Mother's Day 2023

I hope you enjoyed a Happy Mother's Day yesterday.  We were supposed to be in England, but fate [the transatlantic voyage was canceled by Cunard] decided we should be at home. 

My daughter, Lori, thinking we'd be in England, made plans for her husband and her to go to Holland, MI to celebrate his birthday [which is today].  It's become an annual tradition for her to plant geraniums in my two front porch planters for my Mother's Day gift.  She came over on Thursday afternoon to do that.

Now I need to get busy and bring up the rug and porch furniture from the basement [where it's been stored all winter], now that nice weather is finally here.

My youngest son, Jeremy, was in Memphis, TN yesterday, but he called and FaceTimed me while I was on the way to church yesterday morning to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.  And Lori called later in the afternoon.

She and Dave planned a meet-up with Tiffany [her daughter], John and the girls on their way home from Holland.  Tiffany posted two pictures that I'm sharing.  One was taken yesterday and the other was from Evie's school program last week.  Lori is treasuring these times with Tiffany and her granddaughters before their move to California next month.

Steve was my only child who remained in the area to celebrate with, but he made it very special.  He incorporated a picture of him and me in the hospital shortly after his birth in his message.  The two Biblical women he focused on were Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Jocabed, the mother of Moses, but he used our picture to convey "Nobody holds a child more closely after birth than a mother... she's not a stranger to her baby.  They've been getting to know one another for nine months...". While a mother's arms are always there to embrace her children, she ultimately has to release them to God, others, and the world around them.

After church a photographer took photos of mothers and their families.

Then seven of us [Steve, Sharon, Brooke, Sharon's parents, and Jerry and me] went out to dinner at a restaurant in Imaly City.  It was a nice time of visiting and being together.

I'm very thankful for the [3] children and spouses, [8] grandchildren and one spouse, and [2] great-grandchildren God has blessed me with.