49 In Life

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers! And Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, the most wonderful mother on the planet! For the last 12 years I have lived at least 8 hours from her, which is so hard. We don’t get to share in daily “usuals” like coffee, lunch, fun outings, and t-ball games! We’ve been known to call each other and jokingly ask, “Do you want to come by for lunch?” or “Morgan has a game at 5:30, can I pick you up on our way?!” When we both really wish it was that easy. I’m hoping and praying, before the children are all grown that we can live closer to one another. As a  grown daughter, I’ve learned that my heart’s desire is for my own mother to see my children grow; being so far away only gives us a handful of visits a year. Despite the physical distance between us we are still very close and I am so thankful for every opportunity we have to spend together and even more thankful that she’s just a phone call away!

She is a wonderful grandmother to her grandbabies {as she calls them} and I find it very fitting that they call her “mom”. She is the most talented and hardest working woman I know and I’m so thankful for all that she has taught me over the years! She loves the Lord and reminds me often that she is praying for me…

kitchen1

…as you can see, on most days, I need all the prayer I can get.

I love you, Mom! I can’t wait to see you next month! You are very brave to keep the rovers while we sneak away! I hope your back is fully healed by then, because I don’t think Rover will climb into his crib if you simply “ask him to”… but good luck with that! Unfortunately, you never had the pleasure of having a boy… and you’ll see, they’re different. If anything you’ll sleep really well at night and you may need to bring DaddyBoy along for back up… and see if he can bring a tractor with him.

MomandRover

momandraiger

momandRaiger2

Mom

mothersday

haircut1

momandkids_web

As for me, my Mother’s Day has been wonderful; full of homemade cards, paintings and hugs and kisses! I am so thankful for my children. I would never say motherhood is easy, because it’s not, but I will say His strength is perfect in my weakness. I’m slowly {very slowly} yielding to my flesh and accepting and finding joy in surrendering and sacrificing for my children. I’m learning that my work at home is of great eternal significance, even if I don’t see it in the daily, mundane and menial tasks so often associated with raising little ones. I am thankful for the children that He has entrusted me with and I hope and pray that the time I have with them is used for His glory.  And as I daily rescue Rover from his own hands {in all his warrior-ness} and pick up after the fairy princesses I remind myself, “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,” Psalm 127:3.

Marla took this picture last summer and I’m so thankful for it. I don’t think I’ve ever posted it. It’s one of very few pictures I have of myself and the children and it is a treasure to me.

mewith3byMarla

To my sweet angels, I love you with every ounce of my being, tall as the pine trees and to the moon and back. I am honored and humbled to be your mother! Thank you for my paintings and cards! And for being sweet children {most of the time}!

Last but not least…

To my precious grandmothers, thank you both for the Godly heritage you have woven into our family. I love you both and think you are both fantastic mothers!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

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  • Aura
    May 10, 2010 at 12:42 am

    Happy Mother’s Day, Darby! Your Mom sounds wonderful, & she reminds me a lot of mine. Similar haircuts, too 🙂
    I am always so happy to see that women who I consider to be wonderful Mom’s also share a great relationship with their’s. I bet those little girls of yours will say the same things about you, one day.

  • Sarah
    May 10, 2010 at 12:52 am

    Happy Mother’s Day Darby. You are a lucky daughter and mom to be surrounded by so much love.

  • Sonya
    May 10, 2010 at 1:08 am

    Happy Mama’s Day!
    I live an ocean away from my mom and I know how hard it is!
    I love the first photo! It is so similar to what we have going on on most days at our house (minus one little princess) 🙂
    I also love the last photo – this is the look of pure happiness and a definition of motherhood without words. I am so grateful to be at home with my little ones as well so we can share the mundane and yet so precious moments together.

  • Isabella
    May 10, 2010 at 2:04 am

    DEAR DARBY,
    HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

    YOUR CHILDREN ARE JUST BEYOND BEAUTIFUL AND YOUR MOM, IS A LIVING SAINT.

    GOD BLESS YOU.

