Birth Day & Being a Mother

Today is my birthday.

I've posted some birthday posts in the past, most are silly.

Today though, this post will be more of a gratitude-filled entry. My birthday coincides quite closely with Mother's Day.

It's fine. I don't mind sharing with my mama.

However, two days ago was also my younger sister's birthday.

It's fine, really. We had no choice but to share birthday parties.

It's been 13 (or something like that...) years since I last shared a birthday celebration with her.

I'm miles away from both of them.

I came across some of my baby pictures from the good ol' 80's and thought I would share them here. In all of their graininess glory.

Because I'm a sentimentalist, I just want to say that I remember almost everything.

I remember the walls, the floors, the paintings, the bedspread in almost every single picture.

But what I would really like to remember the most, was the love that my mama gave me.

Every single birthday, every year, every single obstacle, every accomplishment, she was there and I'd love to remember it all. Always striving for better. To BE a good person. To love God and love your family. To do anything for your family.

But I think it's all been instilled in me pretty good.

I remember her hard-worked efforts on our birthdays. They were special. We were celebrated with so much love.

Even through my pregnancies, when I didn't feel like celebrating, she would always remember to do a little something just for me.

That's why on this day, on this impromptu post, I wanted to share the love that I now have for my kids.

I understand now what I takes to be a mother.

I understand the strength I need to face each morning.

I get the 'sigh' I exhale each night when I crawl into bed, exhausted from constantly doing 3 things at once.

Being a mom, I get it.

These pictures are at the Color Wall (now defunct, by the way), are from last year. And I'm just now posting them. I loved going around Houston and taking pictures --seems to be my thing, because we just did that last weekend.

Pictures are my happy place.

And so are these 3 monkey-butts which I love to the end of time. Always and forever.