Scenes from Mother's Day

We had beautiful weather for Mother's Day.  I'm so glad that Mother's Day is on a Sunday because it's my favorite day of the week.  I love spending the morning in service, learning and worship of our Lord!  This Sunday was extra-special because Pastor Charles Sagay was visiting from Cameroon, Africa.  Our church was one of the very first churches to support Charles (a native of Nigeria) in his mission to build a Christian school and church among the Baka (Pygmy) tribe in Africa.  It is my prayer that our family can once again support a child in the Cameroon (for school supplies, food, clothing, a pair of shoes, and medicinal needs) in the coming years.  Charles is filled with the Holy Spirit and has personally improved the lives of hundreds of forgotten people in the jungles of Cameroon! 

After worship we headed over to Mark's mom's house for a big family get-together and cook-out.  I took the kids over to Smith Park for an hour of playtime.  The twins always compete to be their cousin Brooke's primary play partner, as you can see...

Paige and Shae were excited to give me the gifts they had made in school for Mother's Day.  Each presented me with a marigold in a cup (smart idea for re-planting), a hand-made card, and a "joy jar".  The joy jar is a baby food jar filled with brightly-colored slips of paper with personal statements about Mom and daughter.  I just have to share a little of what each of the kids wrote, as it is always fun to see what they are thinking. A couple of things that Paige wrote were "I like to bake goodies with you" and "I love to do fun things with you."  I feel the same way, Paige! (except with the baking, I would like to add "I love to bake goodies with you and help you clean up" )!

Shae was extra-sensitive yesterday.  She joined me in crying when we heard Pastor Mark talk about how Pastor Charles was abandoned by his family at the age of 6, growing up on the streets of Nigeria.  Shae said to me with her big blue eyes wide with concern, "I feel sad for Charles"...thank God for the Christian that reached into his life and gave him hope! 

Shae teared up a few times at the park and back at Grandma Jan's house, too.  She wants so much to "fit in" with her older siblings and be able to play sports etc. on their level.  She wrote some very sweet things in her card to me..."You are the best Mom a girl would ever need....I love that you are always nice....You are not dumb (?!)....I love to help you clean the house because I could do more stuff with you (she GETS it!!)..."

The pyromaniac at the bottom of the above picture (#5) was trying to start his own little fire and roast a single marshmallow on a roasting stick in Grandma Jan's yard.  Cy is resourceful like that.  He wasn't really thinking about mothers yesterday, but this morning he found a card in his bookbag and said, "I forgot to give you this yesterday".  If I may share portions of it with you now, imagine a large white piece of construction paper, folded in half and written in cursive crayon:

Happy Mothers Day   To: Mom  From : Your beloved son, Cyrus.  (P.S.  I proubily spelled some of these words wrong)

My Mom is an awesome Mom she raighns from kitchen above --

(This kid wrote a parodoy of "Awesome God" and I give him extra brownie points for creativity.  I'm not sure if he's referring to my awesome cooking or the fact that I rule over the kitchen, constantly barking at him to stop snacking on crap and eat from actual food groups!!)

...Dear Mom, Thank you for all you do.  Without you, we would be on the Hoarding show.  That would be bad.  If I had to describe all the things you, I would have to get another sheet of paper.

 (Ah, that takes me back to sophomore English when this young man's dad wrote in his mandatory journal "Writing this is a waste of paper and trees" or something to that effect.)

Wynne gave me a card and a potted marigold, too.  My favorite quote of the weekend from her was "You're going to get a lot more medals, Mom" after I told her I was probably done running half-marathons.  Does she know something I don't? 

Trevin & Wynne

Wynne is getting too darn grown up.  She had plenty of cousin time this weekend, organizing games with her cousins Lauren & Mady (shown here with Aunt Elle and Aunt Paula)!  Stop growing up, Dubs.  Please stay five forever!!

 It was nice to be able to sit outside in SHORTS!!

Our kids keep asking for campfires every night.  Soon, my children...soon....

I can't remember the last time we took a picture of Mark's grandma and her two daughters.  Here is Grandma Joan, Aunt Linda, Mark's sister Sara, her daughter Brooke, and Mark's mom Jan in a 4 generations picture.  Happy Mother's Day, ladies!

After supper, we stopped over to visit with my parents and wish Mom a Happy Mother's Day.  More cousin time...this time with Christopher...

...and Addie & Elsie!  Look how precisely Elsie (only 2 and a half) colors in the lines! 

Another fun quote for the day was when Shae said, "We don't have Kids Day because kids get to have fun EVERY day, right Mom!" 

I am grateful for the chance to be called "Mom".  To me, the meaning of the word changes and grows new layers every year.  I don't know how to quite put it in words, but I want my own mom to know right now: 
I love you and I have learned so much from you.  Thank you for teaching me what really matters.  Thank you for being patient with me and encouraging me even to this day!

Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her.--Proverbs 31:2  (This definitely describes MY mother!!)