Mother's Day

We had a pretty relaxing Mother's Day Weekend! Grandma Pat was here all weekend, and we very much loved having her here. She was such great company, and really helped me out a great deal with watching Paprika. Pat is safely back in Santa Barbara now. The evacuation for her neighborhood has been lifted and the fire is mostly under control. She was welcomed home today by a thick layer of ash over the city, but nothing near and dear to her has burned. We are very grateful for that, and we know many families were not so lucky.



Mr. Mustard had to work all weekend, of course, but we did get to go to dinner with him on Saturday night. We went to a little quiet restaurant up the street, and it was delightful. Paprika was perfect at dinner, which made it nice. Saturday (May 9th) was the four year anniversary of Mr. Mustard's father's death, so we always make it a point to have dinner together as a family on that day. I was so glad that Pat was here and we all got to be together to remember Ron.



Sunday was Mother's Day, of course! Pat had brunch in the morning with Andrea, and then came over to our house. We went to look at a few open houses, since Mr. Mustard and I are looking to move...but all the open houses were cancelled! So, we ended up taking Paprika to a local park. That was pretty nice! Pat chased Paprika while I got to talk to my family back in Indiana. They were having a Mother's Day party at Aunt Laura's house. I wish I could have been there, but I was so glad I got to talk to everyone on the phone! My dad also called me to wish me Happy Mother's Day, which was a wonderful surprise.



This Mother's Day was hard for me...remembering being pregnant last year with Vivian and Annemarie, and now, of course, they are not here. It was bittersweet, and hard, but I cherish the memories I do have, and am so thankful for Paprika and for our new baby. Our new baby cannot ever replace Vivian and Annemarie. They will always be our daughters and I will always be their mother, and I will always miss them and think of them on Mother's Day and every day.



My first Mother's Day without them was terribly difficult, and I suspect that Mother's Day from now on will always be bittersweet. But that's life. We go on, and keep persevering, and just make the best of every moment and every day that we have. None of us knows how many days we have and we are not promised more than this moment.



That's why I cherish each day and don't take a second of life for granted. Each moment is exquisite and a blessing from God. This year it felt even more so than ever before. It's an honor to be a mother to Paprika, to the baby inside me, and to our girls in Heaven. And I'm so grateful for the role models of strong mothers I have in my life!