Family Traditions #12 Mother's Day

May is kind of my month. Mother's day here is on the 10th, so I get 2 of those and then my birthday is about a week from now. My boys make me feel special year round. I am SO thankful to God for letting me be a mom, especially their mom!

On Guatemalan Mother's Day we actually got dressed up to take a family photo. We all detest posing for photos, but Jimmy's home church did a little spotlight of our ministry this week and asked for an up to date photo. It's a good thing, because I don't think we would have been motivated otherwise. While I LOVE having the photos afterwards, the trauma drama that is taking them prevents it from ever being a tradition! It only took us several hundred tries to get this ONE shot. 

Jimmy had a lot of things planned for today, but this one was my favorite. He surprised me with a tradition that I am going to enjoy for years to come. In our forever house, one wall in our master bath is basically all window. Jimmy built a "secret garden" for me attached to this bath using sheet metal. You cannot see into it from the outside. It is going to be our little spot that we can drink coffee in before the kids get up in the mornings. The bath is a narrow room and with this large window, it really feels like an outdoor bath... in a good way! And it will be the one spot where my dogs can't eat my flowers.

{Jimmy was one sheet short, so there will not always be that opening there on the left}

Each year the boys will get me a flower and plant it in my secret garden. Today after church we stopped by our forever house on the way home. They were so cute helping Daddy plant them. They were excited. How proud they were of it afterwards made it even more special. 

{Jonah planting the flowers he chose}

{Silas planting his flowers for Mommy}

So I guess my garden is really a memory garden. Maybe I can put the stones with their handprints in there too. I love my kids and had the best time with my family today. 

This was Eden's contribution:

Cuteness!

Happy Mother's Day to our Moms. We are thankful for all the work and love they are still investing into our lives. Love you both!