Mother’s Day

A lovely Mother’s Day and so fun to see Lily celebrating her first Mother’s Day. 

 

8 Gifts for Moms

Mother's Day is right around the corner and I've been thinking of some fun gift ideas for that special mom in your life. Here are eight nifty ideas to get you started:

Kate Spade Tumbler--this is such an adorable travel cup. I'm a sucker for iced tea and this is a perfect choice for traveling with your drink. 

Alex and Ani candle--I had no idea Alex and Ani made candles until recently. A friend gave me this candle and the smell is awesome. It's subtle but still fills the room with a delightful scent. 

Flamingo Clips--I love these cute beach towel clips. They make a day at the beach even more fun and they add a little smile to any beach lover's face. 

Aura Digital Frame--moms love to look at photos of their children. This digital frame goes through iPhone photos easily with a Bluetooth connection.  The frame is a pretty addition to your home decor while also being a great way to share photos with the whole family. 

Q & A for Moms--this is such a great way to journal your life as a mom over five years. Moms can use this to document their lives and this is a special way to look back and reminisce. 

Huffy Bicycle--this was actually my Mother's Day gift last year. My version is coral and mint and I love it. It's reasonably priced and ideal for the pleasure bike rider. 

Temptation--this is my favorite scent from Victoria's Secret. Your mom might like this one or any of the other lovely lotions. 

Tiffany bracelet--this is an extra special gift for an extra special mom. Love this bracelet. 

Simply the Best

I'm lucky enough to say that I had a mother beyond compare. A mom who taught me how to be a loving mother to my own girls. 

Happy Mother's Day to the best mom! Love and miss you every day. 

Thank you girls, for being such happy, interesting, and lovable daughters. I'm so proud to be your momma. 

Things I Learned From My Mom

Happy Mother's Day! Today is a day filled with many mixed emotions. I miss my beloved mother like crazy and this day is a reminder of her loss. But, conversely, I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to have such a loving and dynamic mother. I'm also thrilled to say that I am a mom to two beautiful, happy, and loving girls. They are special blessings in my life and they are the legacy of my own mother's love.

Over the years I learned so much from my mom. Here are just a few of those tidbits:

Everything happens for a reason.

Always be gracious and pleasant.

Do the right thing.

Be honest.

The proper way to fold a fitted sheet.

A love for reading true stories about a person's life.

Beautiful penmanship is cultivated with practice.

How to use a sewing machine.

Be strong and face adversity head on.

The art of writing a thank you note.

How to present a gift in a special way.

How to iron a piece of clothing properly.

A love for travel.

Eating out is so much fun.

How important it is to listen when people talk to you. 

Crafting skills!

She had so many special talents and she was so smart. She was the mom that others wished they had and that I was lucky to call my own. This is a day I reflect on how much I miss my mom but more important how much I love her. Happy Mother's Day. 

A little something special in my mother's memory:

Mothering

I'm chatting about Mother's Day today instead of tomorrow. The reason? Tomorrow is all about Lily and her 13th birthday. But, today I'm thinking about my mom and about becoming a mom.

My mom shared so much with me and I think some of her best advice was given to me through her actions. I watched the way she treated people and I learned how to be good to others. I watched her remain calm during difficult situations and that taught me how to handle the tough times in my own life. I noticed the way she taught my sisters and I while staying quiet and letting us make our own decisions (some bad and some good) and I try every day to let my own girls learn by making their own choices. Her actions truly spoke louder than words and I took notice of that.

Our Family
2006

As a mom, I'm working to emulate my mother's actions. I try to help my girls with the really big decisions and guide them along the way. And with the smaller decisions, I give pieces of advice and stand back to let them make their own choices. I remember learning from both my great decisions and the very bad decisions I made along the way, as my mother did the same for me. I felt as if all of this helped me as I got older and I no longer had my parents right at my side. I was now responsible for figuring out life on my own and I am grateful that they gave me the opportunity to practice all of that decision making as a child/teen.

Me and the girls
December 2012

It has made it very clear to me that these little girls of mine are watching everything I do and that seems like such a huge responsibility. I just hope that what they see in me they want to emulate as much as I did with my own mother.

Happy, Happy Mother's Day to my momma in heaven!!! And, thank you to my precious girls for making me their momma!

Happy Day, Mom

I think of my mother often and I think of all of the things I want to tell her about my life. Wish she was here daily. Wish we could talk more than daily. Miss her immensely. 




