Mother's Day Weekend

My first Mother's Day was lovely.  I begin with Saturday's events, which commenced with a trip to the aptly named Spoiled Rotten to buy Reagan some more bows.  I have discovered that many men have an aversion to bows, so each time Trey or my dad or some other man offers his unsolicited opinion on Reagan's headpieces, I resolve to buy a new one.  When she wakes at 2 in the morning, I get up & feed her & get her back to sleep so the right to dress her & select her accessories is mine.  Below, one of Saturday's purchases:

After bow shopping, my mom & I loaded Reagan back in the car & headed to my aunt Donna's so Reagan could spend some time with her cousin Marykate.  If you're wondering, no, neither mine nor Trey's siblings has had a child you don't know about; Marykate's mom Jennifer is my 1st cousin, making Reagan & Marykate 3rd cousins.  Marykate will be 2 in August & she was eager to help Reagan in any way she could.  First, she loaned Reagan her bouncy seat, complete with a full circle of gadgets that captivated Reagan:

As Jennifer entertained the two girls, Marykate made sure Reagan's pacifier was functioning properly:

And did a bow check for good measure, 

since clearly Marykate knows her bows:

Then they settled in for more of Jennifer's singing:

Marykate did get upset when her mama decided to spend some one on one time with Reagan:

Tired from the excitement of new bows & the trip to her aunt Donna's, Reagan headed home to await the arrival of aunt Jessica & decide which bow she would wear to church Sunday morning.  Reagan napped during the service Sunday morning to gear up for the plethora of relatives who greeted her for lunch:

Her grandmothers extraordinaire:

Her great grandmother James:

Her great grandparents the Rays:

Her aunts Deni & Jessica:

And her constant companions, her good looking parents:

(Her grandfathers were there too, but we'll take pictures of them on Father's Day, maybe)

When I gave my mom her present, I remarked that I was sorry I didn't have a card.  I used to love standing around in the card aisle reading all the cards before deciding which one I wanted, but you give up things like that when you become a mom.  You give up a lot, admittedly, when you become a mom.  Perhaps that's why we take & surround ourselves with pictures of our children.  

I may not be able to loaf around Wal-Mart reading cards, 

but I have this bundle that says more than any card could:

I don't have a new house (yet), but my heart has a new home:

I gained 20 pounds that are sticking around, 

but I also gained these 7 pounds:

I don't remember the last full night of sleep I had, 

but I wake up to this every morning:

Or as my parents might say, 

here are our bass boat & summer home on the beach:

C.S. Lewis once said that "The homemaker has the ultimate career.  All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career."  

Below are some of the homemakers I love & admire - 

mothers whose hard work continues to pay dividends in my life:

(To my aunt Kathy: I love you & now realize I have no photos of you.)

And of course, my mom, 

to whom I am only beginning to truly realize I owe everything: 

"I regard no man as poor who has a godly mother." 

-Abraham Lincoln 

My life is the harvest of the hard work of many godly women.  I am reaping what they've sown, & I have sense enough to enjoy it because my own mother was persistent with me and, as her reward, I will now announce that she was right.  

I look forward to such an announcement from Reagan in about 30 years.

AZ