Weekend

We had a wonderful, relaxing, and fun-filled weekend together. It's rare to have a weekend without a lot of plans, places to go, or things to accomplish. The weather was beautiful, some of the nicest we've had this year. On Saturday we took the kids to a park and went to Farmer's Market, then enjoyed fresh veggies and steak that Erik grilled.

Since my mom is on the other side of the country with my grandma, and Erik's mom is in Arizona, that left just us, the "little family", to do something yesterday. I woke up to find vases of flowers in the hallway, fresh from our yard. Peregrine and Poppy were just about bursting with excitement at the place they'd set for me at the table, complete with a flashing Bubba Gump cup (with a rose taped on the side) and candy cane, which were Poppy's contributions, and a homemade card, pot of tea, homemade coaster, and a dollar, all courtesy of Peregrine. Their sweet happy faces were enough to melt any heart.

After church, we headed east, toward the Cascade mountains. We drove along the river, enjoying the beauty of the day, and ended up at one of my favorite spots, a natural hot spring that has been developed with a lodge, campground, and two pools. The best part though, is the gardens. You cross the river and walk along paths that lead into meadows, alongside ponds, and to my favorite place, a secret garden. The kids had a great time running about in there, dipping toes in the water, playing hide-and-seek among pillars, splashing in the fountain. I enjoyed watching them play and just getting to be together on Mother's Day (or what my husband refers to as a "Hallmark Holiday".)

For most of my life my big ambition was to be a wife and mother, and I am incredibly blessed with this family God has given me. I give thanks for my own mother, an amazing example of selflessness and love; she has poured herself into her children for close to 40 years now. I hope to be like her "when I grow up". And I also am so blessed and thankful for Erik's mom, Michele, who is like a second mom to me, and another wonderful example for me to aspire to. There are moments when my life feels crazy and overwhelming with these three small people in my care, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. They bless me in so many ways, and I pray often that I will grow in love together with them.

Now it's back to the reality of what happens when Mama doesn't do any housework or laundry for a couple of days! I hope your weekend was blessed too!