Many lessons learned this Mother's Day. First and foremost is to stop having ANY expectations from my kids, then maybe I won't be disappointed. I was telling everyone today, I don't know if their fighting was actually worse today, or if it just seemed that way because I foolishly expected them to behave better. Jeremy, on the other hand, has definitely made some progress from years past. Instead of spending money we don't have on a lame present I may or may not like, he spent the last two days taking care of the kids and doing everything around the house so I could sit around and be lazy all weekend. Bless his heart, it doesn't come easy. One of his big responsibilities was Sunday dinner with Steffensens and Denny. I had requested that he grill and make his delicious homemade ice cream and brownies to go with it. Well, the ribs were delicious, but when he went to make the brownies he found that, SHOCK! Brownies need eggs! And we were out of eggs! I told Kira that I secretly like when stuff like that happens because it proves how lost our husbands would be without us.

I got so many gifts from the kids: chocolate, bubble bath, a Tinkerbell puzzle (thanks, Jace!), some cooking stuff, and several cards and crafts they made in school. I was very spoiled! I've got to single out Corben, though. He is the only one who didn't even attempt to buy or make me a gift, but he is the only one of the kids who made an effort to try and help around the house and make our home a little more harmonious by getting along with his brothers, and I am so grateful for that. I think that's the gift any mom would prefer.

I'm going to repeat what my sister said today. I'm so grateful I've been blessed with these wonderful children so Mother's Day can be a happy time about me and my kids, and not a sad day where all I can do is miss my beautiful mom. Mother's Days were so hard the first few years after she died, but slowly they have turned around and now I have tender memories and thoughts about her throughout the day, but not the devastation I had before. I only hope my kids remember me with such fondness as I remember my mom.