MOTHER’S DAY LAUGH

Click HERE to watch funny video 

Video from church this morning

MOTHER'S DAY ON MANY LEVELS

Being a daughter, mother, and adoptive mother, there are a few levels to my Mother's Day.

This is one remarkable, funny, hard-working, and Godly woman whom I am so proud to call my mom!  I love you, Mom!

My best job ever has been being a stay-at-home mom to our 5 children for the past 22 years.  

What a joy and privilege!  

Here's my crew- what a great bunch of people!  

Lydia's 3 layer cake for Mother's Day

As an adoptive mom, I carry this truth in my heart.  So thankful for our two little boys and for the moms who gave them the gift of life. 

MY MOM IS THE BEST!

This quote describes my mom perfectly.  

She always puts her family first.  

Her love and care for us five kids, in-laws, grandchildren, and great grandchildren over the years is amazing!  Her faith and trust in Lord over the years is an inspiration!  

Thank you Mom.  I love you so much!

I am so thankful my kids have these two wonderful people in their lives.

When I was little, I wrote I wanted to be a mom someday.  It's because I admired my Mom and Grandma so much that I wanted to be just like them.

I am so thankful I get to be mom to this beautiful bunch!

So sweet- my kids sent me flowers!

Best Mother's Day gift for all of us: 

my mom came home for a visit this afternoon!

I am so happy for them!

BECOMING A MOTHER

I know Mother's Day has come and gone, but today is our oldest's birthday so 19 years ago today is when I first became a mother.  What a special day!  I never imagined that we would go on to have 2 more biological children and then adopt 2 children, as well as taking care of 15 foster babies from 2008-2016! 

God certainly had plans for me that I had no idea about when I first held beautiful little Abigail in my arms 19 years ago.  Thank you Lord for planning such a nice journey for me through the world of motherhood.  It is the best job I have ever had!

Sorry some of the photos are positioned incorrectly- they look right until I try to load them onto the blog.  Oh well, you still get the picture...

Abigail Joy- 1998

 

Stephen Carl- 1999

Lydia Grace- 2003

Jonah James- 2010 (he was 3wks old)

Benjamin Kostas- 2016 (he was 6 years old)

BEN'S FIRST MOTHER'S DAY

Ben 

Praise the Lord!  God allowed me to be Ben's mother and celebrate his first Mother's Day with him!  At school Ben made this beautiful card along with a ceramic hand print.  

Adoption has two sides to it: great joy at the cost of great pain.  

Yesterday I thought about Ben's birth mother and wondered if she was thinking of Ben, the little baby she never got to hold and kiss and cuddle.  The baby that she wasn't able to bring home with her from the hospital because the world she lived in condemned him and said there was something too wrong for him to be fit to be her son.  Does she live with guilt and grief?  Does she have any peace knowing he is now in a family and no longer living at the orphanage?  I don't know, but my prayers were with her yesterday. 

I also thought and prayed for Jonah's birth mom.  Totally different situation than Ben (we have an open adoption and constant contact with her), but I know Jonah's birth mom still suffered great pain when she made her decision to place Jonah for adoption.  I am so indebted to her for allowing me to be mom to wonderful Jonah!

Jonah