First, I want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to my own mom - there's not one day that goes by that I don't appreciate all you have done for us. I'm still trying to figure out how you did it and lived to tell about it! You are the polar opposite of me in that you have infinite patience and quiet wisdom, listening patiently to my OCD rants about the kids misbehavior, deployment issues, future plans, and everything else, and manage to have a calming effect without me even realizing it! (Get ready, deployment starts soon and the frantic calls to my mommy will start again!). Know that I appreciate all of it, and am so thankful my kids have you for a grandma, they miss you lots!
Here are some pics that remind me of all the reasons I am thankful to have my kids in my life this Mother's Day, in no particular order:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-S_a4KFfGW17Tjo0fqUspef_W8ZpTg6efcpRy1rhCblTW7THCePOcxPkvOLfu6mySbOwSdTsR-ph5jVmSym6Nl3VxVFY9A3mkhbXuDmi1XW-jkhWqISzK43Xus1u3LYV5kF9LMGs6SA/s320/IMG_0867.JPG)
faces like this
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJi6UcQOIHO5MS9qiVLDbSpJnIDb7j2mQkaT40GS_KLXIRiXODZ92w_2dvnTZiZ8ISX52bv7jYKqEaFJOhqBnMqWgDE-awJBD6k55aKZ4ARz3ethP_HIbI1u6sNw_EVYFliN3WWd2d2U/s320/IMG_0650.jpg)
...and this
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-1_xVFSTgzPWmR8Xxfzvx_z442W63UApiI560BSiUsLadnbl0fWpt02-yHyfVyEChHLWHxmim748njFK1kHzMoOwafQSwGNCjt05LKMYksb5XydEqEolul1DrNlwICvb8zohU-jZeC8/s320/IMG_0730_2.JPG)
... and this!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl0rjSzexv9upQtY7OR9b3UWpkkhsb2GzQqRMEguxQaamnQW9iaXm_0MvOiXWDBRjOzulE8NhjfQPaFot2DxL4F_pC9Rg9rII7sbdBkV4qp75xCYk7AIfTYUUkZI3omqFZ3hSOvHpenw/s320/PICT0031.JPG)
being there for your first hospital stay
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfD077dfY6o1YO2RwFxO5lqfGhtAkwVtBUwivYD4-RUg5pwEM8TxaTNDV-3vx0janx4xnwxpRKAQbTSiuBpo68d_xGuV-0bsrmnOOtcxsAySVFDP_24qM_uaoTjDmeiza683SfYbOmw0/s320/IMG_0296.JPG)
and your first bee sting
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQblCXpgypLtAw-8hepLtxCUTwu9INGZEKCpEIhhYyIsJkK15lLZNqeKLlrb7xL8JsSdUnL9b4Tg9JstNPH8nORiQ9e89vmGMSilp9_Tb3t2lBgFOA5yDxxfUjmOzAxroZzaZy6f7uLg/s320/IMG_0024.JPG)
and your first lesson in dressing for a Minnesota winter
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aHW9MnVsKpmcrK1ROo7Zo1IrXjLCRMpJnCfL1SfKl62cKrKhLHQDuWxmLwcdA5a2UfoJCWWuop_PgkorJb-oRKyhO4cuGV0LfeHZL77sbP9-XN5jdtHaSoDPv_2epD87L4S2xv0g5L4/s320/IMG_0984.JPG)
watching your face the first time sledding with Aunt Sara
