FFF - Mommy & Me

Hello friends,

In honor of Mother's Day, the theme for Favorite Foto Friday is . . .

Mommy & Me.

This was a little harder than I thought - because like so many of you - when searching for pictures, I realized that I am not in too many of them! In fact - pretty much the pictures below are all that I have! I am usually the one taking the pictures - so I am not in them often. It made me sad to realize that I don't have that many photographs of Jacob and I together - so I am going to try my best to be in a few more pics with my kids!

But first, I have to wish my MOM a very Happy Mother's Day! I am blessed to have a mom who is also my friend and has always been there for me.

"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers."
Jewish Proverb

Of course, I have to also send out a Happy Mother's Day to ALL the moms in my life!
My mother-in-law is a blessing to all of us and my dad's wife has always been a big help!

Here's a picture of all of us together at my baby shower for Allie.
Nancy, me, my mom and my mother-in-law!
I am so thankful for each of them!

I can't tell you what a privilege and honor it is to be a mother to my 5 children. They have all blessed my life in so many ways and I am so thankful and humbled that God chose me to be their mother.

Motherhood has changed me in so many ways.

It is by far the hardest job I have every done - with the greatest responsibility! But there has never been anything more rewarding!

Here is a picture of Kyle and I - when he was about 9 months old!
He made me a mom for the very first time!

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

Elizabeth Stone


Of course, in my wildest dreams I never expected to be blessed with triplets. What crazy, busy days those were!

Here I am with my arms full, but loving every minute of it . . .
Kyle was 2 and the triplets were about 3 months old.

"Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural law."

Barbara Kingsolver

And a few of me with my kids over the years . . .

Kyle

Brandon

Devin

Allie

Motherhood has not always been easy . . .
but by far the hardest part was losing Jacob.
I read a quote once about Motherhood being quite tragic because we spend all of our life nurturing, raising and loving our children . . . only to have to let them go as they become independent and need us less.
I have felt the tragedy in those words in the worst way possible
in losing Jacob and having to let him go . . . to Heaven.
I never expected or wanted to outlive any of my children . . .
and I miss Jacob more than words could ever fully express -
but what an honor it was to be his mother. He blessed my life enormously!

"I hold it true, whatever befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."
Alfred Lord Tennyson

Here are the pictures I have of Jacob and I together.
How I treasure them!

"Love is as strong as death"
Song of Solomon 8:6

"Love it eternal."
Vincent Van Gogh


And a few pictures of me with the kids over the years . . .

Here I am with my boys.
Kyle was 6 and the boys were 4.
Oh, how I love my guys!

In the hospital . . . snuggling with all my guys.

"I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us."
Charles Dickens


And some Mother's Day pics we took the other day . . .

With Kyle

With Brandon

With Devin

With Allie

And a few with everyone!

I just love the picture below.
Allie isn't looking at the camera - but can't you just see the
JOY
she has added to our family!?

Jacob is painfully missing from the pictures above and oh, how I wish he were there . . .
squeezing my neck!

But if you look closely, Jacob is there . . .
in Devin's eyes,
in Kyle's smile,
in Brandon's silliness,
& Allie's JOY.
And always Jacob is there, in my heart forever.

Ending with a few pics of Baby Girl from the week . . .

This is the face she made when she realized she can't get in her brother's playroom! :)
All I can say is THANK GOODNESS for baby gates!


And look who figured out how to open the doors this week!

Yep, made it into her brother's room!
Time for more babyproofing . . .

To visit more Favorite Foto Friday posts or to link your own,
please visit Kiss the Frog 4 Me.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Ending with a scripture . . .

"So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors."
Deuteronomy 11:18-21


Missing Jacob . . .
but hugging my children tight and thanking God for each of them,