Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day all! Whether you are an expectant mother, a mother struggling with fertility, a mother waiting to adopt, an adoptive mother, a birth mother, a grandmother, or great-grandmother today can bring both joy and struggle to us all. Know that you are not alone in whatever emotion you are feeling.
This year, I have been super lucky to spend Mother’s Day weekend with my parents at the lake. Andrew stayed home since his vaccine isn’t fully effective until Tuesday. It has been absolutely amazing to see my parents this weekend! I came down from work on Friday and got to have dinner with them Friday night. This might not sound like much, but usually coming down Friday means getting to the lake or my parent’s house just in time to say hello and go to bed. Going from work to our house to my parents adds at least an hour to the time it takes to get to see family. My mom surprised me when I got here. Despite Mother’s Day weekend supposed to be about seeing her, she got me 2 surprises: a sloth piggy bank that is adorable (for those that don’t know, I’m low level obsessed with sloths) and takeout from my favorite pizza place in the cities (Pig Ate My Pizza)! I’m so lucky to have such an amazing and close relationship with my mom.
Yesterday, we had a lazy morning. It has been a bit cold and we don’t have central heat at the lake, so my dad lit a fire in the fireplace to warm up the downstairs. My dad also taught me how to make his delicious smoked eggs for breakfast. I know, I probably could have googled or found the recipe in one of his smoking cookbooks but he makes them so yummy that I wanted to learn from him. We also made a plan to try a new recipe for smoked mac and cheese, which is one of my favorite smoked foods we make. My dad is so into smoking and he loves making delicious food for everyone—even his vegetarian daughters! After our late breakfast we spent some time reading before getting things from their to do list at the lake done. We also chatted with my sister (Andrea) a bit. I took a nap mid-afternoon while watching some food network with my parents. We also spent some time out on the lake yesterday—even if we were all in jackets or sweatshirts and pants. It is so calming to just be out floating on top of the water. For dinner, my parents had steak and I made us all a yummy mushroom and onion pasta dish. When I cook for others, I feel calm and happy—definitely a stress reliever but also something that brings joy to my heart and to those around me. This is even better when I get to cook with others as well. Mom and I both worked on the mushrooms and the sauce. I can’t wait to share our love of cooking with a future child. And if you all think I’m excited, I can say without hesitating that my parents are even more pumped than I am. I’ve gotten to see them share their love of cooking and good food with my nieces and nephew over the last couple of years.
Today is another quiet morning to celebrate togetherness and Mother’s Day. We had french toast with bacon (for the meat eaters) for breakfast. We are watching the blue skies and waiting for the sun to hit the deck before we head outside for a while, hopefully to enjoy the sun and the lake and a good book. I am taking a few minutes to reflect on all the blessings in my life, even while waiting for an adoptive placement match. I am thinking and praying for all of the different types of mothers out there, especially today. Know that you are all in my heart.
~Natalie
