Mother's Day on the Ponderosa

Wow. It's been three weeks. A LOT can happen in three weeks. Let's see... I've wrapped up my year as the county chairman for our Jefferson County Relay for Life event, I've lost 4 pounds(15 pounds total!). Ali Grace attended her 4-H banquet and got an award for her mini-booth at the fair and for poultry judging. Addie lost 2 library books, won the Random Acts of Kindness award for her class and played in the mud a total of 673 times. Seriously. I'm not far off in that calculation. We've made a routine of feeding the show goats every evening and the girls are excited about their new 4-H projects.  The girls and I spent the day on Saturday at the Buzzard Blast in Louisville (few things are better than a small town festival!) Pete and I have also started to make preparations for our weeklong Altamaha Adventure, where we will kayak 108 miles down the Ohoopee and Altamaha Rivers with some very good friends. To say that I am looking forward to it would be an understatement. It's my reward to myself for losing 20 pounds. I still have 5 pounds to go, and I intend to get there before we hit that river! 

Ali Grace and Addie Belle had a great time going up in the air on the Jefferson Energy truck
at the Buzzard Blast (May 12, 2012)

Addie enjoying her cotton candy at the Buzzard Blast (May 12, 2012)

We are winding the school year down. All of us, although in 3 different school systems, are entering our final week of school. The girls are just giddy. They have made some serious summer plans which include beach trips with both grandmothers, vacation bible school, and sitting by the pool all summer. I cannot wait for summer because I LOVE to stay up late and sleep in. Of course, all who know me well know that sleeping in for me means waking up about 7:30am! I am so pumped about living on "summer time". 

Fast forward to today... Look at these sweet smiles. Ali's shirt is stained and Addie's dress is too small, but they were nothing short of precious when they brought me my Mother's Day gifts. I love impatiens. Actually I love any flowers that make my summer porch look pretty. 

I am just in love with this girl's snaggle tooth smile. 

Ali Grace has done a lot of growing up this year. At first, I have to admit that I was a little freaked out. Now though, I am really learning to enjoy the young lady she's becoming. Her blue eyes are just beautiful and I am so proud of all she has done this year.  

On this Mother's Day, I would like to ask for prayers for one mother in particular, Kristin Burns, whose son Tyler is struggling with Epilepsy at MCG. How often we take healthy babies for granted! I know recently I've made it a point to not sweat the small stuff when it comes to the children. I haven't freaked over the beads that are covering my screened porch floor right now or that Addie has ruined almost every article of clothing she owns by rolling around on the red dirt playground at school or playing in the mud here on the farm- how blessed I am that my girls have each other and that they are  healthy enough to play together. I am totally over the fact that the kids have legs with scratches, bruises, insect bites, cuts and scrapes. How blessed I am that they love the outdoors like their Mama! I counted my blessings one by one when I awoke a few days ago to find Addie's feet in my ribs, Ali stretched out across my legs, my husband snoring in my ear and a chihuahua sleeping across my neck.  In the famous words of Addie Belle Bennett "I'm not making this stuff up. I just have a really great life!".  The truth is, all of us have a really great life if we really focus on what matters most. I know I love my family to the moon and back and everything else is just "small stuff".