    PLEASE CHECK OUT THIS BLOG I THINK YOU’LL LIKE IT, THE AUTHOR IS FANTASTIC, SUCH A GIFTED WRITER.

    https://petuniafacedgirl.blogspot.com/

  • paige
    May 10, 2010 at 5:43 am

    your mama looks like she is the most precious mom, grammy, mimi ( i can’t remember what you said the rovers call her)
    she is gorgeous!
    & that final picture of you brought tears to my eyes
    YOU are an incredibly mommy darby!
    xo

  • natalie @ our old southern house
    May 10, 2010 at 5:52 am

    happy mother’s day, darby!! you are a wonderful mom!

  • Bon
    May 10, 2010 at 6:58 am

    Happy Mum’s Day Darby! You are a shining star of a mum, and do not forget that those Rovers are lucky to be entrusted to YOU! Cheers

  • emily
    May 10, 2010 at 7:05 am

    happy mother’s day!!

    i’m completely in love with your blog . . . maybe because it’s a glimpse into a world very similar to my own! 3 chickies {6, 5, 3.5} and a 19 month old little man {who i think actually resembles your sweet boy}.

    my mom is 11 hours away from me . . . and i love more than anything to be closer to get to enjoy all the little things moms and daughters should get to enjoy together.

    thanks for all the inspiration to be a better mommy . . . and a better Godly woman too!

  • :o) mg
    May 10, 2010 at 7:28 am

    Why does your mess look easier to deal with than mine?
    Hope your day was as beautiful as you are.
    :o) mg

  • sloan
    May 10, 2010 at 7:33 am

    inspirational, as always, darby – thank you and happy mother’s day to you!!

  • Dianne
    May 10, 2010 at 7:54 am

    Well Darby, the first picture just slays me…how absolutely real!!! I love it! The last picture is so precious. I know you treasure it. Sounds like you have a big get-away planned. I am delighted for you. Did your girls weekend away put a bee in your bonnet? 🙂 See, everyone survived and you had a great time. The same will happen with your mom there. The kids will be in heaven and you will have some much needed adult time. Thanks for a great post!
    xoxo

  • Lisa @ lists in my pocket
    May 10, 2010 at 8:05 am

    That is an absolutely stunning picture! Happy Mother’s Day! 🙂

  • Tina
    May 10, 2010 at 8:15 am

    You are so very lucky to have such a great relationship with your mother! My own was very mean and did not like her children very much. It makes me very determined to have great relationships with my own! Glad you had a great Mother’s Day!

  • angie
    May 10, 2010 at 8:18 am

    Darby- you don’t know me… i’m just a blog friend [however i’m pretty sure we were in youth group together at ole southeast christian church…] – i realize how creepy that just sounded. lol

    but i just wanted to tell you what an encouragement you are! i’m a new mom of a little boy, and your words, as i sit here at work, encourage me in the Lord.

    so thank you!

  • Keeley
    May 10, 2010 at 8:31 am

    These photos are beautiful (especially the final one of you with your children)! I always feel inspired to improve my own photography skills when I read your blog.

    My mom and I live 2 miles apart. I don’t have children (yet), but I always wonder what it will be like if our careers take us away from mom… it’s tough.

    Happy Mother’s Day!

  • Cat Moore
    May 10, 2010 at 8:33 am

    Beatiful pictures and Rover looks just like your hubby in the one on the beach in his grandmother’s arms! 🙂 Sounds like you had a wonderful mother’s day that was sort-of like mine! It was wonderful! I told my husband I wanted John Taylor I wanted breakfast in bed and when I opened my card it had a picture of a fancy bed with breakfast on a tray! Ha! Thank goodness he and I both have a good sense of humor! 🙂

  • Shar
    May 10, 2010 at 8:35 am

    Wonderful, loving tribute to your Mother. And, such a delight to see the photos of your beautiful children. God truly has blessed you.

  • Jules
    May 10, 2010 at 8:40 am

    What a great post and a FABULOUS picture of you and the children. Just gorgeous!

  • Lauryn
    May 10, 2010 at 8:49 am

    On Sunday at worship we talked about a heritage of faith that mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers give to our family. I cant wait to be a mother and start that!

