Mother's Day

I had a fantastic Mother's Day this year.  Whit always seems to be apologizing for not doing enough for holidays, birthdays, Valentine's, anniversaries, etc.  What he doesn't get is that he does SO MUCH all the time that when he does WAY more than he needs to for these things, it just isn't as big of a contrast as it would be otherwise.  :-) I had a GREAT day.  Whit had to work, but went in at 2 pm, so we all went to church together.  Then we all came home together.  I opened my presents (kids each made me pictures, Dora made me a plate with her handprint, Eli made me a beautiful drawing and wrote me a letter, and Whit got me a day at the spa from the kids.)  Then I he went into work and I made (with Dora's help) bread, chocolate cake, chicken cacciatore, and fruit for dinner.  We also made 5 batches of cookies and froze them because that's something I do.  :-) 

Anyhow, here are a few shots of all of us right before church.  

 Eli is the sweetest, smartest, kindest and most dedicated to whatever he is interested in.  He cracks me up and he impresses me all the time.  He is also very good to his siblings and he's ALWAYS honest.  I love this kid.

 Oh, did I mention he's HANDSOME!?

 Dora is my peacemaker, she's my joy.  She is so attuned to how people feel and she really works hard to be a good sister, a helper with the animals (Foxy and the chickens) and she just really wants to make people happy.  She may be a little too interested in having her own way, but we know where she gets that from, and it's not Whit.  On Mother's Day, I mentioned that I had put my water cup from the bathroom in the tub and now I didn't have one up there.  When I went to bed late that night, I saw she'd gotten a kids plastic cup from downstairs and carried it upstairs and left it by my sink.  That's just who she is.  She does those little sweet things and never makes a big deal about it.

 You can see Tessa in this shot--she never wants to leave my side right now.  If I am getting my purse and phone and shoes, she is walking over (or running) saying "Go Go" really loud.  She also says "Yeah yeah" (twice) when you ask her about something and she's excited about it.  She gives hugs and kisses any time you ask and she's SO funny and cute and loves to play.  She will smile about any time and is growing so so fast right now.  Watching her toddle around and follow her older siblings, interested in joining in just lights up my heart.

You can barely see Emmy here because she was interested in going and doing and she doesn't put much importance on photos right now, but oh my.  There is a 10 pound body stuffed into a 3 pound bag right now.  She has so many opinions, so many plans, so much resolve for such a little person.  She is growing by leaps and bounds.  I have never seen a two year old willing to sit completely still for as long as it takes to get her nails done, but she will sit patiently and wait.  She is determined and not afraid to do whatever it takes and she will never, ever, ever give up on what she wants.  It's frustrating right now, but I bet it will really help her in the future.  In spite of all her determination, there is a sweet spirit under there.  She is always saying and doing things "to make [her mom's] heart happy."  What a little doll.

 These kids are just everything to me.  Tessa just DUG INTO the cake and I had to take a photo.  She was literally stuffing enormous chunks into her mouth with so much gusto! It was precious.  I wish I could freeze them in time right now.  Why isn't that an option??

 Last night, Emmy scribbled all over this white chair for the umpteenth time, and tried to clean it up herself by dumping a gallon of leather conditioner on it.  I am counting that as progress because the last billion times, she hasn't done a thing about it.  Then Dora found a staple and started scratching her name into the trunk door of my minivan with it.

They are SUCH a mess, and so much work, but worth it.  Worth the destruction, the exhaustion, the frustration.  I love them, and I love my job.  I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Last night, I was closing the door to the reading room to go to bed and I saw this.  Dora had decided (who knows why?) to sleep in there.  Probably because I said she can't sleep in my room and it's the closest thing to it.  (Just on the other side of my door.)  Good grief.

Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day too, whoever you are, wherever you are, reading this.  I can't have a post on Mother's Day without at least acknowledging that I have the very best best best of mothers in the world.  I love you Carla Stuckey! Thanks for all you did every single day for years and years, and all you still do now, every single week!  Love you!!!