Memories

So, Memorial Day weekend is rapidly approaching.  It doesn't seem that it can be here already, because I just put away our winter coats, but it is.  With it, comes all of the awesome things that go with Memorial Day:  3 day weekend, extended time with family (admittedly, this one has pros and cons), awesome food (no cons there), and {fingers crossed} good weather.  It is also supposed to mean so much more - but this is neither a patriotic or preachy post (sorry).  Okay, maybe I'm going to get a little preachy.  Memorial Day weekend has me thinking, more so than I normally do, about my mom and all of the awesome times we had together, but even more about the awesome times my family has had in the two and a half years she has been gone (how can it have been that long?)  One thing my creatively crafty sister-in-law (shout out and photo cred, Christy Stolz) masterminded was the making of a barn quilt for the homestead.  Mom always wanted one, so we (well, mostly Jeremy and Christy) made her one. 

And last week, Maddie and I went to pick out flowers to put out at the cemetery for mom and other family members.  All awesome things to do.  But you know what, I want to start doing things for people that are still in the here and now.  I believe in God, I believe in Jesus and I believe mom is up there appreciating all we are doing in her memory (while she is not taking care of heaven's Dorito problem - if you ask Ben, this was probably her number one priority).  But I bet she would also say, "Hey, world! Send flowers to someone who can enjoy them!"  and for the love of Pete, if your mom wants a barn quilt {figuratively speaking...I can't imagine that many moms want barn quilts} get off your butt and make her one!  Have fun with your families this weekend!  I will make a concentrated effort to appreciate mine, because holy cow, they have been a tad bit on the squirrely side. 
{Side story:  I wouldn't let them go back out and play last night because I am the worst and most unfair mother in the history of all mothers of all time on any planet in any galaxy and Zach came up to me, all sweet and angelic and I was convinced that my exasperated rant about kindness and respect and loving each other had finally sunk in and he was coming up to love on me.  He got real close, our hazel eyes locking on each other, pointed a dirty, grubby, Dorito stained (it's not just Grandma Laura that has been cursed with that gene) finger at me and said under his breath "Curse You, Mom.").  Ahhhhh, I can't WAIT to make memories with my family!!}

Check out the videos that my brother, Jeremy, put together documenting the making of the legendary barn quilt:

Such a Sucker

I am such a sucker for letting the kids do things in the name of Mother's Day.  I just gave Maddie a 5 minute, well-thought out, articulate, air-tight argument as to why she could not use wrapping paper this afternoon (summary:  I didn't want her to).  Two seconds later, Zach comes in, already holding wrapping paper (sidebar:  this kid has it figured out - don't ask permission, beg forgiveness) and telling me why he needs wrapping paper: to wrap my Mother's Day present he is working on.  Heart = melted.  Of course, Zachy, you can use the wrapping paper.  Would you like to run around the house with sharp scissors first?  Can I give you a permanent marker to use, as well?  As long as it is in the name of Mother's Day, I apparently do not care.  If the kids figure this out, I'm going to be in trouble in a few years.  Markers and wrapping paper could quickly morph into borrowed cars and credit cards.  I better start figuring out how to reign it in quick!  

Love The One You Are With - And Everyone Else Around You

Lately I've been thinking a lot about just how lucky I am to have the family and friends that I do.  And of course, how lucky my family and friends are to have me.  I mean, man, are we a lucky group or what?!?  Some of my family and I, pictured above, along with my husband who I hope will from now on out be dubbed "Twerk Queen" did a 5k this weekend in memory of my sister-in-law's sweet, sweet niece.  Talk about an eye opener.  My perfectly healthy, happy and relatively normal family walked together (in awesome tutus) for an 11 year old girl who lost a brave fight with cancer.  Here's the deal - we were there for a great cause and we got to come together and make some memories as a family.  Admittedly, some of the memories aren't so great - Wes got knocked over by a giant dog in a tutu (which by the way, is a great memory for me, maybe not so much for him - cutest dog ever!), Zach and Matt walked together with Zach telling Matt the whole time "next time we do a 5k, why don't you just leave me at home?" and Matt telling Zach the whole time "this was your mom's idea, not mine".  But we had some really awesome memories too - Ben walked/ran with his older cousin Evan who I can tell is slowly morphing into someone Ben is both fascinated with and proud to be friends with.  I got to walk with my niece Abby and could see how Maddie is going to forever look up to this wonderful young woman in our family.

I mean, c'mon, how cute is that. 

With Mother's Day rapidly approaching, take two minutes and love on your mom.  Don't have a mom to love on?  Guess what, I bet if you think about it there are literally dozens of moms around you that have inspired you or helped you or made you think, man, what a great person that lady is! If you can't think of any of those people, get ahold of me because I honestly started listing them this week and my list goes on and on with ladies around me that I am so glad to have in my life.  Just wait until I get to Father's Day, holy cow, there are a lot of dudes I'm pretty thankful for too. 

Anyway, my message for today is to just be happy and thankful for those people around you.  It's such a good way to be.  It's so easy to be fueled by unhappy mommy stuff and competition and worries about how we look and my list could go on and on about things to not be happy about or things that make me jealous.  Don't give into it.  Except of course if your husband is the Twerk Queen - let's be perfectly honest - that is going to create some jealousy.  Sorry ladies, he's all mine!