Happy Mommy Moments

This post is sponsored by Gymboree, and filled with the joys of being a mom!

 

Did you know that my sweet little Eli was born on Mother’s Day, 2007?

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And in just a couple of weeks that he will turn 9 YEARS OLD!  

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How did that happen?!  Eli is the youngest of my four boys, and we call him the “cherry on top” of our family.  One thing Eli is not lacking is personality and charm, let me tell ya!  He keeps us laughing 24/7.  He still likes to snuggle with me on the couch, and loves being my little helper. 

He was THRILLED when I got him this fedora hat from Gymboree!  He has always wanted one of these because he says it makes him look like Rocky Balboa. HA!  That kid!

Adam is one of my middle children.  He is the spitting image of my dad at his age, and definitely has genes from my side of the family.  Adam will turn 13 this fall.  He gets brown as a biscuit during the summer and looks great in bright colors, so the green shirt from Gymboree was perfect for him.

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Adam has a servant’s heart and is a perfectionist.  He struggles with anxiety issues sometimes, but I am so proud of all the ways he tries to conquer his fears.  He is a hugger and a lover.  He tells me at least once a day that I’m beautiful and ten times a day that he loves me.  He fills my heart up.  Some of my favorite moments with Adam is when we are driving around in the car, and he tells me his stories.  #priceless

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Adam is also a stud on the basketball court.  ;)  Well, actually they both are.  Eli has great ball-handling skills, and Adam can jump out of the gym.  They love playing basketball together outside our house.  And believe me, this mama LOVES going to their games and cheering them on!  Yes…I am THAT mom. :)

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I consider these two my “younger two” sons.  And I am so proud of the young men they are becoming. 

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These two keep me young and on my toes!  They are half of the reason that I LOVE being a mom.

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And here is the other half…my oldest two….

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Jonathan and Luke have passed me up in height, and I’m 5’8”.  Y’all know a lot about Jonathan because he’s my singer, and I have talked about him a LOT on my blog, so let me tell you about Luke.  Luke is the funniest kid alive.  He has me in stitches every day!  He is super smart and loves anything to do with reptiles.  Outdoors is his favorite place to be, and he is a true adventurer.  Luke loves to sing too and has a great voice.  He is going to be 15 this fall and is growing more independent each day, but he still has time to give me hugs and tell me he loves me every single day.  :)

If you had told me when I first got married that I would have FOUR BOYS, I would have told you you were cRaZy! 

But the Lord surely knew what he was doing when he gave me these sweet things!  I could never ask for more!

Now don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been a piece of cake raising them.  There were many times that I would talk to mom about how hard it was, especially when everywhere I went people where saying “Bless your heart,” to me.  I started feeling sorry for myself, but Mom was always there to lift my head and tell me to hang in there.   She would remind me daily how blessed I was to be CHOSEN to be the mom of four boys.  Mom loved her grandsons more than anything in this world. 

Mom passed away over six years ago, and my eyes are filling up with tears as I write this.  I think back to all that has happened over the past six years and how very proud she would be of the young men my boys are becoming.  She was always at every ballgame or school event cheering them on.  And don’t even get me started on the fit she would have thrown over Jonathan being on The Voice!  Ha!   (Let’s just say that all four of the coaches would have probably known her by name!)

And then there is the adoption of our little girl!  Mom would have never believed it, but she would be over the moon about having another granddaughter!  And she would be helping me get everything ready for her arrival.

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She would also be a mighty prayer warrior on her behalf, covering our little girl in scripture.  Mom would be so thrilled to share God’s love with our sweet girl.  And yes, I believe that my mom is still praying for her children and grandchildren in heaven.  I know she is filling the Lord’s ears up on a daily basis. :)

I miss my mom.

But the beautiful thing about a mother’s love is that it never leaves you.  Mom’s love and words are still very alive in my heart.  I still make decisions today based on what I “know mom would say.”  I know first hand the life long impact that a Mother’s love can have on her children.

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(my beautiful mom with Luke)

It’s the same impact that I want to have on my children, and my children’s children.  A mother’s love is mighty and strong and never-ending.  

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Mother’s Day is coming up soon, and I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating the special ladies in your life!  For help outfitting your little ones for the occasion, check out Gymboree for more cute outfits like Adam and Eli’s! :)

Do you have a favorite Mother’s Day Moment that you could share with me?  

Or one you are planning this Mother’s Day?  I would love to hear about it!

