On This Mother's Day, I Am Thankful For.....

Ryan. Ryan made my dream of being a mother possible. Before marriage, we discussed children. His comment, one at a time. My comment, FOUR. When others were planning their careers, I knew what mine would be, a mother. That was my dream. Always. I was the child who faked sick (sorry mom) in 6th grade so I could draw my dream house plans complete with a bedroom for each child and then I got out the dependable Sears catalogue to shop for furniture to go in my dream home. I always planned for a family and Ryan has made that all possible.

My mother. For always being honest. My favorite line that I can still hear my mother saying is, "Are you going to wear that?" I would give her a snide look and she would shrug and say, "Well, alright." Though I do not always agree with her thoughts, she is the one who never fails to make me think. Thank you for helping me see the bigger picture when my own eyes are squinted.

My mother-in-law. For raising Ryan to be the man that he is. Ryan is patient. Ryan always jumps in without a complaint. Ryan loves his family. Ryan does dishes. Ryan goes with the flow most of the time - if he really has an opinion, he will express it and I have learned to listen up.

My boys. For making me a mother first. I felt you kick for the first time, I wiped your first tears and I celebrated your first smiles. I love that God gave me the privilege to parent the two of you. I love that I can look at each of you and see a piece of your father and myself present in your beings. I love that you are our biological children. Because of you, I know the sacrifice that your sisters' birth families made when they chose to surrender them to another's care.

My girls. For being the icing on the cake - you made our already happy family even happier. I will never forget the day that we met - I knew you at first sight - your eyes fixed on mine, filled with curiosity, mine filled with tears. I love that today, MK, age four, without any prompting, looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I am so glad for happy mother's day. Children without a mother or a father don't have a happy mother's day." Because of you, I know unconditional love has no boundaries.