I made this video today as a Mother’s Day gift to myself–celebrating my babies, my treasures, my jewels. Everyday with them is a gift I am so grateful for.
I made this video today as a Mother’s Day gift to myself–celebrating my babies, my treasures, my jewels. Everyday with them is a gift I am so grateful for.
Mother’s Day is a day for us mom’s to get spoiled, pampered and doted on. Some of you wholeheartedly agree. Some are skeptical–maybe you rolled your eyes when you read that sentence because you know that’s not really what happens. Your kids and spouse meant well, but…last year they got you a toaster oven for Mother’s Day and burned your toast while trying it out for the first time. The peanut butter they used to put on your toast ended up in wet globs on knives and spoons in the sink. There were dribbles of coffee all the way up your white carpeted steps leading to your bedroom while you nervously waited in bed, trying to put on a happy face for the cherubs donning you with flowers and wet gooey toast.
And I know that some of you Mama’s got nothin. You deserved so much more than nothing. So, so much more, but your kids slept in, your husband forgot, and nothing really went right. It was actually a really hard day
Maybe your experience was completely and totally Hallmark card commercial worthy. Your bedroom was sunny, lit up with the faces of those you love. Your perfect kids and perfect spouse brought you a 12 course breakfast in bed, Mother’s day pearls to match the new dress they also bought you…they let you sleep in until 11am, did the dishes, and folded and put away all the laundry for the week. The rest of us are all happy for you. Really, we are.
Whether your Mother’s Day last year was a catastrophe or a Hallmark dream, the one important thing for you to celebrate this Mother’s Day is that you are a Mommy–A pretty darn awesome one too. Being a Mommy to amazing, beautiful kids even on days when they are not acting so amazing or beautiful is one of the biggest honors we get as women. There are plenty of other amazing things about being a woman, but being a Mommy is pretty great.
Regardless of what others do for you or don’t do for you this Mother’s Day, you have the amazing privilege of spending the day reflecting on why you love to be a Mommy. Don’t let the day pass you up without counting your blessings and knowing you matter. As I sit and think about it, because some days are more challenging than others, I realize I am so, so blessed by the three amazingly spirited young ladies I get to be the mommy to. Here are just ten of the thousand reasons I love being their Mommy:
It’s not always easy, if ever. Being a Mommy is the most fabulous and challenging job I’ve ever had. From one Mommy to another, please know that on the hard days and the perfect days, and the mostly ordinary days, you are an amazing Mom. Celebrate yourself. This Mother’s Day, sit back, enjoy your new toaster oven and count your globby peanut butter blessings. And when no one is looking, go buy yourself a brand new dress and Mother’s Day pearls to match. You so, so deserve it and more.
Facebook Friends Speak Up:
Some of you said…
One of my favorite things about being a mom is how much I learn about myself and my husband is the process. It’s inspiring and sometimes uncomfortable but growth usually is. ~Renee Crabtree
I don’t know where to start. I guess I love that I have the opportunity to watch and help these amazing little girls become even more amazing young women. It is as if I have been gifted with a varied bouquet and each part of it is beautiful and precious in its own right. I love that in their late 20′s they still call me Momma. I love learning how to be an even better mom at each juncture of their lives. I love the hugs, the kisses, the tears, and the laughing. I love that God has trusted me with them for just a little while.
~Julie Herwick
I enjoy watching them make decisions in their lives. Sometimes it’s difficult to watch because I *know* the outcome will be hard for them, but it’s necessary for building character. At other times I get to see their confidence grow with each positive outcome. ~Annette Ernsperger
I love the joy my children give back to me. Cindy Gray
This article appears in the May 2013 Edition of Michiana Family Magazine
Our family has traveled a lot together. I mean a lot. We took our toddlers to Slovakia, Austria, Hungry, and then Poland– all on one trip. When they were a bit older, we brought them along to India twice for a mission trip and research for our book. While these were phenomenal trips, trust me when I say that there is nothing glamorous about traveling with small children, and there is no place like home.
If you are a parent with small children, you know how important all their special “stuff” is to them. Special blankies, special socks, special teddy bears…you know you cannot leave your driveway without them without a nuclear fallout coming from your tiny tots in the car seat behind you. Packing and repacking all these special items becomes a full time list making job, and you know you have to check it once, twice, three and four times before you leave on your trip.
On one of our trips, we were traveling with about eleven other adults and our two small girls through the hills and side winding roads of Poland. I had done such a great job of packing juice boxes and animal crackers in their own suitcase for our trip, knowing they might be hard to come by in a place we didn’t really know. Maddie had her special blankie affectionately named Stringy because of all the strings she pulled loose over the past four years of every night of her little life. Our two year old Whitney was busy entertaining the van load of adult friends with little else to do than hang on for dear life as we drove the winding roads.
Then it happened. Maddie looked at me and said “I don’t feel good.” Immediately, our driver sensed the tone in the “I don’t feel good” and pulled to the side of the road. But it was too late. There was already vomit all over her lacy white shirt and all over Stringy. So we did what any good parents would do in a foreign country. We dumped the lacy white shirt on the side of the road in Poland. I feel so bad for littering in the beautiful nation of Poland, but, we were out of options. We were about to pitch Stringy to the hills until there was a loud pitched wail from a heart broken four year old. Someone dug out a bag, and we stuffed Stringy in it to be dealt with later. Guess what memory is the only memory our girls have of our Eastern European trip? The vomit and the lacy white shirt being tossed out on the side of the road.
