Mothers Day 2008

This weekend was a beautiful reminder of how good life can be. The celebrations began on Thursday night when our niece, Maggie, announced that she was finishing the semester with a 3.0 GPA. Maggie came to live with us this semester and has really applied herself to her studies. We are SO proud of her.On Friday the little boys and I celebrated the completion of our school year. They are now officially third and fourth graders. We went out to lunch and then they each chose a gift at Books-a-Million. Christian bought a Science Kit and Jordan chose a guitar pic necklace with a scripture on it. On Saturday night we celebrated the birth of Jon, 24 years ago. Everyone was here for dinner...Micah, Grandpa and Grandma, sisters, brother-in-laws, niece and nephew, etc. We had an apple-brandy marinated pork roast, squash, roasted rosemary potatoes, yeast rolls, brownies and Italian Cream Cheese Cake. We played board games, guitar, and looked through photo albums put together for me by Katie for Mothers Day. She scrapbooked three albums for me. They are wonderful! This morning I was woken by the boys with homemade cards (they know that's my favorite)and two special gifts, one for my house and one for the garden. Jon gave me a card with a picket fence on it ( in honor of the picket fence that is being installed this week:) and beautiful candles. Chelsea and Justin had made me a plate with each family member painted with something that symbolizes them, with their name. It is perfect. I am holding a ladle, Terry a guitar, Katie a paint can, etc. After church we all went to Katie and Tim's for a lunch of pasta al forno, garlic bread and cheesecake. It was all delicious. The phone rang and I was able to have a nice long chat with Brandon and Kristin in Italy. He shared the mornings sermon topic, told of having all their students over for dinner the night before, and singing "Happy First Mothers Day" to Kristin at a little bit after midnight:) Chelsea washed up and then after Grandpa and Grandma left to return to Henderson the girls and I all headed to the fabric store. Chelsea bought some fabric with poppies on it, Katie's favorite flower, and is making her and Maria matching Mother/daughter aprons. I bought fabric for a Thomas the Tank Engine shortall for Gabriel and fabric for three summer play dresses for Maria. I am also in the process of making some baby gowns for the new grandbaby due in October (Brandon and Kristin's first). The weekend was full of laughter, a few tears (as we remembered Chelsea and Justin's little one that is waiting for us in Heaven, but still made her a Mama),and a gratitude that is hard to put into words. I sometimes ask myself how we could be so blessed. I have to stop myself from thinking dire thoughts as to how life can change so rapidly in the blink of an eye, as if I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.But I know, that whatever happens in the future, just as difficult things have happened in the past, that God will still be God. He loves us and has blessed us with family and brothers and sisters in Christ to help us make it through this world and into the next.What a gift we have been given. What a Savior!