We are heading on VACATION!!

Myrtle Beach, SC here we come!!

I am so blessed to be a Mother!

Me and my boys!!

This is a picture of my mom on her favorite day of the year, Christmas Eve!!

Instead of making this mother's day about me I wanted to make it about the reason I get to celebrate this special day, my children! My two boys are the light of my life and life's biggest joy!

Being a mother is the best opportunity for me to become aware of my own values and how I want to be in the world so I can teach that to my children. This past year has been full of soul searching for me. God continues to challenge me and to amaze me, I am learning so much every day just by keeping my eye on "The Prize" (eternal life in heaven with my Father)! I read once that a parent's objective should be to consciously train their children to act unconsciously in line with the family values when it comes to making decision and how to be in the world. I find the easy part is telling them what those values are the hard part is teaching them and showing them how to live with those values at all times. I fail so often and expect them to as well, but we continue to grow and to learn and never lose site of the Truth, if we know the Truth we can always do better. So on this mother's day I relished in being a mom and thanked my Father for entrusting these children to me for the short time that they are on this earth. This parenting adventure is a threesome; myself, my husband and God and that is just the way I like it!

Mother's Day is always bitter sweet to me. I lost my mother to cancer in 1996, when I was 24 years old. She was the most beautiful women I ever knew. I owe all that I am to her, she was a wonderful example of how a mother should be. She was the most selfless and caring person I have ever known (besides my father, he was undeniably, truly selfless). My mother was ALWAYS there for me, always! She was funny, strong-willed, a great listener, fun and a bit crazy. Many people that knew her tell me am a lot like her and I take that as the best compliment I could get. I am so grateful that I was blessed to be the daughter of Patrick and Peggy Hankey, even though I miss them so much and would LOVE to see then with my children, I have never felt cheated by their passing because their lives were so full and I got so much from them that lives on through me and can live on through my children! I love you mom!!

As for the other blessing in my life this Mother's Day; my wonderful mother-in-law, Maryann, one of the best gifts God has ever granted me! She reminds me a lot of my mother yet they are very different as well. She is such a great example to me and raised a wonderful man that I was lucky enough to marry! I could not ask for a better Grandmother for my children. To all you mothers reading this, hope you had a wonderful mother's day and may God bless you and the wonderful job you do!