 

 

17 Comments

  1. You are so blessed with your beautiful boys!! I was one of four sisters. My dad always receiced that look of “you poor man” when we were out together. My mom would only want one thing for any Mother’s Day…to be together at home. She was such a home body and that made her the happiest. When Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren came along her special day was still everyone who could be there together at home. Like you, my mom passed away ten years ago. I miss her every day and smile and sometimes shed a tear or two many times a day remembering her…

  2. You have an awesome collection of boys, or should I say young men, Traci! And your cheering from the bleachers, literal and figurative are part of their story, and that of your girl’s too. What a blessing!

  3. great touching. it reminded me of my grandfathers always being poor you’s over my mother and her 5 sisters. he asked the bemoaners which of his girls they would have him get rid of.he was way before his time in thinking a child was a blessing and their sex was not a plus or minus.

  4. This is precious, Traci! Those boys are so adorable, every one of them. Love the memories of your mom too. My mom used to speak to women’s groups and she would always tell them… ‘we have 3 children, and they keep us happy, humble… and poor!’. Can you relate? :)

  5. We have two sons, one 30, and one 23. They continue to fill our hearts up, and are such blessings. I remember how exciting it was to watch them at each stage. God bless your quiver, including the addition of a sweet little daughter to it :)

  6. Beautifully written. Handsome son’s. All four. I just came back from a trip planning my daughter’s wedding (her fiancé is the youngest of 5 boys). I kept thinking her Papa (my dad who,went to heaven 8 yrs ago) would be so happy and proud of the young woman she’s become. She was a challenge and he used to tell me to not give up as well. Your post has me in t good tears. Thank you.

  7. Well as you know, no life is perfect. But, you have been truly BLESSED. My mom passed 4 years ago. It is never really the same after. Looking forward to that day when we meet again. Enjoy your Morhers Day ! Sorry your daughter won’t be here this year with you, but , she will come in Gods good timing

  8. Hi Traci – I’ve read your blog for a several years but have never commented. I found you originally through your Wednesday’s with Wanda posts…I was so blessed by them and inspired by your mom’s life and faithful love for her family and for the Lord. I appreciate the way her stories contributed to the shaping of my vision for my own life and mothering, so I’m grateful to you for taking time to write them! My husband and I have two wonderful little boys, but I have to tell you that anytime you write a post on your four boys, it makes me feel like we need two more – ha! You are a blessing Traci, thanks for writing and sharing. Have a great weekend and a wonderful Mother’s Day with your crew! Next year you will have your sweet girl with you for Mothers Day!

  9. Loved hearing about your boys. When my son started kindergarten he would always give me a hug and kiss before getting on the bus. The other Mom’s would always say “enjoy it, it won’t last”. Well, lucky me it never stopped, even when I dropped him off in high school he would give me a kiss. He said if the other kids Mom’s were as pretty as me they’d kiss them too. From a very young age whenever he came home he would always yell “honey, I’m home!” always made me laugh. I just love the way boys love their Mom’s.

  10. I am just catching up on your blog, so forgive me for being a *tad* late. Our middle daughter is graduating in 4 – !!! – days from high school and my days have been filled with painting, cleaning, and organizing a party, instead of following my favorite blogs :-)

    I lost my mom 10 days before I turned 30. I had beautiful 3 yr and 11 month old daughters and my life just crashed to a halt. Nothing is worse than seeing the woman who inspires you suffer, and die. That year after her death was full of so many firsts… 1st Christmas without her, 1st birthday without her, 1st Easter without her… 1st steps taken on shaky little legs. 1st words. 1st day of pre school. (funny how the world keeps on marching on, no matter how hurt your heart is). In the 3 years that followed, my husband and I would both loose our fathers to cancer as well.

    But something else happened to. In the midst of all that pain, God decided that I needed somewhere to focus all that love that no longer had a place to go and blessed us with this sweet little boy who filled our hearts with love and reminded us every day that life is so very precious and good. I sometimes wish that my mom could have met him, but I wouldn’t trade my path for anything, because by wishing her back, I may also wish him away, and how do you wish away a piece of your heart?

    Mothers day is often bitter sweet for me as well. My oldest daughter has moved out on her own 1 1/2 hours from me, our second daughter will be graduating and moving to the same city as her sister, and that sweet baby boy is now 15 and 6′ tall. The babies have grown but I have been so lucky to watch them grow and they still come home to us whenever life allows. I allow myself to miss my mom, but then thank god for the great kids I was given to raise, who made being a mom the best. gift. ever.

    Life is good, God is great, and he has blessed you with a new child to share your love with as well. So happy that you and your family are being united with that sweet girl and I wish you all safe travels.

    God bless, Ann

    1. Hi Ann! So good to hear from you and read about the beautiful journey that God has taken you on. I could relate to so many of your words. God has blessed you with a beautiful family and I can tell that you have honored your mother’s love throughout the years in the way that you have loved your own children. What a blessing!

      Thanks again for sharing!
      Traci

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