Celebrations Part TWO

Man, I cannot keep up! Every time I sit down to blog, I realize how much has happened since the last one. This summer-time blogging may get out of control. I'm gonna have to "pick and choose" my updates a little better. However, I am also starting to see this blog as my own version of a scrapbook, since I can't seem to manage a REAL scrapbook of either child. So, I want to get everything I can into this journal (whether anyone else reads it or not!)

Okay, so back to Mother's Day. This was our Sunday morning.

4:30 am -- Alarm goes off for mommy.
5:00 am -- Mommy finally gets out of bed, followed by Daddy in a few minutes.
6:00 am -- Daddy wakes up the girls and sneaks them downstairs to give me my sweet Mother's Day cards (any card that involves four-year-old artwork is priceless.)
6:15 am -- Girls, Mommy, & Daddy are loaded in the car, heading to Abilene for the day.
6:30 am -- We finally drive away from Whataburger with breakfast and caffeine for the trip ahead.
8:30 am -- Daddy has to stop for "gas", which really ends up being yet another coffee break, which makes Mommy stressed out, because now we are officially late for 9:00 am church service. I ask him why he needed ANOTHER giant coffee. He says, what time did I start driving this morning? Okay, I guess we'll be late.
9:15 am -- Arrive in Abilene to the Southern Hills parking lot and literally throw our kids out of the car, strip them down from their PJ's, and throw on their smocked dresses. Mommy changes to her skirt (inside the car, of course), throws on her heels, and in we go.
9:27 am -- We sit down on the row saved for us by the family, and Mommy tries to take a deep breath because she is 27 minutes late for church, something she never does well with. Especially when visiting family who is ALWAYS on time. :)
9:30 am -- Mommy relaxes, both children are sitting down the row with grandparents and cousins, and Mommy and Daddy take time to listen, sing, sit, and pray together. Wonderful!
10:30 am -- We get to see some of our favorite friends for class! We got to catch up with Cary and Erica, who moved away a few months ago, and their sweet girls, Kaylee and Campbell, as well as Matt and Melissa B., with their son Aidan, and sweet girl on the way. We saw many other ACU friends as well, and enjoyed their Young Marrieds class so much. It was great to visit with sweet friends and watch my daughter "reconnect" with Kaylee after a few months of missing her.
12:00 pm -- Home to Aunt Carol's for Mother's Day lunch and a big surprise birthday cake for Mommy! Everyone enjoyed cake and ice cream and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting, napping, playing, and relaxing. It was great!
5:30 pm -- Time to get back in the car and head for home. Quite the eventful trip home with horrible traffic, hungry and impatient kids, and a broken DVD player. NOT the best part of Mother's Day. But, we got awesome video of both kids screaming their heads off at the same time, and Mark and I were just laughing hysterically. So, I guess we could find humor in it anyway.
9:00 pm -- Home Sweet Home! Kids in bed, Mommy & Daddy clean house and unpack, and hit the sack. Happy Mother's Day!

But, all was made better from the road trip when I woke up Monday on my birthday! It was one of the best I've had, and was wonderful because my husband worked so hard to make me feel loved and appreciated all day. Sleeping in late while he took care of the kids, breakfast in bed cooked with love by my girls, sweet birthday cards from everyone with more artwork, playtime at the park with the family, a picnic by the duck pond (see pictures below), and then five hours at the Four Seasons Spa. I mean, really, it couldn't have been better. My spa gift certificate was given to me LAST YEAR, but I had never found the day to use it. So, Mark booked it for me, picked out all the best treatments, and sent me on my way. Absolutely relaxing. I was pampered beyond belief.
When I got home, we left for dinner (without children, thanks again to Grandma) and then enjoyed the evening at home. It was a great ending to a perfect day. I am so blessed and am still reliving my wonderful day. Thank you, Mark, for making me feel so special and for celebrating with me all day long.