mommas.

as i mentioned previously, the hubbs was out of town for a good part of last week. i was ready for mother's day, to say the least. :)

when he arrived home on friday night, i was elated.

most importantly, i got see my dear & precious husband and hug his neck... but also, because he came bearing gifts.

good gifts.

mother's day gifts.

so... this is project life. the kit version. not the homemade version i was trying to make.

when he handed it to me, his first words were "i have no idea what this is, but only that you haven't stopped talking about it."

now i have no excuses to stay behind. i kept telling him {and my project life partner in crime, terri} that i'd be doing so much better if i had the actual kit. it would take so much less time {which is the whole point of un-scrapbooking}. so. i hope to have some layouts for you tomorrow.

i've almost finished march & april. woohoo. i think my project life might just start with march. maybe i'll just have one layout for january & one for february. hmmm.... i have to truly get over the "week in the life" thing. but it's much harder for me to settle for the reality of my project and not what i could make it to be. does that make sense? i wrestle with "oh, let me do this... and make this... oh, this would be cool..." and "i only have time for this.... this is more realistic...." anyone else who relates?

yeah.

are you doing a project life? please share if you are! pretty pretty please! i love seeing new ideas and concepts! it helps me get out of my box!

anyway.... onto the real post....

momma's day.

i was blessed with a beyond wonderful momma. she is as godly, giving, selfless, creative and beautiful as a woman can get. she has taught me everything i know about being a momma to my precious littles {and a wife to my husband}. she's laid back {most of the time} & loves to play games {although my competitve spirit comes from my dad}. she's ambitious & loyal. i love her to pieces.

the hubbs was also blessed with a precious momma. a wise, godly woman who is prayerful in everything she does and treasures her family above all else on this earth. she is a wonderful cook {a lot for me to live up to, i might add} and has brought up two beautiful boys who love the lord with everything they are. she has been through so much this last year and it's been an honor for jeff & i to be able to walk with it through her - and watch her lean on our lord for every last bit of strength. i admire her and love her so very much.

being a momma. and to two itty bitties...

hmm..... let's try to put what that means into words...

it's impossible. right?

my heart swells when i think of my precious little ones. it's the hardest thing & the best thing i've ever done. it's the proudest & most fearful i've ever been. it's the reason i put a smile on my face when i don't feel like it & the reason i pray so often. it's the greatest joy... but i can't be a great momma by myself.

it takes the example set by my momma & my momma-in-love, the prayers of my momma friends, the encouragement of the hubbs, and, above all else, the strength from our ever-faithful lord to make me a great momma.

and, let's be honest here, i fail at it.

a lot.

i mean, every. single. day i fail.

but isn't that what's so great about our father's grace?! it covers us... HE is bigger than all of my failures as a mom. HE is bigger than the days that seem to go on without end... and HE is bigger than the moment i lose it in the car while both littles are screaming and throwing things. {okay - only one of them is doing that.} HIS forgiveness is the only way i can get through this season of motherhood.

and not only am i grateful for HIS blood that covered my sins... but i'm also grateful that HIS blood is big enough to cover my childrens' sins.

my greatest prayer as a momma - on momma's day - is that my children will know this same grace & forgiveness as children, as i do as a mom, one day. and that i will perhaps be just a small part of that process.

my momma sent me a quote yesterday.

"a baby makes love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, & the future worth living for."

doesn't that sum it right up?