Mother's Day....a priviledge denied to many!

Today is a special day for us Mother's even if we still have to wipe a bogey nose or clean up the dishes or wipe off the counter or make the pasta salad!  I want to curl up on the couch, read a magazine or just veg, but truthfully I can do that if I really wanted too...but I choose to be the Mom and that is a job that has no breaks, no paid time off or holidays and by goodness, I am soooooooooo ok with that as there are so many women out there that would beg for this opportunity and find challenges in getting it!  So today, I am ever so thankful and grateful for the opportunity to be a Mother and even though I am not a mother to all of mine today, God has given me an opportunity to mother a child who couldn't get that right now and I treasure that opportunity each second I can.  I never ever thought I would want the job of raising another child but, I never have I been paid so little yet feel rich inside.  Today I am a better mother to my own child as I teach others how to be a parent and how to be the example I should be for all children in this world.  I can say today that motherhood is the best job I have ever had and although I can go to work and make good money, I choose each day to be a Mommy and I know the riches are really disguised as blessings!  I love you Austin, Colton, Kaden, Avery and Baby Taj, your examples to me are far beyond anything I could learn in a professional setting! 

I had the privilege of having two moms growing up and when I was young I thought that it was awful that my parents were divorced, except on holidays it was great, still is too!  Hehe!  Today, I reflect back on both of their mothering and recognize that I am who I am today because of the tender ways that each one of them taught me.  They had different qualities I was going to need to be a mother someday.  Each of them had their very own specialties and I took the positive from each one of them and I want them both to know how very, very important they are to me in my years, young and old!  You often don't recognize things until your placed in situations yourself and have the chance to look back and see what the really reason or message were behind those things they did or said! 

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's and to those who mother others! 

Junior Prom Growing UP!

Junior Prom..where did the time go to? Its not fair that they grown up so darn fast! This year has been abundant with dances and prom! I surely don't remember this many! This is when I am grateful he is not a girl, as dresses are way more expensive than renting a tuxedo! Austin's date spent over $400 on the dress alone...not to mention the new earrings, necklace, shoes and purse that go along with! 

I think that they are a very daper looking couple and I absolutely love this dress!

Austin went with another couple but since they are seniors, they didnt' come to the house to take pics and promendade either. 

They thought that the cuff links were super cool! 

He really looks like his Dad in this picture!

I thought I was gonna cry when I got to dance with him at the Promenade but, it was a joyous fun event and I felt so honored to be dancing with such a sweet and handsome boy!

He does have that show off side of him and that is from his father too!

This is in the high school gym where the kids came out to do their promendade dance! It was so sweet, at the end the boys each gave their dance partner a single white rose!

 

Grandma Hallows and Austin slow dancing.....sweet! She didn't want to it but, I think she secretly loved it!

 

Prom is not what it used to be.....we ate dinner at a hotel and then danced and then left to go to a better after prom party! These kids dated Friday night, then all day Saturday and then after the Prom too! Whew that is a lot of one person for a date! I know he had a great time and it will be a great lifetime memory for him!