First Mother's Day

I looked back at my entry for this time last year and see differences and similarities with yesterday. In some ways the feelings were still there about our wait. I still honored the precious women in my life whom I love very much and are responsible for who I am. In other ways, this year was surreal. I was so glad to make church on this day for the first time in 3 years. I was so very thankful to be able to stand up when our preacher blessed the mothers. To receive prayer and acknowledgment for the heart I've had for so long is everything I thought it would be.

I was very touched and cried through most of the sermon on Hannah, twice. We went to both services after being asked to update this from a year and a half ago. They replayed just a minute or two of the video. In person we revealed then that the struggle we mentioned was infertility. Of course 90+ women from the church found that out at the retreat a few weeks ago. I'm so very incredibly grateful for the ending to our story. I cried both times listening to the sermon. Billy and our friend "R" did most of the speaking this time. "R" was the friend who came up to him two weeks before we found out we were pregnant to tell us God put it on his heart that we'd be having a child soon. The sermon was done so respectfully and beautifully. The major point was that when women of faith encounter trouble, these women pray and that God blesses these women. I know not every woman receives the same blessing or the desired one. God does bless though. It's really the best sermon I've heard on infertility. A sweet woman from church pulled me aside during greeting time because she had felt the desire to pray over our pregnancy for the last few weeks. I cried again. They passed out a very sweet book at church to the mom's. I felt overwhelmed standing up with all my different other emotions present :

My mom, me, bonus dad, sister and brother. They were teasing me about something so we are all mid laugh.


My bonus mom and all the current grand children.

I just love my sister's kids, so here's a shameless other shot of them:
(Ashley, Kyle, Joan & Mark)

Cards from loved ones.... This first card so perfectly said how I felt. I cried again.

Yeah, cried.....


Thoughtful beautiful gifts, i.e more tears:

Half of a heart that says lil sis. Leah has the big sis half.

Sweet summer maternity blouse:
These willow tree figures are so beautiful.

Thank you Dawn for taking this sweet picture of the givers :-) It was sweet explaining the gift to Rachel.
My most recent food find at the Super W. I didn't even know they made honey nut and definitely not Gluten free! I usually skip the cookie/ cracker/ cereal/ bread aisles unless Billy wants something from there on occasion.


I have been taking tummy pics, I'll post them soon!