Sometimes it is hard to put into words just how much of a void there is in my life without my mom. But, so grateful for the life she created for me and the love she had for me. Happy Mother's Day to a perfect mom who is loved more and more with each passing day. Love you.

3 Generations
My mom, me, and my grandma (my mom's mom)

Love You, Mom! Love You, Girls!

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1. The instant gratification I get from being there for them.

2. The way my girls can crack me up with their silliness.

3. The feeling I get of overwhelming pride when I watch them doing something. Especially when I see them from afar and watch them interacting with the world.

4. That I can see the legacy of my own mother in my girls. I love knowing that she still lives in thrives in our world through the mothering of my children.

5. The wonderful relationship we have together---conversations that are sometimes serious, solving problems with them, and helping them learn how to be successful women one day.

The Card Aisle

I'm walking through the aisles at Target the other day and I glance over to see a large group of people near the card section. Then I remember. It's Mother's Day on Sunday and I don't have a mom here to buy a card for. I start to get sad and then I get weepy. I'm in Target and I'm jealous of the people buying cards for their moms. People I don't know. I see a few women my age or a little younger and I have this urge to walk up to them and tell them--- "call your mom, take more pictures of her, ask her questions, be there for her, love your mom". But, I don't tell them this. I am just thankful for the phone calls I made, for the pictures I have, for the journal she kept for me, and for the love I shared with her. I am so happy that I had a mom who was and is everything to me. Happy Mother's Day, mom.

My mom and me---June 1984

Being a Mom---Loving a Mom

The reason I love being a mom!

The woman I am blessed to call my mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

A Beautiful Day

Mother's Day was a lovely day at The Foster's. The girls and John prepared cinnamon rolls for me for breakfast and John even made me freshly brewed iced tea. The girls showered me with cards, coupons, and gifts. They also stuffed balloons up their pajamas representing a pregnant belly. They were mommies-in-training! I thought that was a sweet tribute to their own mother that they would want to follow in my footsteps!!! We made plans to head to the Farmer's Market where we bought all kinds of plants for around the yard. Then it was off to lunch/dinner to a fun little spot with very few patrons...so no crowds or waiting were involved. We had a yummy meal and then headed home to plant our treasures. Shelly was John's big helper in the garden (I think she takes after her grandpa and bestemor). To finish the evening, the girls gave me a complete foot massage while watching The Amazing Race. It was just perfect all the way around. Thanks little ladies.

Mom

Dear Mom,
Just a quick note to let you know I think of you every moment of every day. I miss you more than words can say and I desperately wish we could chat with one another and laugh. At times I feel lost without you, but I draw strength from the many lessons you have taught me along the way. I see so much of your legacy in my own girls and I am more than happy that you were such a powerful influence in their little lives. As I celebrate Mother's Day, I feel so blessed to say that I had a mother beyond compare...a mother who surpassed all others...a mother who was devoted to her children. Mom, I love you, I miss you, and I know we'll see one another again some day. Happy Mother's Day to you.



Proverbs 31:25-29
"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Mom, do you remember this picture?

It was taken in the Abbey Drive house on Easter Day 1977

Pool Pics

The pool was filled with water by Friday afternoon and that meant that the job of worrying about rain was officially over. I no longer needed to tune in to five weather channels on tv or refresh my Weather Channel web page four times an hour. It was a glorious feeling to be free from the chains of the rains! The weather on Saturday was absolute perfection. The girls and I placed our towels on the pool's edge and dipped our feet in the water. It was absolute bliss. Sunday, brought rain and cooler temps, but it was still fun to walk by the window and see the pool filled with water.

Tomorrow our friend, the pool guy, will come by to give us an inservice on the pool's operation. I am looking forward to hearing all about it. We have chosen a salt water pool and it will be interesting to hear about the process of owning and operating a salt water pool.

We are hopeful that the week will provide some warmer temperatures along with sunshine for a dip in the pool. But for now, I am perfectly content to just admire it.

Although, the concrete and pool are done, the pictures tell the real story...still so much to accomplish before we can call it "done".

And on another note...the girls and John were so sweet to me this Mother's Day. They brought me breakfast (KK doughnuts) in bed. Lily made me a precious card with bath salts. We snuggled on the couch and watched home movies of Lily from when she was a baby (in honor of her birthday tomorrow). They made me dinner. And, finally, they gave me the best spa foot rub ever!!!!!!!!!! Perfect day.