Motherhood...

Here I am this morning, reclining in a beautiful, quiet hotel room that I have all to myself! I have about thirteen pillows propped behind my back and head (okay...really I only have three!), along with one under my knees...Norah Jones is singing quietly on my Ipod docking station next to the bed, and the curtains are pushed WIDE open so I can see the sky and the cars and the view. Ty is out golfing with his best buddies this morning and I have been inadvertently given this gift of a morning all to myself to do whatever it is my heart desires. It truly is a gift! As all of you moms know, moments of solitude are rare, let alone a WHOLE morning! I feel such a sense of calm and peace this morning. I feel relaxed. I feel excited to conjure up all the things I could do this morning...breakfast at a cozy cafe while I read my new book? A walk to Sephora at Downtown Disney to shop for a few new shades of eyeshadow? A run? (Yes, I did bring my shoes!) Relaxing by the pool? The possibilities are endless.

Yet, as I bask in these moments of rest, my mommy-heart still resides with my children. I still wonder what they are doing right now...did they sleep well? Are they having fun? Do they miss me as I miss them right now? I know the answer to all these questions is yes! Of-course they are having a great time with Grandma! The point is that no matter where I go or what I am doing, I am always a mom...Luke and Ellie's mama....the best, most-rewarding job on the planet!

There have been several things this week that have really caused me to sit back and take inventory of all the blessings I enjoy in this journey of motherhood. Mother's Day is tomorrow, after all, and everything it seems, has geared my mind toward focusing on my kids. It seems ironic that on Mother's Day, I seem to hope to be the recipient of beautiful gifts, or flowers or hand made cards, (which are all wonderful, by the way!) but truly, when I am able to sit back and reflect on motherhood like I am doing right now, I can see that the gifts come to me every single day of the year...if only I would see them among the crying, fit throwing and cleaning! I truly do LOVE being a stay-at-home-mom! To pour my heart and soul out into the sponges that are my two, beautiful children every day, to be there to kiss the scraped knee or read books or watch their faces as they master a skill they have been working on for days and days...I count it ALL joy! I am blessed! And as I think about it further, here are some other things I just LOVE...

• I love being the first one they see every morning and the last one to see them every night.

• I love being the source of their giggles.
• I love rocking Ellie to sleep twice every day, feeling her arms tucked between her chest and mine, and the heaviness of her head nestled into the crook on my neck.
• I love the smell of peanut butter and jelly on their lips LONG after lunch time is over.
• I love watching jiggly, dimpled bun-buns scurrying down the hallway amidst peels of laughter! :)
• I love being asked for just one more lullaby.
• I love the smell of freshly washed hair.
• I love being met with gleeful excitement and the kind of hugs that you have to peel away from when I return home from being out.
• I love that every afternoon brings a new treasure to my kitchen counter, brought in by grubby, pint-sized hands.
• I love that about ten times a day, completely out of the blue, I am told that I am loved!
• I love sharing the delight of every firetruck, trash truck, motorcycles, airplane, bird or dog that we see during our daily adventures.
• I love too that I notice these things even when the kids are not with me, and often have to catch myself from saying "Hey! Look! A fire truck!" to anyone else who may be in the car with me! :)
• I love the way my kids look when they are sleeping.

Oh the list could go on and on! (But I think I have me some shoppin' to do! LOL!) I really do love my children so much! Being a mom really IS the best job! Happy Mother's Day to each of you! Hoping your day is blessed!