Mother's Day part 2

Mother's Day part 2 began with the traditional breakfast in bed. I love how excited my kids get to sneak into my room and wake me up. I also love how they sneak bites of bacon from my plate when they think I'm not looking. This year I especially appreciated sweet Chase and how he was intent on sitting with me while I ate.

I received sweet homemade gifts & cards.

After church photo shoot, which I am SO grateful to have since Easter was a HUGE flop.

 I love this picture of me & the kids so much. It was probably the first time I realized that my kids are too big for me to pick up and put on my hip....and that Spencer was so tall that I didn't have to bend over to be in a close-up picture with him. Crazy how fast they are growing up. Doesn't seem possible that at one time Spencer was just 3 and the others were in diapers.

After a few hours of R&R as a family, the REST of the family came over and we had dinner prepared by Philip, Rob & Aaron. Dad would have helped had he not been knocked out with bronchitis. Poor Dad. And my Mom! She had bronchitis first.

The women on Mother's Day

Carrie, Mom, me & Aunt Blythe

The pies prepared by Uncle Rob & Aunt B. Almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

What a beautiful Mother's Day weekend. I feel so blessed this year in so many ways. I'm grateful for my little family and that we are healthy and closer than ever. I'm grateful to my parents for allowing us to live in the basement while we figure life out in Utah. I'm grateful that my kids get to bond with Grandma & Grandpa D every day. I'm glad to live by my sister again...and to see cousin relationships develop hard core. I'm grateful that I'm closer in proximity to my in-laws and that we have FUN plans this summer. I'm so appreciative of a loving mother-in-law and the relationship that we have. She should write a book on how to be a mother-in-law. They don't come better. I'm grateful to have had a Mother who is so full of wisdom that she's often the person I think of first when I have a doozy of a problem to solve. They don't come better.

And finally, grateful to a loving husband who is my biggest supporter, who loves me unconditionally, who is teaching our children by example how to love & respect their mother. I'm so glad he takes days like this seriously and honors me and my role in the family. So much happiness on this Mother's Day! I feel blessed.