Snoopy Songs and Sharing Snacks

Today's post is "written" by Andrew and Aria Doyle in honor of their mother, Sherry.  (Thanks Daddy)

Dear Mommy,

Even before I was born, you have been my musical inspiration! When I was 5 months in your belly, you sang the Superman song to me when we were flying in the plane together! Then, you and Daddy started singing the Snoopy song to me every night before we all went to sleep…I’ll never forget how excited I was to hear that song in the hospital right before I was born…my heart came alive! Since then, you have helped me refine my taste, starting with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and now moving onto Bach’s Yachset! I just love it when you sing…I hope one day we can sing duets together! Maybe Daddy can sing with us too, but Aria doesn’t usually get it right, so I’m not sure if she’ll work out.

I also really like it when you give me a sandwich, grapes, and crackers and only make me eat the amount that I want to eat! Oh, and ketchup…what can I say about that? Additionally, I really appreciate that you are very technological, because I love your IPAD and IPhone…yeah, that would be fun! Also cars and trains too of course…you always make sure I have my McQueen and Thomas.

Oh, and a couple of other things. Thanks for taking me to the doctors all the time and always making sure I have the right medicines, especially eye drops and “candy” for my allergies. You’re also really patient with me as I navigate the complexities of the potty…I’ll tell you what, that sticker chart idea was genius! Oh, and I can’t forget to tell you this: You’re really pretty…sometimes I like it when Daddy is out of town and you let me sleep on his side of the bed!

Love,

Andrew Christopher Doyle

PS… that cool Mommy?

Hi Mom!

Do you know what makes me happy? Seeing you in the morning after we’ve both slept in! And then, we’re off to a really good day! It’s also great when Andrew goes to school and it’s just you and me for a couple of hours…I love it when I get you all to myself! We can read “MElmo” together, watch Bubble Guppies, and just talk. Also, I love your food…and not just the food you make for me…the food that is actually on your plate. It’s kind of like dessert for me…after I’ve had my meal!

I also like it when we go shopping together, especially those yard sales! I really end up getting a lot of clothes then…and by the way, those new white slip-on shoes you got for me at Coles? Adorable…keep that up! I’m also really feelin’ the pink shorts…they look good on me. Ok, and I have to confess, even thought I pretend like I don’t like it, when you put my hair in a ponytail, it really makes me feel pretty! And what can I say about those baths in the sink? It’s really nice sometimes to just get away from Andrew’s splashes and unwind in my own space! A girl needs her space!

I look forward to “girl time” as I get older, and I’m really grateful that you teach me to be gentle…I really look up to you, no really, you’re quite tall, so I REALLY do look up to you! Oh yeah, one other thing: I like to sing, but I’m not nearly as good as Andrew (I might just stick with the name ‘Ariana’). Can you arrange some dance lessons in the near future? I think that’s my thing!

Hugs and Kisses,

Ariana Kay Doyle

PS…Disney World was awesome! Especially the light show at 9:30 that I stayed up for…it was AMAZING! Can we do that again in like 6 or 7 years?

Being There

This post is by Britta King in honor of her mother, Denise.

Mom,
I will always remember that one day when we were sitting at a stoplight and in the lane beside us there was a car being towed. I looked toward you and said, “ WHY would someone park there?” After I saw your “you’re kidding, right?” look, I realized that the car wasn’t parked there but had broken down and we laughed for the next five minutes strait. There are numerous days when I feel like that car, in the middle of a bad situation and broken down, and you always pick me up and ensure me everything will be okay, just like the tow truck did. Thank you for always being there for me, I love you so much!

She's Who I Want To Be

 Alana Bell and her sister, Lindsay Easley, write about their mother, Patty Easley.

Alana's first.....

If there was only one word to describe my mom, it would be amazing. This is not a word I use lightly as I am often annoyed at how overused it is for the most mundane things on Facebook (was your Chinese takeout really amazing??! I think not!) But my mom is.

