A Simple Mothers Day

We had a simple and lovley Mothers Day. I was showered with love, appreciation, affection, and tenderness from my darling daughters and my husband Scott. 

"I have no greater joy than to know that my children are walking in truth." 

3 John 1:4 

It was everything I needed to fill my heart. I spent the day thinking about how very blessed I am to be Anna and Abigail's mama. So very blessed indeed. 

I've written a lot about my motherhood over many years on this blog. From the days when I was home for 13 years with them, to toddlerhood, to letting them stretch their wings away from me in just little bits as they started elementary school, all the way through high school. I've written about how I'm never done, how I want to hold their hearts, their dreams, their feelings all of my days. 

Oh I have dreams still as a mother. I have read (and rearead and reread and reread)  every book from my favorite motherhood author, Sally Clarkson. I listen to her podcast. I belong to her membership. I identify with her having ideals as a mother. 

I still plan how to reach my daughters hearts, how to lead them still toward Christ in every part of their lives (even though they love the Lord with all their hearts already), how to listen to their feelings, how to strive and try to understand their place right now in the world. 

I believe in a lifegiving home and lifegiving words. I still plan on what to say I can say to them, how to give them words that will build them up, affirm them, filling them with my love and my heart. How to walk beside them, listen to, and be in their saddness, their stress, and their joy. 

They may be 22 and 18, but they are my daughters and I am not done. I will mother them forever. It is my prividlige, my honor, my heart, my life. Nothing is more important than that. 

And to have one whole day to celebrate that, to reflect on that, to be thanked for that, well that is just wonderful. 

Here are just a few pictures from our beautiful day together: 

Other Motherhood post you might like: 

Tiny But Big Motherhood Lessons 

Servant Motherhood Moments 

Motherhood Monday (oh my I just reread and it's so my heart still, even now 💕💕💕)

Motherhood and a Nurturing Home 

Motherhood is Divine 

A Freshman Year Done

There is so much I want to say about this year. So very much. I'll hold that for another post. But for now, she is home.  💕 She took her last freshman year exam on Friday morning, she packed, we drove down to her college and moved her out. And moved her home. ❤

It was a joyful day. 

She was mostly packed up - all of the hard stuff to pack was packed. She just needed a few more bags and we got her all set really quick! 

Her room went from this: 

and this: 

Then this almost done to done: 

A few last pictures of us in her freshman room for the very last time: 

To home where Anna welcomed her with open arms, a sweet card, and an evening with all of us together. ❤

May

There's a shift in the air as soon as the calendar turns to May. I think I feel it especially because I am a classroom teacher. Here in Connecticut we go until mid June but still, May feels different. I can't really explain it really, it just is. 

There is a shift in the classroom. I have to work harder to motivate myself and my students. The sun shines in and I just want to be outside (at home). 

So I've shifted my schdule and I get to school by 6:45 am! My class arrives at 8:30. That allows me to do all of my work in the morning and leave right after school. With these warmer days I just want to soak up some sunshine! 

I'm not "counting down" yet. Not even close. I'm just choosing to work more calmly, carefully, with intention and focus. I want to do this month of May well. 

Oh and getting long walks with Scott as soon as we both get home from our schools is just about the best May present ever! 

Today Looked Like

Here is what my life looks like today: 

1. Early morning Bible, prayer, journal time

2. Getting ready for work 

3. Out the door by 6:40 the latest

4. My favorite part of the school day, prep 6:50-8:30

5. Welcoming my class, Morning Meeting, teaching math (had to catch a spider on the window - dumped out my pens, caught it with my pen jar and piece of paper, brought it outside) 

6. They go to their special and I get to eat a snack and correct their work 

7. More teaching then lunch/recess 

8. A literacy lesson and a day that ended at 4:30 because on Wednesday we have meetings until 4:30

9. Home to eat, enjoy our home, enjoy family, and do a few chores

10 done. 

Weekend

It was a lovely weekend. There was lots of time at home. Lots of tea. 

And what was really fun was baking Abigail's favorite pie to bring to her! 

We wanted to hear her play at her college church before the semester ended and it was just the best! We hadn't been to Mass there since Family Weekend back in October! 

 

Seeing Abigail was the very best thing but next to that was being at Mass filled with young people loving God and loving their Catholic faith. It was so encouraging and so uplifting! I am so grateful for my daughter's faith! 

Finishing her First Semester of Grad School

Last night Anna went to her final class for grad school. It's her first year in a three year program to become a school phychologist. Here is the post on Anna graduating from college.  Back here is the post on why she chose Fairfield.  What a year it has been! It has flown by and I can't believe that she is done with year one! 

There are so many thoughts on her choice of Fairfield, the commute, the work she is doing, her passion, her future, her new friendships. I have so much I want to hold on to and remember: 

• Anna chose this program and it certainly wasn't the easy way out. She wanted to contine at a catholic university with a school phychology program that would support her not only in the three years but also as she stepped into a role someday as a psychologist. She made the right choice and we are so proud of her. 
• She commuted three afternoons a week since late August - the end of April. It's over an hour each way, many times with traffic. She was determined and commited. And just the driving was hard work each time!
• Anna made many friends in her cohort - they are all really close. She was particularly close to one friend as they sometimes carpooled
• I love the way she dove right in and gave it her all. Every weekend analyzing cases, writing papers and reports, it was really endless August - April. (even now, this weekend, one more part to do) 
• As her little sister is at the same college, Anna would sometimes deliver things if Abigail forgot. She was always there for her
• Anna worked 'almost' full time at a school in our neighborhood (acutally her own elementary school) as a math tutor, although she was quickly noticed by the administration, school social worker and school psychologist her her rapport with children. Anna dropped everything to help struggling children in her role as tutor. 

This picture came to my phone late Thursday night, and I couldn't be happier to see her smiling face. 

A successful semester in the books! Congratulations Anna; we are so proud of you! 

The Sight I Love to See

It has been a short / long week. Here's what I mean. My school week (I'm a fourth grade classroom teacher) flys by, it just flys by! 

But it's also long and by Friday I am tired and ready for some home time, my very favorite place to be. 

This is our back entrance from the garage. It's a laundry room and mud room. And to me it's welcome home and the sight I love to see. I have it stacked with magazines ready to ready on the porch swing once it warms up, a few spring framed prints and a collection of grab and go bags that are delightfully floral. It's the sight I love to see.