A year later, when we had forgotten how difficult travel with young children is, we took a family vacation to Disneyland. The Magic Kingdom. Our hearts were racing with anticipation as we drove up, up, and up to the top tier parking level. The girls grew more excited at each character sign they saw. “There’s Mickey! There’s Ariel!” shouting together, while my pregnant self took yet another sip of the anti-nausea medication. Then, sullenly, “Daddy, when we stop? My head spinning”, from our sweet red headed three year old Whitney. “Just ahead sweetie…as he looked at me with deer in the headlights look. We both knew what was happening. I threw off my jacket and threw it on to her lap just in time for her vomit to spatter all over me, the jacket and her big sister. I am not joking when I say that one second later, big sister took one look at little sister and took her turn vomiting on my jacket and her little sister, and all over the rental car.
And this, my friends is the only memory our girls, now 14 and 12, have of our first magical trip to Disneyland. All that money, travel, time…all for one memory of vomit covered clothes.
While we have had too many mishaps such as I have mentioned, we have had countless memorable moments as well. While traveling with small children can be challenging, I’d like to encourage you and say that some of our best family moments have been on the road.
Here are six things we have done to keep our sanity while on the road with young kids:
This post appears in the March 2013 edition of The FAMILY Magazine of Michiana

Over the past five years, our family has had the wonderful privilege of having our pictures taken by our amazingly talented friend Brittani. She is seriously amazing. And talented. I got so tired of taking my very opinionated and occasionally feisty girls to the mall to get their pictures taken by a stranger in a sterile, unnatural setting. The very first time we went out with Brittani to get our family pictures taken, I knew she was magic. She literally followed the girls and captured the smiles and unique characteristics of each of them the way I would want to capture them to remember for years to come. She wasn’t ever put off by their fussiness or feistiness, or this last time when Miss Isabelle insisted on wearing her silly glasses and flamboyant scarf. Brittiani totally went with the moment and captured it in a magical way–with joy and grace.
If you are in the market for a family photo session, I’d highly recommend Brittani. Her website is phenomenal. She does weddings and lots of other fun stuff too.
Check out this amazing deal:
Today

Today I’m flying low
And I’m not saying a word.
I’m letting the voodoos of ambition sleep.
The world goes on as it must
The bees in the garden rumbling a little, the fish leaping, gnats getting eaten.
And so forth.
But I’m taking the day off.
Quiet as a feather.
What happens when we set up a moment and step back and watch…
We took the girls on a walk around Notre Dame last Friday night. It was not a game weekend, so it was eerily quiet on campus, the moon was shining, the breeze was cool and everything just seemed right in the air.
I don’t think any of the girls have ever been in the Sacred Heart Basilica before. The doors were open, so we walked in. A bride and groom were just gathering in the back for a wedding rehearsal –the wedding coordinator gave us a stern look over her glasses, but no one stopped us so we went in and grabbed a pew.
As parents, we have learned that we can’t always control what our kids retain when we try to teach them, but we have also learned that part of our responsibility as parents is setting up moments as best we can in order to help our kids receive a “moment.” After the “set up” we know our job is also to “step back” and watch as they learn something on their own.
We hope and pray that our girls will get a glimpse of holiness, of Jesus, of their Heavenly Father…and sometimes everything just snaps into place and there He is in all his glory, revealing himself to our children in a way only He could.
Friday night was one of those nights. Our girls were enraptured by the sense of wonder and holiness that comes by standing in front of a place like the Grotto at Notre Dame, seeing all those candles lit, representing prayers lifted to Heaven.
Isabelle is just eight years old, but she had a very special moment with Jesus I thought I’d share with you.
At her school, one of the rewards for especially good behavior is a purple “Live Strong” bracelet. She was able to get two of these in the first few weeks of school, which is a pretty big deal when you’re in second grade. She was devistated when she lost one on Thursday. She came home crying and crying, so very sad that it was gone. She is a very tender hearted kid, and it’s hard to console her when something is just “gone” and can’t be replaced.
On Friday when we walked past the “Touchdown Jesus” muriel on the Notre Dame campus, Belle said that she “felt God move around in her heart in a special way”. Then, when we walked in the Sacred Heart Basicilla, she wanted to go over by herself on a pew to pray. She came back over to us with teary eyes, just pouring her heart out to Jesus, in awe of the beauty of that place.
When we walked over to the Grotto, she said that she wanted a few minutes to pray. She knelt down, closed her eyes, and when she opened her eyes, A PURPLE BRACELET WAS ON THE FENCE POST RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER! She could not believe it. The bracelet was almost identical to the one she had lost. She wasn’t ecstatic or anything, just happy. “Look at what God gave to me”, she said with such simple child-like faith.
There was no doubt in her mind God put that bracelet there, just for her.
Moms and Dads can set up moments to teach their kids about the holiness of God, but when we step back, we stand amazed at what God does to teach our children about Himself.
I am in awe. And more in love with my Heavenly Father than ever.