Happy Mother's Day!

I realized something when I first say this picture...I LOOK OLD!!! I guess 3 kids will do that do ya, huh? Well, that, and about 5 years of going to the tanning bed! Oh well! It's worth it (the parenting part...not the tan part)!

My sweet little Nate asked Daddy to take him to the store last night so that he could buy me some roses. I LOVED the look in his eye this morning when he first saw me and he started sneaking to the garage where he had kept them overnight. When leaving for church this morning he said, "How am I supposed to be nice to you all day when we're going to church?" I responded by letting him know that getting in the van the first time I ask him would be a nice gesture! When I was putting him to bed tonight he said, "Thanks, Mom, for everything you do for me. Stuff like helping me with my homework, boiling me eggs for my after school snack, teaching me that song so that I could memorize the presidents and get a reese cup from Mrs. Ryan and reading me Magic Tree House books even if we've already read them." By far, that was the best Mother's Day present that I've ever gotten! I won't deny that I shed a tear when I left his room...or a few!

Gabe made me this cute little poem with a handprint at church this morning...also another tear jerker!

Matt got me some ferns to hang on the front porch (a tradition for the last several years - I always bring them in at the end of the summer, hoping to nurse them through the winter and re-hang them outside again...I fail every year). He also arranged for Miss Tammy (the worlds best cleaning person) to come and clean this week! I love leaving for the day and coming home to clean sheets, no dirty laundry, a footprint-less floor, and that 'clean' smell. She's awesome! Someday, when I go back to work, she'll be a regular at the Martin house!

I know that I'm not a perfect Mom. I sometimes lose my patience and may raise my voice occasionally, but I love being a Mother to my amazing kids! Hopefully, they'll forgive me for the mistakes I make and never doubt how much I love them!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mother's in my life.