  • Lauren
    May 10, 2010 at 8:54 am

    Such a sweet post! Happy Mother’s Day to you! You have beautiful children! They have a wonderful and Godly Mother!

  • Erin Deegan
    May 10, 2010 at 9:10 am

    i loved the post. my mother is across the country and i wish she was here to watch her 3 grandchildren grow up. it’s such a precious time… when they are little!

  • kari
    May 10, 2010 at 9:17 am

    i can relate.
    very very sweet.
    happy mother’s day darby!

  • sarah
    May 10, 2010 at 9:48 am

    Precious family. We have 1 girl and 2 boys and the years go by so quickly. Cherish these sweet moments. Love your blog. 🙂

  • Melanie Gore
    May 10, 2010 at 11:07 am

    Happy Mother’s Day! What a beautiful tribute to your mother.

    My son turned 16 yrs. old last week and I have been a stay at home mom for all of his life. There were days that I didn’t think I would make it through but I did. It goes by so fast so enjoy every minute of it.

    You look beautiful in that last picture. What are you? 10 pounds soaking wet? LOL!

  • alison g. (brazil)
    May 10, 2010 at 11:09 am

    Darby:
    It looks like your Mom has been a blessed inspiration for motherhood – hope your Mother’s Day was wonderful!

  • heather pennington
    May 10, 2010 at 11:13 am

    That was a wonderful post!

  • Lillian - Domestic Simplicity
    May 10, 2010 at 11:16 am

    Happy, happy Mother’s Day:)

  • Abby Maddox
    May 10, 2010 at 11:29 am

    Darby, that last picture!!! It is so good. How in the world have you not posted it before now? SO so sweet and you look gorgeous…it’s almost as good as the jumping one 🙂

  • A Lovely Weekend «
    May 10, 2010 at 11:32 am

    […] by the way, I read something on a blog I stalk that summed up motherhood so […]

  • Jen
    May 10, 2010 at 11:49 am

    Your fairy princesses and rover are precious….moms are such a gift and so special to us when we are adults…

    and that last picture is beautiful of you and your children.

    Happy Mothers Day!

  • Tonya
    May 10, 2010 at 12:15 pm

    Darby love the kitchen picture. Reminds me of my little sis (Anna) when she was about 3 now 21. I had been gone at work, mom was working in the back room and when I got home Anna was at the kitchen counter with spices, cupcake papers and the works spread to kingdom come:) Didn’t like the mess then, but now it is a cute memory.

    Thanks so much for sharing your life with us:)

  • Ashley
    May 10, 2010 at 12:44 pm

    Darby,
    What a sweet post! I wanted to cry reading about the distance you and your mom have. My mom and I are far away too, which makes it hard and sad sometimes. What I have found is our bond has become much more closer because if the distance and I cherish every second we have to spend with her and my dad! HAve a great week!:)
    Ashley

  • Val
    May 10, 2010 at 12:54 pm

    Happy Mothers Day to you, and thanks for the ice cream recipe! I made two batches – cinnamon and coffee – this weekend for dinner with my parents and my in-laws. Even my mother-in-law, who notoriously hates homemade ice cream, loved it and asked for the recipe. Thanks so much for posting it!

  • Nealy
    May 10, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    Happy Mother’s Day to you! Children are such a wonderful gift from the Lord. 🙂

    nealy
    bambinababe.blogspot.com

  • Melise
    May 10, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    God bless your sweet mother, I have one just like her! 🙂 And I say to Abby Grace all the time “I love you to the moon and back” My FAV!!!!

  • Kristen
    May 10, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    Hope you had a great Mother’s Day, Darby! The picture you posted of you and your little rovers is so beautiful!!

  • Christi
    May 10, 2010 at 5:19 pm

    What a beautiful post, Darby! The first photo of the kids in the kitchen is hilarious, and the last one of you and the kids is just precious. Thank you for sharing – and happy Mother’s Day!

