To our moms (plural)

To my Mom…

You might not always feel needed but you are.

You raised two strong women. Who work hard, and try to play harder (at least one of us, I will let the readers decide who I am referring to).

 

You provided us with a childhood I dream to provide my kids with.  

You showed us through experiences a taste of what this life has to offer.

You are an amazing mom. AND an exceptional Nana.

 

To my Step-Mom…

I don’t know this to be factual but I imagine that being a Step – Mom is somewhat harder…

At least maybe to the two young girls below….

Joyce, you showed us a different side to unconditional love. You choose to stay and stand your ground. Even when you didn’t have to. Even when we fought back.

The two women you helped raised are thankful for that!

To my Mother in Law.

You raised a man who is the best person I know. 

 (Side note. Mason just asked "who is that little guy" when I told him we laughed for about 5 minutes)

I do not just say that because he is my husband. I say that because it is the truth. I am in awe of this and will forever be grateful. 

He stands up for what is right, always. He is kind, smart, loyal, fun and the best father and husband. PERIOD.

He is everything I want Mason to be as a man and everything I want Kendall to find in a future spouse. 

Legacy and my kids. 

I know Mothers day is a day about well… Mothers. 

But these are always TWO things that weigh on my heart each Mothers Day.

Our time here is not guaranteed and the older I get the more acutely I realize just how fast a life can go by.

The legacy we leave might not be so special that the universe is unalterably changed. 

HOWEVER, you can leave a legacy that leaves lasting footprints on those whose lives you touched.

Those who are gone, live on through stories and love passed down to the next generation.

To my kids…

As your mom, there are a few things I would like you to know and well today seems like a pretty good day to share them with you.

 Your Dad and I are working tirelessly to try and teach you things that will help you grow and fingers crossed make you tolerable teenagers and HOPEFULLY well rounded adults.

So knowing that you should understand a few things.

I am NOT perfect. Never will be.

This also means I do not expect perfection from you.

As difficult as it may be, I want to show you by example that it is OK to mess up. It is OK to flat out fail. Mistakes happen. Guess what. We get up. Dust ourselves off and start over or try again. And again. And again.

As you get older I will try to remember that it is not my place to manage every aspect of your life. I will trust more and more in your own abilities to manage good decision and direct your own path….

BUT LETS NOT PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. You are after all only 5 and 8.11!

I cant and wont fix every problem you have.

I can never protect you from all of the frustrations, hurts and harm you will face.

BUT I promise to try to balance protecting you and allowing you to experience life.

While I won’t fix your problems, I will try to help you figure out how to handle them.

Your BODY is a BIG DEAL.

Just look at how fast you are growing.

This in itself is miraculous to me. 

Every day you get taller, stronger, more handsome, more beautiful, smarter….

These bodies. THEY ARE YOURS.

They can do AMAZING THINGS.

Be kind to them. You have only one body. Take care of it. Treasure it. Make the most of what it can do for you.

 

I have to set boundaries.

First. There is nothing I want more than to give you everything your heart desires. BUT THAT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE.

This means there will be times when you don’t get to do something you really want to do. That doesn’t mean I don’t trust you. It means that I LOVE YOU and I don’t always trust other people.

This also means that I will not buy you every toy you ask for. Why? Because I don’t want to raise and entitled brat. Which means you will have to work, earn and save for certain things.

Then it will not only mean more to you when you get said thing but it will also provide you a sense of accomplishment. This is something that can not be given it must be earned.

Love is the most important thing.

There is just A LOT of ugliness in the world.

I so wish I could protect each of you from it. But I can not.

Bad things happen. People say and do mean things. You will see hateful actions.

BUT you should always know that you are LOVED. NO MATTER WHAT.

It does not matter what you do or say, your Dad and I will always LOVE YOU. This does not mean we will always lie you or approve of your actions but you will always be loved.

Lastly. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU.

I try to say it as often as I can. I don’t even want you to question how loved or proud I am.

You are hands down the JOY of my life. Our family is the best part of my world. PERIOD. END OF STORY.

I am beyond proud to be your mom.