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2LBes-rQSuLPNsUSaIEn7G4ps5f-J5-qcCYqDIBcyo97WkStHDtZgdyb0ziCBxQBKKxpQK_6t40Rdg5yrR8WwBzouMa0FXbDGG87Q6KFTKuIaYX0fjQA4gGyVwxW-HUf0lATzc4zmh4/s320/IMG_0564.JPG)
your first hike together with your brother
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVzv1sqpMp_EuKc5sPIKh76hVea_ky7Gmxo-fQS5qMye8Fe39ufBvRnsl2w3D-kgb7M0JMagP1IX8O9CnuhORPeR5odkfqwmbKU3Z8ApNyQfaUCYPJDMbJ7zpVKpXm4UzZiAYdlopAP8/s320/IMG_1299.jpg)
your first exposure to child labor!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXvYRi80fa9mQMEbtZFx71_TCfojuWvKPcf1TjmP5k1TcnStU69KiUut_Ai8J0fWN2wiK1WQ-iwjUyQ0tF7wHNjFKWzVkRt9I0wBi0We2_Rt8gFk9S57DFsL-vax1xEsTjSzGjF2J6QM/s320/IMG_0778.jpg)
the first time you sauntered by with one of these
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9GVjRtTa5KO62Yp9TdaffwDdQfN4w1GjXmUyXsfQlArn_r_VF_aSBbQdw_ByI7nHN2pZQeAM1u74_UWth9wIOobXS9w6LulWqF6giCTwvZ8cFWJ8HTBEYPEKRVIM2su1MwaxrK9DuhI/s320/IMG_0356.JPG)
teaching you to ice skate
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pb3tlT0oFKFHW2vdzkAadN4e1GQVOAkfnsXRodDCuY3LyFqY2civId_mcU2Ncep6451vPeCU0qUy5z-H7rk7_2oJo_p7ysvtoy3SKdY_nPYOEO4M-Z-gTs5feT73-ePj2MGuaKAsPNc/s320/PICT0007.JPG)
your first time canoeing
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEU52rnVJ4l2KYOUSBo2Ts3Vt1NCBvVt6xlBcnx4-K64GLpUKvmpDvoKFZnpX4bvnRwuU0yxI9vPKNOM4riKlC-VkXp6BKIvEAabIdSmg2y90VPhkGK-4wffBCR8C8kT_e9PT9qFL3glQ/s320/IMG_0663.JPG)
your first time "up north at the cabin" and your face that stayed grubby and happy the entire week!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXv34WQM3XHHsqR09bLXKeXmekIhcPJDgTvKYyJNivhIzmKCvSSV2mW0Qgfd7GaLMj1Y4RVj7DAno7G-CbQwUq1UWYImeqKuzhdNGuKnkDFzSHsE3ygMD8DH7Pou4oROzXVfWOjErOiM/s320/IMG_0667.JPG)
your first fish caught
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge0mWTQTE9X7PicQm6p-ULYBg3xbVH-vrAQ_JqEmrLquZqRqysH4mhn9iJUj4xjztdQK9uumt9kuaDZmirONhAwmxUXXDiMw8SLjzWPLwjnQht0JPS_tCczjIhjhOGdAvxLcvKfMyJodc/s320/IMG_1119.JPG)
watching you and your friends
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0s1ByJImEM8OLQ_XGywQDxD-kD4KrnFcpA9uK9B5NEpKR6-q6IzZBUZvbo-9DwSqTcYnLTIVSYjpFNm_63c1Hx0WOCX4ievvC5Yt2sDIzdcijRG0T5rNRWZBuIoHd7anUtP21hXuTAk/s320/IMG_0687.JPG)
the first time you realized your grandpa is a rock star
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqhwCc2mZbGy0RkVHkguRb_ovpNmNLepzaAhkhpk5TlaSfKhjSp3M_wscNEG32d4YsaU5Da-LIc6Tmfc859E7urFuoRLV1SDi2coinPriDy7TUEdxrQbY0T4-z3ihunntnCIPOx7XUC0/s320/IMG_0655.jpg)
your first time kayaking with me
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GN0JyZgPayneg8Ru_cr2EoJdqGbD-rHam9LA_6Lx4J5zT9yMvlcgOrQ3u08m598dyDGzqaGYHFGiDKTew8R-OEL16H9zHp3_tVPjbRWdF49Fr1v0NBCbhT5S9fh5Gpc8wvvj51eUPcM/s320/IMG_1633.JPG)
