Happy Mother's Day!

The joy of children!!

(Stick figures drawn by Jade)

******************

"You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be

I had a mother who read to me".

-- Strickland Gillilan
"Oh the Places You'll Go"!! (by Dr. Seuss)

I absolutely LOVE being a mom!
When Tracy and I got married 19 years ago
we had dreams of having a big family!

We really enjoyed and experienced a lot in the four years before we had Jade and then that sweet, little bundle of joy entered our lives and life was never the same!!

(CLICK ON THE PHOTO)
The way Ethan is looking at Jade and I in this photo is priceless!

Well, between having Jade and having Ethan we built a house, that Tracy and I pretty much built by ourselves after work and on weekends…I was by Tracy’s side the whole time handing him boards, helping him build walls, etc…
Hoping to fill it up with lots of children,
we built it with enough floor space
for six bedrooms.
During this time, we also had a miscarriage (12 weeks into pregnancy) and then my pregnancy with Ethan. For 28 weeks of Ethan’s pregnancy it was great and I had no complications, in fact I didn’t ever have morning sickness once and we really didn’t even know I was pregnant except for the fact that I had a growing belly!
I felt wonderful!
However, I developed really bad Preeclampsia at 29 weeks into pregnancy and got put on bed rest, but that didn’t help and I ended up having an emergency cesarean birth to prevent me from having a stroke or heart attack (as my blood pressure was 228/123). Ethan was born at 31 weeks, weighing three pounds.
(here for this story)

(photo of Ethan with a numb mouth
after going to the dentist and having a cavity filled...we read "Sweet Tooth")

Anyway, after having Ethan,
it took over six months
for my blood pressure to come back to normal.
So, I spent the next few years thinking hard about having more kids and decided I didn’t want to risk my own health with another pregnancy
because I wanted to be here to raise and enjoy my two wonderful sons that I have been blessed with!

Yes, we have had many a people ask us and wonder why we only have two kids. I could sit and have a pity party, but have not done that for one second.

There are many people in this world
who long to have children
and cannot and so
I give thanks daily for the wonderful opportunity that I have to be a mom to my two boys and I am very much savoring this season in life where I have children in my home!

Life doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to, but I love the following quote:

"The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way!"

*********

My greatest blessings call me mom!