  My three children are each blessings to me in their own way. They are happy, healthy, and I cannot imagine life without them.  They are my dream come true.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my mom and mother-in-law.  My children are so fortunate to have two beautiful grandmothers who would do anything for them and me.

Linking with: Style Elixir/Claire Justine/Meet at the Barre/September Farm/Farmer's Wife