from mother's day

yesterday was such a full and fulfilling day. actually, it mirrored my life as a mother pretty well. a fitting way to celebrate.

i suppose the party started on saturday. we spent the morning at the market so that i could grab some mama's cold brew and ALL THE FOOD from the uprooted kitchen. the weather was glorious and we wanted to savor it. it truly felt like such a treat. cooler temperatures and clouds and a nice breeze always feel like a treat in may - in arizona.

as for the real-deal mday, i told ben that i would like to get in a solid run and a yoga sesh to start the day. and definitely, some leisurely coffee sipping time and some tasty food. i didn't have grand plans and warm-and-fuzzy expectations. truly, i just wanted no frills, no fuss, no pressure. just doing some of my favorite enjoyable things with people i love. so this year, that meant a pre-church breakfast stop for muffins and cookies and the best acai bowl in town. we thought about a fancy-schmany brunch but that is only fully enjoyed while sipping mimosas...sans little ones. brunch really needs to be a long and leisurely thing. with bubbly. and decadent foods. and all the spots we had in mind didn't exactly scream "yes! bring your young children here! let the baby squish food everywhere!"

overall, we are pretty darn good at eating out with elinor and ridley. both of them can spend a decent chunk of time at the table as long as the food keeps coming. and elinor is at a nice age for dining out. but ridley isn't in a super clean stage of eating. and when he is done, he is ready to be scrubbed off and move on. so, not ideal for a champagne brunch. and if i really give him solid attention and put him on my lap while he eats, i can contain a lot of the schmutz. but, the whole "it's mother's day! it's YOUR day! kick your feet up! don't lift a finger! yada yada yada" thing seems to fly in the face of that kind of mealtime setup, right? a two hour celebratory brunch is really better as a date with just my man. but that isn't exactly a festive way to celebrate motherhood. thanks for making me a mother, kids! to show my gratitude for this role and your lives, i am going to drop you off and celebrate myself on my own. toodles!

nope. 

and the whole breakfast in bed thing REALLY doesn't work around here. firstly, i wake up a solid three hours before the kids. and then there is that whole eating food in bed nonsense. and when i wake ridley, it is feeding time. no shenanigans, mama. logistically, it isn't ideal.

so, enjoying a laid-back morning around the house and then stopping for a simple breakfast (with all of my very favorite foods) seemed perfect to me. it would let the kids stick to their morning routine and wouldn't add extra to-do's to our morning before church. win-win.

after church, we popped by my folks' place to spend some time with my mum. just simple moments spent in conversation and watching the children crawl and toddle and run and yell and throw and play and pounce and giggle. and then, it was off to my SIL/BIL's house to get ridley down for his nap and get supper prepared for ben's side of things. on the menu: ben's killer huevos rancheros. oh, and a pile of hash browns to go with it, a la rachel schroeder. oh oh, and she made vanilla bean cake for dessert. i wish i could mainline that stuff. it was delish.

after our bellies were sufficiently full and we had polished off the last sips of coffee, we scooped up the kids and took the party back to our home. elinor and ridley hit the sack and ben and i were able to have a nightcap alongside our quiet moments of conversation. what a sweet day. it was just right.

i am so honored to mother these two precious lives. it is such a weighty calling. and such a tremendous blessing. motherhood has taught me about the heights and depths of love. about sacrificial living. grace. patience. endurance. kindness. it refines my character daily. hourly. it helps me to focus, to keep my eyes on Christ. to keep me on my knees. it challenges me. it expands my mind. it teaches me and changes me. it stretches me. it empties me and fills me up. praise God for this great gift.

p.s. those pics of me and my little prince just straight up kill me. it's so strange to think that this time last year, we had yet to meet. and now, i can't imagine life without him.

to all the mothers. to my mother. to my mother in law. to my grandmothers. to friends and family members who mother so beautifully. to the examples of motherly love, in all its forms. to the stepmothers, foster mothers, adoptive mothers, birth mothers, hopeful mothers, waiting mothers, expectant mothers. to those who carry children in their hearts. to those with children in heaven. to the fierce and strong and tender and caring women who have acted like a mother to me and to my husband and to my children. you are amazing. you are loved. you are appreciated. may you feel celebrated every day. may you know that you are doing great work, even if it feels insignificant. may you be encouraged and restored when things get tough and feel thankless. you are shaping lives. you are raising up leaders and kingdom-workers and game-changers and disciples of Christ. mothering and loving little ones is the most significant work.

so, keep striving. keep your hands open. keep your heart fertile. keep your gaze fixed. keep your thoughts on things above and on your knees in prayer. keep your spirit hopeful. and may you be equipped for every good work.