I finally loaded some pictures so Happy Belated Mother's Day

Well I had a great Mother's Day on Saturday we went and got my mother-in-law a gift certificate to her favorite nursery and while we were there we got me some flowers for our front flower garden. We went to their house to drop off her present, thinking they were still on vacation and when we pulled up she was planting beans, we were surprised to see her and we ended up spending the whole evening there. Andy's grandpa had a mild stroke in March? and we haven't been to visit him so we went there too, they live down the street from my in-laws. Both grandma and grandpa were so happy to see the boys, grandpa got both boys laughing with their farting machine that my mother-in-law gave them a few years ago, it was hilarious to see the 3 of them laughing at the fart noises, I'm SO MAD I didn't have the camera!! And grandma enjoyed showing me all her geneaology that she has done, I can't believe all the work she has done, she is truely amazing. Earlier in the day I went to my grandma's and spent some time with my grandma and mom.
Mother's Day is always hard for us because it was the day that my dad killed himself 12 years ago. I have a great relationship with my grandmother, my mom and I are still a work in progress, she has shown that she really loves my children and we are building on that. After dad died she went off the deep end and it was all just bad timing, I was going into my junior year of high school, I tried out for Drill the same day that he was found. I was just mad at him for leaving us and just giving up, I didn't understand, and I know I didn't grieve losing him until the year I got married, and then even more so as I had my children. I know that he is looking down on us and that he is proud of me. I felt his presence with me many times in the NICU with Matthew. Matthew was born with copper red hair and he had red hair, I felt like it was his way of saying hi to us, totally coincidental we gave Matthew the same middle name that he had, Allen. I can't think of those 3 weeks in the NICU without thinking of my dad, and Matty finally came home the day after Mother's Day, the day that says my dad died when we know he was actually gone on Mother's Day.
My mother-in-law doesn't like Mother's Day and actually volunteers to work most years on that day. She is a labor and delivery nurse, but I feel like that she did a great job raising her children, not all mothers have had the opportunity to be in the temple with all of her children and spouses, as she has had. My sister-in-law adopted sweet little Esther from China and when they were getting her sealed to them we were ALL there, and as I sat there it occured to me that is my dream to someday be in the temple with ALL of my immediate family, so I hope she realizes it did take some good mothering on her part for that to happen......... so Susan I love you and I hope you know that I do aspire to be like you. I know too that Andy is the great man that he is because you are his mom......
Grandma thank-you for taking on the challenge of raising me like your daughter and I love and appreciate you SO MUCH!