 She is the kind of person who loves with all her heart, puts everyone else before herself, and always does what she thinks is right. If you have kids in the preschool Sunday school program, you already know these things! But you may not know that the GLCC Sunday school is only one of many major overhauls she has done over the years. When we were kids, she began teaching Sunday school in our small Woodbine Baptist church. She also became the Sunday School director and was involved with VBS. When we were in school, she was always there helping in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, attending every practice and sporting event, making sure we knew she cared and things were the best they could be for her kids. When she saw the sad condition of the building and textbooks at Brentsville, she made it her personal mission to make it better. Despite an intense fear of public speaking, she gave speeches at every school board meeting until they approved the changes her children and all the other students deserved. She became involved at every level, friendly with the administration, president of the PTA.

 When we went to college, she went back to work so she could pay for our education. When I had my babies, she was by my side every time because she was so supportive and calming and I just didn't want to do it without her. When I had to go back to work, she babysat my kids so they wouldn't have to go to daycare. And when she saw that the Sunday school program at our little Old Dominion Baptist church was struggling to keep up with a church that was growing up to be GLCC, she stepped in to make sure it was good enough for her grand kids.

 I could go on and on about all the wonderful things my mom has done for the people she loves and causes she is passionate about, but the one thing that drives all the others is her love for the Lord. Her amazing faith and peace in knowing that His plan is bigger than hers has been such an inspiration to me. I look up to my mom in every way but thank her most for raising me to know my Savior. My mom is a wonderful, caring, selfless woman and to me she truly is AMAZING!

And now, Lindsay's......

 I love my Mom for always being there for me, for staying home when I was small, for driving me everywhere until I could drive myself, for letting me have the distance to venture off on my own in the world. She is without a doubt the strongest woman I know. She took care of my Aunt at the end of her life and I believe it almost broke her...but it didn't, because of her faith and trust in the Lord. A faith that she has instilled in me and that guides me through my own life. I cannot think of a bigger compliment than "you're becoming your mother" because to me, that is exactly who I want to be.

Snuggles and Style

This post is by Alexis Montgomery about her mommy, Hannah.  (Thanks, daddy)

Hi mommy! 
I know I can’t say it right now but I love you more than anything in the world! You teach me new things every day, and you make sure daddy dresses me in mommy’s stylish way! You make me smile and you make me laugh, and you tickle my belly, just to make me giggle! You play with me when I’m happy and comfort me when I’m sad and I know you’ll always love me, even when I’ve been bad. At the end of the day when it’s time for bed, you snuggle me close with a place to rest my head. Through every day and every night, I know that you love me and your love is just right!!!
I Love You Mommy!!
Alexis

Like My Mother Does

Sandi Large, this is for you....from Jenny.

Jenny

My mother is grace at its finest.  She has been my rock for as long as I can remember.  I only hope that I can be the mother to my kids that she was to me.  This song says it all.

A Q&A With Susan Wallace... Author and GLCC Mom

May is a month to honor moms, but author and GLCC mom Susan Besze Wallace feels strongly that moms can and should encourage each other no matter what the calendar says. Her latest book is  “Always There: Reflections for Moms on God’s Presence,” (Revell 2012).  This devotional is a collection of stories and introspective questions likely to have every mom nodding as they read about the roller-coaster of life raising little people, and God’s abiding presence  - noted or overlooked - at every turn. Here’s a little sit-down with Susan in print…

 Being a mom is not something you take for granted, is it?

Not a day. Todd and I lost two babies, including a daughter, Olivia Grace, who died during birth 12 years ago this week. The fact that I have three sons will always be a miracle to me. I went through some very dark days on the way to motherhood, but my life and faith changed dramatically because of the loss and growth I experienced.  Her legacy is alive in so many ways, but the overarching way is that I see being a mom as a privilege.

How did your writing journey start?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t putting words together. I joined the yearbook staff because I didn’t make the eighth-grade basketball team (everyone got taller that year but me). That totally jump-started my journalism career. My kids are probably sick of that story, but I love to tell it. I wrote for newspapers for 12 years, and now I am blessed to get to write about motherhood, among other things.

