Tales of a Thankful Mom

         I was reminded of a sweet memory today on Facebook. Eleven years ago today, I announced on social media that I was expecting my first child, my Princess. I wrote today in a Facebook post that this news eleven years ago was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I love being a mom not only to my eldest but also to each member of my trio of children. They bring me so much joy every day. They have also prompted me to make choices that I may not have been brave enough to make if I was only thinking about myself. I have had to chose to be brave because they are counting on me. My Princess loves hearing about the day she was born, and that she was well worth the wait of 18 hours of labor. I have included a baby picture of my Princess below. Is there a story of birth or renewal that you would like to share today?

" But life hit me hard, more than I planned And it knocked me down, like an avalanche On the edge of hopeless, I called You from the darkness" -Dan Bremnes            About three years ago my family vacationed on the California coast, One day we were at the beach wading into the beautiful aquamarine waves. As I was playing in the water with my eldest daughter a wave knocked us both off our feet. My daughter quickly got up and made her way back to shore. I struggled to get up and as I tried to get up, another wave knocked me down. As I told my Dad later, only I could almost drown in the two feet of water. Seasons of darkness can feel like that. When you think that you are getting your bearings, another wave of sorrow and fear can hit you. I told a friend when I was going through a hard season, that maybe if I didn't move and just was perfectly still, I would not feel any more anxiety or grief, and nothing else bad would happen. Allowing myself to be emotionally paralyzed

          I took this picture of my youngest daughter a few weeks ago. I noticed that the shirt that she was wearing was getting a little small. I wanted to capture this moment in time so that I would always remember the gift of this shirt. My daughter was given this shirt by a dear friend the day that I left my abusive marriage. My friend served my children breakfast, washed and styled both of my daughter's hair, and encouraged my son to play with her sons. She did all this, while her mother helped me obtain a restraining order. It was such a gift to come back to my friends house and see my happy children describing the fun they had with their friends. This is the reason that this shirt has a great deal of sentimental value to me. Every time that my daughter wore this shirt in the twenty two months that has passed since that day, I would remember my friends and the way that they were the hands and feet of Christ to me and my children that day. I hope that I have the opportunity to