Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to everyone. My emotions today have been very close to the surface. I can't help but reflect on the path my life has taken and the amazing way I became a mom. Many people think I became a mom when we adopted Tyler but that simply isn't so. I became a mom the day Brent and I got married.

I am mom to an awesome, talented, handsome, funny fourteen-year-old son named Collin. Technically I am his step-mom, but I have never liked that term. Don't get me wrong, I could never take the place of his mom, nor would I want to. I know where my place is in his life. I also know that we share a great relationship and for that, I am eternally grateful. I am thankful for his love, for his sweet and gentle personality and for the fact that he has always chosen to call me mom, even from the first time we met. He truly made me a mom. I so wish that we could see him more often. I miss him every single day. Collin was our only child for five years and every time he was with us he would pray for a baby brother or sister. He always wanted to be a big brother and he is so good at it!

Our sweet Tyler is simply a gift and an answer to so many prayers. Tyler came home to us when he was ten weeks old. Our journey to him was long and sometimes painful. However, I have come to realize that the journey was necessary. Tyler was meant to be in our family. He was meant to be our child. Not a single day goes by that I don't realize that. He is an amazing child and stronger than anyone should ever have to be. He has been through more in his almost four years of life than most people have to experience in a lifetime. Through it all, he continues to smile, to giggle and in that incredible way he has, to make everyone around him feel better. He never ceases to amaze me. He has the ability to soften even the hardest of hearts. That is, without question, his gift. I can't imagine my life without him as my son.

Emmalee is the comedian in our family. She keeps me hopping and sometimes makes me want to pull my hair out. :) I will never forget the call from the adoption agency asking us to consider adopting her. It was one of those moments in life when you KNOW, without question, what you are supposed to do. We never doubted for one moment that she was meant to be in our family. She is the funniest little girl. She knows she is funny and is always able to make me smile, even when I am sad. She is also sassy and full of spice. I wouldn't want her any other way, (even during the hair pulling moments!) We know that it is her strong personality that will get her through any trial she faces and will help her grow into a strong woman. She gave me one of the best Mother's Day gifts today...she hugged me and told me that I am a good Momma. Talk about melting my heart!

Nathaniel is an incredible little guy. He is a fighter, just like Tyler. He is also the easiest baby. He is very happy and smiles all the time. His smile just lights up his entire face and makes me cry happy tears. He is growing so much and seems to do something new every day. Once again, there is no question that he was meant to be in our family. What an incredible gift he is!

I won't lie, getting to this point in my life was not easy. There were many tears, many hours of prayer, many struggles along the way. No, the path was not straight or easy. It was difficult, full of twists and turns and many steep climbs. It was not the way I would have imagined it. And now, on the other side, I look back and can't imagine it any other way. I wouldn't change a thing about who I am now, or how my children came to be mine. I can't imagine loving them any more or any differently if I had carried them and given birth. I know that this is how it was always meant to be, that this was the plan all along. What an amazing journey this has been so far. I can't wait to see where it goes from here!