Mother's Day

It has been an eventful week. Abigail called 911 while I was in the laundry room (resulting in a visit from a nice policeman), I found out the bibs I have been using on Madelyn for the past 4 months have been recalled because of high levels of lead, and today is Mother's Day!

Abigail and Madelyn surprised me at breakfast this morning with my favorite chocolate bar and beautiful pictures they had drawn and painted for me. (I'm sure Ernie had nothing to do with the picture Madelyn painted. She's just a very advanced 8 month old. :)
Joshua, however, feigned saddness that he had forgotten to make me something for Mother's Day. He expressed how sorry he was and went off anxiously to pack his back pack. He took his back pack to church and left it in the van, saying he'd need it later. After church we went out to eat and then to Niabi Zoo.

Joshua being a monkey. (Notice his back pack.) I don't remember what animal Abigail was looking at here, but she liked it!

Joshua carried his back pack with him throughout the zoo. As we went from animal to animal, he kept searching for the right spot. (I felt like he was looking for the perfect spot to propose.) He finally settled on the monkey cage. He then located just the right spot along the fence by the monkey cage (we had to be able to see the monkeys while he revealed what was in his back pack). He climbed up on the fence - facing the monkeys so we could see them...

instructed me to close my eyes...
and pulled out a very melted chocolate bar. His back pack had been in our hot van all during church, while we ate lunch, and then carried around in the hot sun while we were at the zoo. And he had it all those places just to pick the perfect time to give me a chocolate bar that felt like Cream of Wheat by the time I got it. I was very touched. It was priceless.
He then surprised me with the picture he had drawn for me - the two of us flying kites. I could have hugged him forever. I am so thankful for the gift of being a mother (to all my kids - not just Joshua). My heart is so full.

And yet it aches. I remember many years of Mother's Day being more painful than other days, and I wish I could comfort my friend who desires to be a mom and isn't...and take away the hurt of my friend who lost her 2 year old daughter on Friday.

Somehow it doesn't seem fair. I wish I could do more than pray. I wish I could make today happy for everyone.