I feel most like a mom when...

July 2002, Mom, Emma, me (8 months pregnant with Abby Claire)

I feel a tug on my bed cover in the middle of the night. Half asleep, I help John Brady snuggle next to me.


I see and feel Emma, my first grader, get frustrated with her homework.


I hear Abby Claire ask twenty questions within a 5 minute time span.


I watch my three play, laugh, and smile together.


I listen to Emma and Abby in the backseat of the van giggle until their bellies ache.


I take care of a boo-boo or a boo-hoo.


I notice how my girls "mother" their baby brother.



I think about these three little beings I helped create and how they are going to change the world!!





As the years pass and my motherhood matures, more than ever, I find myself looking back on my childhood and how my mom has influenced me as a mother. I carry with me many life lessons that my mom taught me: patience, obedience, determination, and buy in BULK!!

The picture above is alomost six years old, but it is one of my favorite pics. A lot has changed since that picture; as my family has grown so has my relationship with my mom.

Thanks, Mom, for teaching me how to be a mom. I love you! Have a wonderful Mother's Day!