Mother's Day is a wonderful and happy day. A day to celebrate the wonderful mothers in our lives. It will be a great Mother's Day for me because I have my beautiful daughter in my life and my wonderful mom too. But I know I will still think about the fact that I thought I would have been pregnant on that day. It was the day I was planning on revealing to my family that I was pregnant again after all these years. But it wasn't meant to be. I really am at peace with it now. But I can't say it doesn't still bring me some sadness.
I decided after my last miscarriage that I wanted to buy a rose bush to remember the babies that Doug and I lost (in 2002 and 2010). I picked a rose bush that will bloom lavender roses called "sweetness" from Jackson and Perkins. Doug ordered the bush online for me and it arrived earlier this week (they come with just branches and roots - no flowers yet). We planted it Wednesday night in our little rose garden next to the rose bush we planted for
Doug's brother Leo (who we lost in 1997). Leo's rose bush grows like wildfire every year. It reminds me so much of Leo's personality. I found a little angel to overlook our "sweetness" bush and also a rock with the Chinese word for love on it (from Briana) for her lost siblings. I hope that the rose bush will grow big and beautiful. (The pictures are a little fuzzy because I took them with my cell phone.)
Here is Briana watering the plant...
These are some of my roses blooming already...
This is a rose about to bloom on Leo's rose bush...
We have four rose bushes in our backyard now (sorry they are hard to see)...
This is what the "sweetness" roses will look like (lavender in color)...
And this Mother's Day, we will also remember Briana's birth mother and foster mother. This is the candle that we light to remember them and will be doing it again this year.
And to all of you that will have a mixture of happiness and sadness on Mother's Day due to loss (whether it is a mother, sister, child or wife), just know that I am saying a prayer for you.
Here is Briana watering the plant...
These are some of my roses blooming already...
This is a rose about to bloom on Leo's rose bush...
We have four rose bushes in our backyard now (sorry they are hard to see)...
This is what the "sweetness" roses will look like (lavender in color)...
And this Mother's Day, we will also remember Briana's birth mother and foster mother. This is the candle that we light to remember them and will be doing it again this year.
And to all of you that will have a mixture of happiness and sadness on Mother's Day due to loss (whether it is a mother, sister, child or wife), just know that I am saying a prayer for you.
Sorry the picture is so fuzzy - I took it with my camera phone. Bri got her new soccer t-shirt last week and she is showing it off for me. (Along with the new crocs I bought her at the mall today. Bad me.)
And I snapped a few pics of Briana in gymnastics with my cell phone last week. She has really improved there too. I was just told by her instructor that she has moved up another level. Yay Bri!
This Saturday is the "Spring Spectacular" for gymnastics. You can see what it was like last year. The sessions are set up according to age/color level, so Bri's session is at 11:15. Since Briana is a year older and wiser, as well as her peers, this year's spring spectacular shouldn't be as chaotic as last year. Last year, it was kind of like herding cats. Her age group now actually listens to the teachers (sort of) and pays attention to directions (sort of). Pictures to come... :D
Briana and Emily Grace last Friday...
A couple of Fridays ago, Bri and I met Kathy and Chani for lunch and some girl talk. It had been way too long since we had time to chat and catch up. The young gals started getting a little antsy sitting at the restaurant after eating lunch, so we all headed to a nearby park so they could burn off some steam. Chani showed me a few of her great dance moves from her ballet/tap dance class. I was so lucky! Bri and Chani play so well together. It is amazing to see how they interact with each another. Our daughters are such little girls now and not babies anymore. Sigh...
And last Friday, Doug, Bri and I met Amy, David and Emily Grace for some food, great conversation and of course dancing! This is our third time meeting them at Bahama Breeze because Emily Grace and Bri LOVE dancing to the music there. Look how young they looked at BB last year in this post and this post. After eating their dinner, the girls grabbed their mamas cameras and starting taking pictures of each other. Not sure where they learned that from - heh. And then they danced, danced, danced!!!
We had seen both Chani and Emily Grace at several birthday parties over the last few months, but it had been a while since I had a real chance to talk and with visit with these girls' mamas. Now that summer is almost here, I think schedules will loosen a little and we can get in some more lunches and visits with friends we haven't spent time with in a while. Bri starts back at school in August and she will go 4 days a week, so we better get our visits in now!!
Doug and I have been married for 13 years today and have been a couple for 19 years. We have been through lots of up and many downs over the years and still love each other very much. Happy Anniversary to my best friend, my soul mate and the amazing father of my daughter.
