Celebrating Mothers

As I reflect back when I was younger, living with my mom and sister, I can't help think about the same phrases my mom told my sister and I over and over.  The one phrase that she said, probably before we even talked and walked was- you are going to college- not a choice, you're going to get a degree so you never have to depend on anyone!  When we were a junior in high school my mom was already asking us what we wanted to study and reminded us how important it was to have that degree.  Now, as a mom, I say the exact same thing. Hannah doesn't even know what high school is let alone college!  However, here I am talking about it and telling her she needs to graduate college before she even thinks about getting married and having kids.  Lucky for us she's not getting married...she thinks she's going to marry her dad when she grows up! 

The second phrase is: You will never understand until you're a mom.  What a true statement, huh?  The sacrifices we make and the choices we make for our children is only understood when you're a mom.  Of course I thought my mom was mean and strict growing up.  I also thought that she worked too much and left us with my grandma too much.  Not until I became a mom is when I understood why she worked so much and why she never allowed me to sleep over at anyone's house when I was a teenager.  I remember when my parents asked me if I wanted to take over their income tax business in the near future and I said, "No, you're never home and when I have a family I want to be around for my kids."  That comment must of pierced my mom's heart like no other.  Just like my daughter, I took everything for granted as a kid and teenager.  I had everything I ever wanted, but I never realized the sacrifices my mom made and the stress she was under to give us everything.  I now know why my mom worked insane hours, not by choice, but she didn't want to alter our life because things didn't work out between my dad and her.  She sacrificed so much to keep us in private school, piano lessons, swim lessons & to live in a big beautiful house along the hillside of Silicon Valley- she didn't want our lives to change.  I remember a few years back asking my mom- "How did you do it all being a single mom?  Why didn't we move to an apartment and you should have put us in a public school to make it easy on you?!"  She replied, "love & sacrifice."   

I'll never forget this day- Michelle randomly decided to go to a studio and take pictures!  Just like that- let's go take pictures!  My mom didn't even change- she just put on lipstick and drove us to the Perfect Studios to take a bunch of pictures, lol.  Can't remember the year- Michelle was like a Sophmore or Junior in High School.

Another favorite photo.  Michelle's first baby shower for her first son almost 10 years ago. 

I was 10 years old- just my mom & I!

 

I am honored to have a wonderful mother who continues to mold me and shape me as a great mom.  I don't doubt that I am a wonderful mom myself.  The love I have for my girls is not only unconditional but so grand that my hugs and kisses aren't enough to show how much I love them! I feel that education and good morals is my responsibility to teach them, but more importantly I feel that they need to grow up knowing that Jesus loves them.  I can only hope that they will learn from me about having faith in God and grow up to be godly women. 

Motherhood is a true blessing.  From pregnancy to birth to raising kids- it's the best thing in the world.  I feel extremely blessed that I am living my dream- staying home with my kids.  I love the smiles, cuddle times, movie times, craft times, play times and the WOW moments I get with them.  I go to bed thanking God for my babies every night.  I am thankful God choose me to be a mother of two beautiful girls. 

LOVE MY LITTLE GIRLS!!!!!