The best gifts

My best gifts on Mother's Day didn't come from gift boxes or wrapped with pretty bows. The best gifts, the ones I will always remember and hold onto much longer than anything else, came in so many unexpected ways:

The portrait Brendan drew of me at school, that is far better than any drawing I could ever make.

The beautiful frame made at preschool that was given to me by a very proud and beaming Ryan.

The two-hour afternoon adventure that I took with my two little boys as we all set out on our bikes. The boys couldn't stop looking over the shoulder for a glimpse of me riding right behind them.

The out-of-the-blue hugs that Kelsey gives that are so sweet and loving you never want her to let go.

The brave six-year-old who decided on Saturday night to present me with an early gift: He brushed his teeth with strawberry toothpaste, a big challenge for him.

The same six-year-old who chose to try four new foods -- steak, pineapple, cucumbers and green peppers dipped in BBQ sauce -- during our Mother's Day dinner.

The sound of sweet Kelsey singing "Mom Mi" while she plays.

The joy of watching my three little cutie pies laugh together as they play in the backyard on a sunny, spring day.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mothers! We celebrated early this morning: the kids slept in until 7:30 (woo hoo!), Brendan wheeled in a new bike into our living room decorated with cards and a gift bag, then hubby treated us to pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Just perfect!

Brendan treats me to a big hug and a bike!

We plan to have a lazy, relaxing day. I hope to take my bike for a new spin with the boys. (It's not yet equipped with a baby seat to take Kelsey out.) Later, hubby is cooking dinner on the grill despite a cooler May day.

With my three little cutie pies.

Updates:

I've been behind on posting updates lately. We've been too busy with life! A couple of noteworthy mentions, though:

On Wednesday, Brendan played his best soccer game to date. He scored two goals and was a great teammate in every sense of the word. We were proud of his efforts, which earned him an extra special orange ice cream treat from Dairy King!

Spring is here! It truly is amazing how beautiful weather can lift your spirits. We've enjoyed warmer days and the trees and flowers blooming all around us. I wish the blooms would last all summer long. My favorite is the tree pictured above with Brendan with the white blooms. The fragrance, similiar to honeysuckle, reminds me of visiting my grandmother's house but also just smells delicious.

Dress-up girl

Kelsey celebrated her birthday with friends today. She had so much fun
and received wonderful gifts. This was one of them! More details to
come ...