What inspired the book?

My Mothers of Preschoolers  (MOPS) group in Colorado was a formative part of my life when I had my kids. When I moved I got more involved with MOPS International , and  have written for their Momsense magazine for years now. I’ve been asked to do a few different books that encourage moms on the journey. I was especially excited about this one.

Because?

Because motherhood can feel isolating. I had great friends when my boys were babies, but I also felt like an island at times … from the exhaustion and the constant wondering if I was doing it “right.” “Always There” is series of devotions that reflect on God’s presence in every corner of our lives – from sweeping the floor to staying up all night to other “dark” moments to fortifying your marriage to the unspeakable joy those little people bring.  He is in it ALL. I hope this book inspires women to communicate with God more and learn, or remember, that they are never alone in mothering. He sustains us for the journey and He loves us through it.

What inspires you as a mom?

My kids inspire me every hour.  Their questions, their love, their joy in discovering, their ability to create seventeen loads of laundry a week … I’m always in awe.  They make me want to be a better woman. I’m also inspired by mothers of teenagers who stay close to their kids and truly enjoy that stage of their children’s lives. That’s who I want to be one day. Hopefully that day will come very slowly.

How has GLCC impacted motherhood for you?

Laurie Frasz told me about the church and its reputation for an awesome VBS before I’d even moved here. So even though we hadn’t found a house, I signed the kids up and volunteered. No one knew I was coming from a one bedroom apartment with only blow-up mattresses on the floor. I was a crew leader and sat in the pew between crews led by Stacey Harper and Laura Lund, strong mommas I am friends with to this day. Another woman invited me, during VBS, to a mom-and-me group at church. I met women there who continue to be a part of my life four years later. Everything from seeing the Patti brothers sing on stage and being encouraged as a mom of boys, to watching the Benedicts open their home to a child, to taking a class from the Hagenhoffs… I’m not sure we realize the ripple effect we have on others in the course of our daily lives. This Easter the dramatic services had a huge impact on us, and sort of renewed my desire to teach my children about Jesus’s love and sacrifice in tangible ways.

What impact do you want to have?  I just want to raise my boys to be men of honor that honor God. In the process if I can encourage women through my writing and speaking, that’s a privilege, too.  “Mom” will always be my favorite title though, hands down. 

“Always There: Reflections for Moms on God’s Presence” is available on amazon.com and is rolling out to bookstores this month.  

http://www.amazon.com/Always-There-Reflections-Moms-Presence/dp/0800721160

Honoring Moms in May

Can you believe May is here?  We made it through the A to Z challenge and what a fun time that was, but now we're on to a new project.  We'll be honoring mothers from our church by having their offspring tell us just how special they are.  The cool part is that each day will be someone new.... and you'll have to come back to the blog to see who it is.  Tributes have already started to come in and let me tell you, I've had my hanky out on a couple of occasions!

We'll also be having a weekly giveaway.  Woo Hoo!!!  During the week, if you visit the blog and leave a comment, your name will be put in a hat and each Sunday there will be a drawing for the "prize".  I have to add the disclaimer that WE WILL ONLY MAIL WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA mostly because we're a tiny operation and we have no budget:(  I'll post the winner on Sunday and if it's someone from church, we'll see each other for the hand off, but if it's one of our readers from within the good old USA, I'll post it on the blog, and will need to have an address emailed to me.

Having said that....we love all of our readers.  We are so grateful when our thoughts find their way onto someone's laptop in some faraway home.  The Lord is at work in our lives (your's too!) and if our stories can help encourage you, we are happy.

This week's giveaway is from Susan Wallace. We have an honest to goodness published author in our midst  and she is donating her latest to our cause.  We'll hear more from her later in the day, but thank you Susan for helping jump start our month long party.  You rock!

So, check back every day, leave a comment, and you'll have a chance to win this wonderful book.

http://www.amazon.com/Always-There-Reflections-Moms-Presence/dp/0800721160