mother's day

the holiday found me at casa de awesome and i awoke to my first "happy mother's day!" greeting. wow! special! we started the day as most do: with breakfast for the main mama of the house.

lucky for us, breakfast for mama, means breakfast for all. fresh squeezed orange juice, fruit, model bakery toast and farm fresh eggs.

before the clock struck nine, a call from my mister, wishing my mom and "his wife" a happy mother's day. i cried. happy tears. it doesn't take much these days. but sweetness from my husband will always easily evoke tears.

with a few pointers from my mama, i whipped up ina's shortcakes for the dessert we would soon enjoy. not soon enough for me! like my grandma, i am a big fan of the strawberry shortcake.

and then we were outside.

it certainly looked like spring had sprung and mother's day had arrived. the flowers have bloomed everywhere.

and that beautiful bouquet in the center was hand crafted by em for mama. she can sing and arrange flowers.

a mama duck and her grown ducklings. and a very pregnant daughter on the far right wearing a new shirt from her parents that makes her very happy. i love polka dots and clothes that fit my growing curves.

the familia arrives to celebrate a gaggle of mama ducks. moms, dads, daughters, cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, and grandparents all together!

blue skies, with scattered clouds provided a lovely backdrop.

and the mother's day feast begins.

we believe that a little movement after such a feast is often just what the body needs, don't you agree? some opt for a walk down the driveway, a game of ping pong, or for some, wiffle ball.

much to my surprise, i was included in this mother's day. as a mother-to-be i received flowers and some very thoughtful gifts. and as you can see, my sisters, mom and cousin all have the same taste in greeting cards. after we laughed, everyone agreed that it was the perfect card that no one could pass up. it was decorated with ric rac after all! and we love ric rac.

and dessert. finally. with decaf coffee.

and the scene below seems to wrap up the holidays and birthdays of my childhood: all the women, my aunts and grandmother gathered around the table, long after the dinner plates have been cleared. sipping coffee, playing scrabble, nibbling dessert, chatting, sometimes whispering and laughing mostly. that table now includes three generations of women, and soon, perhaps a fourth.

these women, all in their own way, have helped mother me. each providing their own flair, their own expertise on the matter. each have helped shaped me.

but none as much as my own mother. i now have a clearer picture of how very much she loves me. everything she does is out of love and she gives all that she has to her family. a true mother she is. but she somehow also manages all her other roles with utter dedication and finesse as well; wife, sister, daughter, friend, all while taking care of herself. i will forever be in awe of this woman. and love her, i will forever.

and if you look hard enough, you can spy my dad's dessert plate. the man likes his ice cream.

back home, our own little rose bush had blossomed and i was once again reunited my mister. i received the sweetest card from ryan (tears again) and one from my in-laws, assuring me that they believe i will make a very good mother (i hope!) and wishing me a happy, first mother's day. i thought about how grateful i am to my mother-in-law for raising such a wonderful man that i now call "husband". she did good. she did real good.


we settled in to contemplate paint colors for our baby's nursery...preparing our little nest.


as the paint dried, we sat back and gave my growing tummy some love. we thought about what next year would look like. dreamy.

from beginning to end, mother's day had come full circle.