your creativity
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oH5jNIagzIBPu-sIaszbQzKWUm9QQfdpj0FvN4IMpk1dI9lbt52KzEhJ1xqQVOGQdgtoBZLleynWpI1c7Sv9CEfwg-eZHtj-ZnHXwsi41JRbR2FbovhhvvK2v1PbH4h5HjL9aIQxTaM/s320/IMG_1664.JPG)
the first time you held a chicken
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZNT2Zy3I_6bgaj1-rDSbc9eJ2EChZGsTq0OUDNcFMcSyHKWVa4UnRGEj6nhd_PEoiD6VmU7Z2gh8_Q6eV6D4rvD8u5bed2LRg5MTAvy-lzHTLXT40mmcO7ub3xCb28Qh4osKtMIhDsQ/s320/IMG_0170.JPG)
your first strawberry pickin'
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSi8-Q22EPyMF3kuALKUENzlKikzVsHMooTcyxIqz-G2xnrtdAoo8qXDs3UhBaReH3_TMm93DH9frRfniHaGUQg3ALehhadjSmCAlGxdcX-9IFJTR-q-hQyJPUBmu121h6Q5K6gStiiM0/s320/IMG_2186.JPG)
seeing your excited face after your first sleep-away camp
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCWRaYG89J8R6-XVMslzkAHeKxFH1kcPzDixnbhPoAfhZZDqFI9u9cNBZo_qQNiR_zElkSBbt4oIGwoxcmUVVvtO0T23JeSvlQzH9X-aUtOFv3orheAVrGhc98HsCWEbvS2T36-IlR6c/s320/IMG_0361.JPG)
your first crab
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbex1F91GEj8qoswBFfR0n9Hg73DP38YSQDBJ2XjMxGdSyhtgzkPryFJtdvkMgKOLG0nVMOVSDy_wTbrMKZXiXYAWBGCtQWM1cgsay9Xz6QWeZJJKac9mVRIy1ycWU6SkVtgABE0izmM/s320/IMG_1064.JPG)
helping you through Daddy's deployments
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZZbPQtNn4acZXsNEeOhGZIYCSgotG6s_MlY9gUTnagHgy6r7FpP6qAZFuZtPv19oUy8gMNL5ieQeJJVDkFvA8XDDACQFeCja0VLhUT-Thi2XbvLHOaeO7jswMA_NPizmsAkxhnB1FF0/s320/IMG_0294.JPG)
wiping the tears away when daddy deploys
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztHd0dykXQoKtcoJXZoXwqMEh6eYMhciRRNOt1VStFJkoffFz4HCj-grvyf0-ycaeW90t_xZKggFU9-TE6Tw4r95hPj7PE_netPKzVohEE0xGYj_8Zdn9yYjJQOx47yFqn0BquG74zeM/s320/IMG_1422.JPG)
watching your excitement at daddy's homecomings
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogy1NWbDm81MefI3VcBievvtSZ8Xzv-q4hLG4SQp29vprIkF59xSID_su7DtmFU7OtC3DVdaAHbbAySn7Yud5327Jpw7vlgu0e1Bmc1-qXn_1WmDmoRRLEC25oL4AK5pKAFZi-6z6qvE/s320/IMG_2229.JPG)
watching you have a quiet moment with your brother
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLuT3g9I-eci-Ue1TfZoPSHXik3fBw1G2IhXnyAYKurs-Q0n3qH1wjJx7JPqi7AIING73sCbYnW1zwl-Wznz_C3PmpCw2024fZqxDHNGJ1pn06TFz9OAeQs2cQeW4YzKglO7fFMP3NGQ/s400/IMG_0873.JPG)
and receiving Happy Mother's Day wishes from you!
I have a lot to be thankful for this Mother's Day, and even though you guys make me crazy, thanks for bringing me along for the ride on all your "firsts"!
Happy Mother's Day to all of you, whether you mother children, pets, or enrich the lives of others by sharing love and caring with them.