Happy Mother's Day

Breakfast in bed!

What a great shirt...Mom is the best!

A great day for a picnic!

Taking a break.

Bringing our candles to the Virgin Mary

Our candles for the Moms who loved us first.

Please bless our birth Moms!

What a wonderful day I've had! I think this has been one of the best Mother's Day's I've ever had! The kids all made me a gifts. Of course there were the school gifts--flower pots and seeds--but this year Michael's offered a week of gift making for Mom. Dave took Analiese to make me a shirt (it really is so cute!) and the others each made me a necklace. I love, love, love the homemade gifts!!!

Not to say I don't appreciate the store bought ones. The boys got me new measuring cups and spoons. The ones I had I actually bought at a dollar sale in 1983! I can't wait to use the new ones! Then Dave got me a wonderful digital picture frame. I just cannot wait to upload some photos--what a great gift!

We continued with our tradition of lighting candles for the kids' chinese birth mother. This year, Sarah said she felt left out and wanted to light a candle and say a prayer for me. I hated to exclude her so I was very blessed to have a candle lit for me this year. I asked the question of the kids, "why are we lighting these candles and praying?"

Grace immediately answered, "It's for our birth mothers."

I am so glad she understood what our tradition meant! This was the first year we said an actual prayer as well as making a wish for the mothers. We all stood together and recited the Hail Mary and then I told the children to make a wish for their birth moms. Analiese was very sedate after we did the ceremony. All day today she has been very loving. She has hugged and kissed me and then she'd whisper, "forever, right Mommy?"

I am so very blessed. I asked God to allow me to be a Mom and he sent me 4 wonderful children. Being given these children has not been without responsibility. I so hope, and pray every day, that I am fulfilling his wishes.

For today, I celebrate my luck in being allowed to parent these children. I love them dearly.