Thorny

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. / Alphonse Karr

Today, as we are making the official move. You can just picture me, stressed out, chewing my nails, herding children, and dropping things on my toes. I am going to do my best to remember and live by that quote. This move is something that I think is going to be a blessing to our family. We'll finally have more space, and be closer to so many things. Sure, the moving isn't fun, but it's just the thorn on the rose.

Friends and Family

Tis the season for graduations. I remember when I graduated from college. What a great feeling. You feel so free. Ready to start "real life" and be done with those crazy classes and exams, professors and huge workloads. Funny thing is, looking back on it I think I realize how much free time I actually had. Full time student is definitely a lighter load than full time mommy. ;)

But still, I enjoyed working, and now I definitely enjoy being a SAHM, except for the occasional day where no one naps, colors the wall with Sharpie, or pukes all over me. Some of my days off I even get to do things like this photo shoot. A family session planned in honor of the youngest brother's graduation.

The three brothers acted like they were great friends, and joked on each other the entire session. It made for a great atmosphere, and showed me how much fun this family, and group of friends, have together. Congratulations to all the recent graduates!

Check out more shots at The Paper Mama

(The second shot is my pick for this week)

What day is it?

I feel like I haven't blogged in awhile, even though in reality it's only been a couple of days. The reason? We've been doing lots of this:

And then more of this:

We are in the middle of moving week, and I can barely keep the kids from swimming in buckets of paint and eating the boxes I'm packing things in, much less blog. But here's to next Monday, when we are officially "moved", and I can relax. I mean, unpack. ;)

It's a bird...

...it's a plane. It's SuperMom? I think super is in the eye of the beholder, and when Merrick tells me "Mom, you're cute!", or Tirzah says "yuv yoooo mommy", I think that's about as super as it gets. I may leave piles of unwashed dishes sitting for too long, and occasionally refuse to fix dinner, and have a mood swing or two...hundred, but they love me.

And good grief, I love them. I know that sometimes people view motherhood as what you do when you're done doing what you've always wanted to do. After you've had your job, made money, traveled all around, lived it up, etc. (And sure, being a mom isn't for everybody, and may not be possible for everybody. I am not saying it is by any means.) But for me, being a mom is that "what I want to do". It's the sweet spot. The photographer gig is nice, but it doesn't hug me with dirty sticky little fingers at the end of a long day. It doesn't look in my eyes and say "mom, i wuv you". It wasn't the face I prayed over, and anticipated seeing for 37 and 40 weeks. When they were just little pink lines on a pregnancy test, they were already so embedded in my heart that it was impossible to imagine life before them.

I'm blessed to be doing what I love. Motherhood isn't for the faint of heart. Anyone who is a mom, or even wants to be a mom, knows that. You spend your day (or dream of spending it) wiping boogers and butts, bent over picking up toys, fixing countless cups of juice and singing ridiculous songs about trains and backpacks. Getting no sleep and often going broke for the sake of diapers and baby food. But it teaches you that there are people more important in the world than yourself. And one of my favorite things about being a mom, is that it's taught me that if I love these little people so much with my imperfect heart...imagine how much better my Father loves them, and me?

Thanks to all the girls out there who give so much because they love so much. Happy Mother's Day!

Corny

Ok, so I do not like corn. I don't mind it so much off the cob. But on the cob it gets stuck in your teeth, it gets on your face, and don't even mention the trauma of being in high school and not being able to even eat the stuff because you have braces. For four years. I married into a family of corn eaters, however. Well, I married a guy who likes it, and so do his offpsring.

I tried to eat it, I really did. But in the end the kids literally were fighting over the ear of corn that I didn't want to eat. (Although I covered it up like I was being all sweet sharing my corn with them) I know, I shouldn't discriminate between the yellow and the green veggies (is corn even a veggie...I mean, what is it?) and I definitely make them eat the green ones.

If Billy didn't like it so much I think this would be one of those foods that my kids would get to college and ask in the dining hall, "Hey, what is that stuff? We never ate that at home." ;)

Check out more shots at The Paper Mama 

(The second shot is my pick for this week)