Happy Mother's Day

I was lucky enough to celebrate Mother's Day with my whole family! We headed over to my parents house for a brunch. Then Hubby, the kids, and myself spent the rest of the day just hanging out at the house. I was spoiled with cards that had recordings of the kids voices, colored pages, and lots of hugs & snuggles! Hubby tried his darndest to get me an Epiphanie camera bag (I have been drooling over Lola-red) but they are out of stock. Instead, I am super stoked (can't believe I just said "stoked") for a Mommy n' Me session with Miranda Parker.

I love this day for so many reasons. One of the main reasons I love this day is because I get a chance to reflect on all of the great mothers I know, and let me tell you...I am surrounded by them! My sisters, my in-laws, my friends...all inspire me with their awesome "mommy" skills! The biggest inspiration for me is my own mother. If you read my blog you know that my mother is a best friend to me. Anyone that knows me and my mother, will probably agree that I am my mother's daughter.

I'm not going to thank her for passing on the habits such as:

losing my keys all the time, getting food/drink on my clothes at almost every meal, or the clumsiness (okay...maybe I'm just clumsy).

I am going to thank her for always being in my corner NO MATTER WHAT!

...for allowing me to just be myself and express myself such as wearing my favorite yellow/black spaceship dress in 3rd grade or plastering my walls with magazine pages.

...for forcing my sisters to play Barbies with me when neither of them wanted to.

...for letting me try my hand at baking over and over even though my baked goods were REALLY horrible

...for forcing me to follow some really strict rules in high school (which now I understand)

...for not buying me a brand new car when I got my license

...for driving me back/forth to millions of sporting events and being my biggest cheerleader (you continue to do this for grandkids-thank you for that)

...for placing a wet washcloth on my head when I was sick and humming that familiar hum that I can still hear in my head.

...for taking us on trips across the country in our minivan (I have so many memories from these trips)

...for not allowing us to say SHUT UP or any other disrespectful language

...for answering the phone every single time I call

...for giving up an ENTIRE summer to sit by my side while I was on bedrest (she would give up anything for her kids/grandkids)

...for being a wonderful grandmother to my kids

...for just being my best friend

I just hope some day that my children can look up to me and thank me for some of these same things...because I learned how to be a great mom from HER.

I am SO bummed that I don't have a pic of my mom and I from Mother's Day. We were so busy trying to get the kids in the shots that we totally forgot to get a pic of mom and daughters. It's on my list of upcoming shots!

Mother's day is also a time when I remember two REALLY special moms and grandmoms that I am missing...and I think of them and their greatness...and feel inspired...and sad that I can't see them.

Hope you all had a fantastics Mother's Day!!

'Moms' that have influenced me...

The ladies over at 5 Minutes for Mom are throwing an awesome Mother's Day giveaway! After reading about it, I decided to take the time to find a photo and submit if for the contest. The photo I chose to submit is pictured above, yet all the photos display what I think motherhood is all about!

Luckily, before I became a mother myself, I was fortunate enough to have wonderful women in my life that portray(ed) the greatest mothering qualities. I am going to spend some time on this post and write about these great women and their extraordinary influence! This will probably be my longest blog post EVER just because I have so many great things to say.

My own mother; the most selfless person I have ever known. This woman will literally bend over backwards for her children, grandchildren, and any other person for that matter. Yet, she stands her ground in the discipline and life lesson chapters of mothering. Looking back on all of the rules that I thought were too strict or silly, I now completely understand! She is big on traditions and they have come to mean so much to our entire family. So many of my wonderful childhood memories revolve around traditions that my mom worked so very hard to maintain. A mother myself, I constantly look to her for advice and compassion. She is my best friend...a person that I can always depend on...no matter what! She is a mother of 3, grandmother of 4.

My grandma Fran;Full of life and full of spunk. This woman was hilarious! She always made life fun. She told it like it was and because of that...I learned many lessons! She was a mother of 3, grandmother of 8.

My older sister Lori; When I gave birth to LJ and LK my older sister had already been a mother for 7 years. I learned alot from her and also by helping out w/my nephews. I love the fact that she can just have fun w/her kids and let go of worries that sometimes hold moms back. She is a compassionate and fun mother of 2 wild and crazy boys that absolutely adore her!!

My sister-in-law Kristi; She does more in one hour than I can get done in a week!! She has exposed her children to so many great things in the world. She is so kindhearted and giving. We are constantly getting care packages in the mail. The generosity is amazing. She is an excellent communicator and really talks things through w/her children. She is a mom of two adorable and silly little girls, plus one baby boy!

My late mother-in-law Paula; One of the greatest women I have ever known. Every day I get a broken heart knowing that my children will never meet her. Like my own mother, she was extremely selfless and giving of herself. She was also one of the greatest cooks and housekeepers ever! She lost the battle w/ Pancreatic Cancer 3 years ago in June. We miss and love you Grammy. She is a mom of two, grandma of 5.

Many other great women are in my life that are wonderful mothers and I wish I could find the words and the time to spotlight you all. Thanks to all of the great moms' that I know and thank you for your influence!