Washington State!!!!!!

I just returned from the BEST trip!!! I went to Seattle to "help my cousin move".....ie, hang out with her and her fab family and have FUN!!! :) We did do some work, but we had to get some playing in as well!!!









Deacon with his new ride. Just kidding! But I would keep this in mind, mom and dad, for the future :)






My fabulously gorgeous cousin Melissa. We have been best buds since birth and I LOVE THIS GIRL!!!







My newest sidekick: Sofia Lauren. Such a doll!!!!!!!!!!!!!







We cannot forget Copper :)








Melissa has a wonderful Hubbalicious named Jim. Or, the Jimyster. Or, Jim-ba-ro-nee. Whatev. He is a great hubby and dad!!! And very sweet to put up with a distant relative via marriage crashing at his house and introducing his wife to new stores like IKEA, Anthropologie and REI :)




So I hear that Seattle is rainy, however, I was there for 4 full days and I saw nothing but sunshine and blue skies!!! We took a great hike one day to this waterfall.....















My cousin Melissa and her beautiful family...Hubster Jim, son Deacon and daughters Madi and Sofia.













Melis




Tiff







Hiking through the wilderness.....







Sweet Madi!!!





The waterfall we hiked to see. Notice the tiny little things on the rocks? Yeah. Those are PEOPLE.







The hike was beautiful!







The view from the TOP of the Space Needle.






My gorgeous cousin Melissa!







THE CUZZES, brunching on top of the city.
SO. MUCH. FUN.



Yes. I take photos of food.
Why?
Because I LOVE GOOD FOOD!!!








Oh my word, it was outta this world GOOD!







Lookout belowwwwwww......














The Space Needle






HAILING MY FIRST CAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







First cab ride. One word for ya: TERRIFIED.






Melissa trying on a $20,000 ring....SO tempting!!!







At Pike Place Market watching the street performers. This guy played guitar while twirling a hoola-hoop, playing the harmonica, playing the maraca's and dancing. It really was a mazing! We gave him some cash!








About the THROW THE FISH!!!!!




Throwing the fish!!!





Melissa kissing thrown fish :)




Pike Place Market





The jeweler at Pike Place market that made the ring I got. Amazing guy with an amazing story!

Mothers Day Thoughts

Pre Mother's Day...and I wanted to remind myself (and encourage other moms) with a few thoughts.

For the past 12 years...almost 13...I have been a mother. This has been the most important "job" I will ever have; the hardest job I have ever attempted; and by far the most rewarding job one could imagine. The blessings are far reaching........generations are affected by this "job" and the world can and will be changed because of it.

God chose me, for reasons only known to Him, to guide 5 (so far) sons into manhood. I am inept, and yet, He gave me the greatest gift in my sons and entrusts me to lead them. Humbling, to say the least, for this unqualified girl. Thankfully I am not alone in this task. I am accompanied by the greatest of men, Josiah, and never left alone by my Savior, Jesus Christ.

For years my goal on Mother's Day was to NOT be a mom on that day. I wanted A DAY OFF. And for years I was always sorely disappointed.....that never happened quite the way I envisioned. Thus, a bad attitude was formed from moment one of Mother's Day and continued throughout the day and into the the following week. It became a miserable day for me...knowing that I would not get what I wanted and therefore ruining the remaining week. I have even lamented to other moms about how MY DAY was not what I had wanted; and how my family just did not do what I wanted them to do (which was, of course, to leave m alone for a while).

All this to my shame.

Last year, my dear friend Audrey posted a blurb on her blog about the general attitude on MD and how wrong it was. WRONG? Excuse me ma'am, but I am a mother 364/7/24 to 5 rowdy boys and for the love of PETE can I have ONE DAY TO MYSELF? As I read her comments, I was pierced to the core. I was THAT MOM. The one who wanted nothing to do with her family on HER day and who was always upset at her family for destroying her idea of a good day.

God help me.

And He did!

I now see the perfect Mother's Day. I now look forward to that special day TO BE A MOTHER. What better way to celebrate the blessing God has given than to be with them, interact with them and cherish them on my special day?! Now that is what I call the perfect day! That is what I can look forward to!

Because at the end of the day...it is not about me. It is about the blessings God has poured out on me through my husband, children and family. And I want to enjoy them to the fullest :)

So this Mother's Day I will not be napping alone in the house, eating chocolates while reading a book (unless, of course, the Hot Hubby supplies them!!!)....nope. Lord willing I will be enjoying a fabulous sermon at our church, hiking with my husband and 5 sons through the beautiful Colorado foothills and picnicking while watching the sapphire blue sky meet the snow white mountains....accompanied by the most precious sound in all the world.....my children's laughter.