Mother’s Day 2016

This year my Mother’s Day didn’t go as planned, but I was ok with that, after all I am a mother.  Being a mother for almost 16 years I have learned that there are times that you have to be flexible.  This year happened to be one of those times.

It all started almost two weeks ago when Ethan came down with a wonderful stomach virus.  The virus went through all five children, hitting Jacob and Cole twice, before finally hitting me.  Let me tell you, being 4 months pregnant with baby number six, battling anemia and the general pregnancy exhaustion while raising five other kiddos, and then getting the stomach flu stinks.  It really stinks in a monumental smelly like a rotten skunk kind of way.  The worst part of the whole ordeal was that it knocked my iron out of whack even more so and now my recovery was taking twice as long.  Needless to say, this prompted me to spend my Mother’s Day weekend in bed. 

Literally, all day Saturday and part of Sunday (until my parents arrived and I was forced to get up), was spent in bed.  I slept for almost four straight hours on Saturday alternating between extreme hot and freezing cold.  Sunday was slightly better, but the exhaustion was still there.  This is where the gift of my children shines through.

Maggie was amazing.  She literally did EVERYTHING.  She cooked.  And I mean she cooked fresh snap beans from her garden, homemade potato salad, baked beans, and rolls.  Not to mention the chocolate, blueberry, and cinnamon muffins and coffee cakes she made for breakfast.  It was an incredibly delicious day!   She cleaned, and I don’t mean a light picking up but total house disinfecting in case anyone was still contagious.    She made sure that laundry was somewhat done, and that I was napping and resting as needed.  She helped her Daddy in the garden and kept the little boys as quiet as possible while I was down.  Of course Robert and the boys did what they could to help, mainly staying outside to keep the house quiet for me and cleaning up their bookshelves, but Maggie was amazing. 

How I was greeted Sunday morning.  Freshly baked treats for breakfast, candy, and my gifts.

I was spoiled Mother’s Day weekend.  Not with a ton of gifts, although the meal out with Robert and the pedicure from the kiddos was an amazing treat, but in the actions of my family.  I wasn’t planning on being down, literally all weekend.  I had wanted to do the cleaning to give Maggie a break, but she stepped up and did it all willingly without complaint.  I was spoiled in the unselfish love that was shown to me by my family.  My children aren’t perfect, far from it actually, but for me their perfect love and help was the best gift I could have received. 

Mother’s Day weekend didn’t go as I had planned, and that’s ok.  To me, it was better than what I had wanted.  My children showed me their character, their ability to come together and work hard to help our family when it is needed.  This to me is the greatest gift a mother can be given, to see that the training and ideals she is trying to instill in her children are taking root.  I am blessed as a mother.  I am highly favored in more ways than one.  I am so thankful for my children and their sacrificial love as I recover from the flu.  Their love is the greatest gift I have been given.  I am so proud to be their Mother.