Mother's Day 2012...

It was the first Mother's Day where my boys picked out their own cards...

 They could hardly wait for me to wake up and see the "flower" they chose just for me...
My husband spoiled me...

Not with material gifts...

But with acts of kindness...

Allowing me to sleep in...

Preparing my absolute favorite breakfast of Eggs Benedict...

Followed an organic sugar foot scrub...

A foot soak complete with flower petals...

A facial mask made of oats and honey...

And three uninterrupted hours while I showered and watched "The Vow" in my bathrobe...

The day ended with me on the other side of the camera with my sweet boys...

Thank you Keegan for a wonderful day...

You might not have thought it was much...

But I thought it was perfect...

One Year...

The morning of a tragedy begins like any other morning...

Afterwards when you look back...

Everything you did that day holds significance...

You will forever remember...

 Where you were...

Who you were with...

I've heard over and over how proud everyone is of "Joplin"...

And I can't help but think that doesn't accurately describe my feelings for the year that has followed May 22nd, 2011...

I am proud...

But not of "Joplin"...

I am proud of my Grandparents who lost everything they owned...

Yet picked up and rebuilt when they could have just given up...

I am proud of my long-time friend...

A single mom who ushered her 80 year old Dad into a hallway bathroom with her Mom and 10 year old daughter...

Huddled and prayed as the storm raged...

Sparing their lives but not their home...

With a smile on her face, standing strong for her daughter...

They are finally back home...

I am proud of all the husbands who used their bodies to shield their wives...

The fathers and mothers who gave up their lives to save their children's...

The families who lost loved ones but have somehow managed to persevere...

And I am proud of my boys...

Who crouched in a door jam...

With noises so loud the glass shattering around them was barely audible...

My precious boys who couldn't sleep in their own beds for months...

Hid under the dining room table every time they heard thunder...

Who still play "tornado" as they demolish lego buildings...

Yet bravely managed to trust when we told them everything was going to be ok...

I am proud of my own husband who rushed to help my Grandparents...

Refused to let me go...

Even as begged and pleaded...

Knowing it wasn't safe...

That I wasn't prepared for what he had seen...

I am proud of my stepfather-in-law who stood in front of a window to protect us from breaking glass...

I am proud...

Yet ready to move on...

Ready for Joplin to be just another dot on a map...

A place where the President wouldn't dream of speaking at a High School graduation...
Ready to see empty lots filled...
Debris removed...
Trees replanted...
Houses lining the streets of once populated neighborhoods...
And they will...
In time...
But May 22nd will never be just another day...
I will always remember where I was...
Who I was with...
Joplin will always be the town where the EF-5 tornado stole 161 lives...
We will never forget...
Scars will remain...
But the wounds will heal...
And for that I am grateful...

Opening Ceremonies...

I am so proud of my t-baller and his coach...

Bump Watch ~ 16 Weeks...

Strong heartbeat...

Size of an avocado...

Eyes and ears...

Prayers for health every night...

Four more weeks until we know...

Boy or Girl...

Gained 14 pounds...

Need to cut back on cupcakes...

And mashed potatoes...

Drinking more water...

Rethinking names...

24 more weeks to go...

When The Time Comes...

My husband had a few hours driving yesterday without the kids...

He planned to listen to class lectures in preparation for his finals...

But just like in the "old days"...

We started talking on the phone and just kept talking...

It is amazing to me that a man who is fairly quiet always has so much to say when we are talking...

I love it...

It is one of the great things about "us"...

As our family has expanded it seems like our uninterrupted conversations have become more and more infrequent...

So yesterday we took full advantage...

Covering old topics and new...

We flirted and bantered...

Planned and dreamed...

Wondered what life would bring once Baby #3 makes "its" arrival...

And it felt wonderful to have his undivided attention...

To talk about all the things we will do together...

Just he and I...

When the time comes...

To remember that he is a man...

My husband...

Not just a father...

We aren't just figuring out who will pick up the boys and what our plans are for the evening...

We are talking because we like each other...

And though I won't wish away the years in between now and then...

I look forward to the day when we have more time for "us"...

But for now...

We are grateful for our blessings...

Our life...

And the nooks of time we create for just he and I...

Decisions of the Heart...

Six years ago I followed my heart and made some incredibly difficult decisions...

Decisions that were met with disapproval and apprehension...

Decisions that brought a lot of tears and required a lot of faith...

Yet, these same decisions have brought me more joy and happiness than I have ever known...

Right or wrong...

 These decisions led me to the absolute love of my life...

The amazing title of Mommy...

And a road I never imagined I would travel...

It's hard to believe six years have passed since this photo...

Not all have been easy...

But they have absolutely been worth it...

Some days I contemplate the future had my decisions been different...

And I know I am right where I belong...

I am home...

They are my home...

And I can say with certainty...

Any decision that would have kept me from this life would have always been wrong...

Baseball Season...