  • Denise
    May 10, 2010 at 7:37 pm

    Happy Mother’s Day Darby! You are one awesome Mom!!! You and your Mom sound so much like me and my daughter. The only difference is that we live only 10 min from each other. Your Mother is such a lovely lady who was so blessed with two beautiful daughters! I so enjoy reading your blog. Hope you have a wonderful week!

  • Rebecca
    May 11, 2010 at 6:39 am

    Darby, I just wanted to say a quick thank you. It is such a blessing from Him that I found you. Like many others, I’m sure, I was quick to fall in love with you and your precious family. But, beyond the gorgeous faces and the perfect sense of humor, I have fallen in love with your spirit. You are a strong woman of faith who seems to die daily to self and live for His glory. I pray that God will bestow me the strength to shine for his Spirit like you do each day! You are such a gift to me, and I couldn’t have come across you at a better time. As I drink my morning coffee and catch up on your life and all those involved, I am reminded to say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving and turn to the only One who really matters in life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I send you love and admiration…all the way from Texas 🙂 Love, Your Sister in Christ

  • mary katharine
    May 11, 2010 at 8:39 am

    Dittos to all the above! And just an added comment of the image of you and your little people at the end is about as perfect and beautiful as it could be. 🙂 What an embodiment of what motherhood is … full, pulled at all ends, yet beautiful and rewarding … sweet, simple … complicated … precious and not for the fainthearted:). Your strength is from the Lord and His peace is evident in all of your faces.

    Many Blessings!!

  • kristen
    May 11, 2010 at 10:56 am

    !! that last picture made me almost cry … so sweet 🙂 happy {belated} mother’s day to you!

  • Adrienne
    May 11, 2010 at 3:28 pm

    Hey Darby, We met a couple times at Auburn and had a lot of mutual friends. I found your blog on friend’s page and saw that you sew for your kids. I sew lots of stuff for my little guy and was wondering if you know of any websites with cute applique patters for little boys. I have googled until my eyes are bugging out and can’t find much. If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.
    Thanks, Adrienne (Cone) Freeman

  • Hannah
    May 11, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    Thank you so much for your inspiring words. It validates me as a Mom to hear about your experiences on this amazing journey of motherhood. I appreciate being able to relate to someone that I really don’t know personally. This post especially made me feel good about the job we are doing as mothers to our children, despite those days when we really wonder if we are making a difference:)

  • Angi
    May 11, 2010 at 8:29 pm

    What a lovely mom’s day post. Thank you for reminding me: “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,” Psalm 127:3 I am trying harder to remember that these moments are fleeting and before we know it we will be complaining that our babies are all grown up. May we give them love and fill them with happy memories of their childhood. And try harder to make every day count more. “The days are long but the years are short.”

  • cathy
    May 11, 2010 at 10:09 pm

    I can’t even remember at this exact moment how I was drawn to your blog but I really enjoy it. I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day. I have 2 questions for you. 1. Where did you find the attachment to make your 2 single strollers into a double (or is it a double?) 2. How old are your children? My 3 are 28 months apart from oldest to youngest & yours look similar.

  • pve
    May 12, 2010 at 9:31 am

    Seriously, I could deal with that mess of a kitchen if I cleaned up as well as you. Just maybe with a bit more prayer added to my out of control days, I could do it.
    You all are get out of town gorgeous.
    pve

  • Leelaa
    May 12, 2010 at 11:12 am

    I love the messy kitchen shot! I needed that today – it’s comforting to know that other people’s houses can look like mine can. And the picture of you and your angels is BEAUTIFUL! I wish I had a picture like that!!!!

  • katherinemarie
    May 12, 2010 at 6:31 pm

    What beautiful beautiful memories! I can so relate to photo number ONE! I agree with the rest of your friends— that last photograph with you and your sweethearts— what an absolute TREASURE— every mom needs a photo THAT GORGEOUS!!!

  • Kelley Brown
    May 13, 2010 at 10:33 pm

    Darby, LOVE love love the picture of you with the kids from last year! And I totally relate to being far from your mom. My parents are now 8 hours away in NC. We talk several times a day on the phone (and skype), but it’s just not the same as drinking coffee together or going shopping.