this post is sponsored by wendy's new frosty waffle cone.

I've heard the term, twice just this week, low-grade anxiety, and realized, "Hey wait!  I think I've got that too!"  While we all want to put a label to things, name it, call it something, put it in a box, who really cares cause it is what it is regardless, right?  Nevertheless, I feel a deep need to be further, farther, faster along then where I am now.  Whether it's in some various stage of life, finances, building up my photography, graphic design know-how, writing, even a clean house, whatever... it's permeating every bit of me and causing waves of anxiety where I just wish I could be breezing through all of the steps and find myself at a place where I sit back, look around me, and think, "Yes!  This is it.  I have arrived!"  Something about never comparing your beginning to someone else's middle?  Yes, that.

It's hard, of course, when you think there are about a million things you could be doing but toddlerdom really thwarts the ability to give one's full attention to anything besides, well, that toddler.  And Parker knows when I'm half-assing it.  He knows when I'm slinking away quietly to, "Oh!  Just check to see if that one person wrote me back!"  And, as always, I feel like a shit head one hundred percent of the time when I don't give him the attention he deserves.  Wah, wah, wah, the saga of mom-guilt continues.

We've managed to get out of the house a lot these days and I never regret those times.  I figure, this life is a marathon and I'm not gonna get to the finish quickly, right?  Getting out, getting fresh air, running the wipers and getting all that neon green pollen fuzz off the car windshield as we hit the open road to, perhaps, a new farm or playdate... I never return home thinking it was a mistake.  So, I need to take it easy on myself.  I need to just be.  Learn patience with myself.  Be content in the journey.

And remember, above all else, I have so much to be grateful for.

{A note to all affected in Oklahoma: can't begin to put words to what you've experienced but I think I speak for many when I say we're sending our love from all ends of the globe.}

having a little person with endless amounts of energy forces you outdoors to see what your state has to offer.  you know.  i think by the time parker is three i'll have seen every farm/outdoor oasis in the state of massachusetts.  so, in planning the week ahead, my friend rachael said, "how about drumlin farm?"  so to drumlin farm we went.  

four babies under two (do i have to stop calling them babies when they turn two?  don't make me.), their mamas, baby goats a-plenty, a big raised gardening bed full of dirt and shovels for playing, chickens, hens, a seven-day old calf, pigs, a hayride, trails, and the sunshine made for a really nice day.

next up... davis farmland (anyone been?)... where i heard you can play with the goats sans separation fence!  yessss!  (thank you to those who gave me tips after this instagram!)

and any massachusetts readers: if you've got some more fabulous must-see places... gimme!

p.s. stating the obvious: baby pigs are nooot easy on their mother's.... teat?  (having a ben-stiller-in-meet-the-fockers moment).  we attempted to have an "oh, look at that!  nature and nursing and motherhood-right-here-on-the-farm moment!" but it sort of made us cringe.  mother pigs... kudos to you.  mother-warriors, i tell you.

have you guys heard of albion fit yet?  women's fitness wear and swimwear.  like a one-stop shop for those readying themselves for bathing suit season!  

i'm a little bit of a workout clothing snob (since i'm working out allllll the time these days.  yawn.).  i.e. pants must not lose their stretch and/or get "knees" in them quickly and tops must be soft and long enough.  this outfit fits the bill perfectly.  and if you didn't already know, i have like gorilla-length arms so nary a sleeve is usually long enough on me.  this one is!  and has that great thumb hole too.

also, check out their swimsuits!!  the time's a-coming!

enter to win:

a $100 gift card to albion fit!

(also!  talesofme15 gets you $15 off 

any purchase of $50 or more until may 20th!)

enter below!

{u.s. addresses only!}

giveaway closed!

libby is the winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

we don't really have any tried and true mother's day traditions.  in fact, our movie night miiiight be one of our more long standing traditions thus far (which is silly since we haven't been doing it that long -- we need more especially since steve and i are tradition-seekin' individuals!).  all that to say, when we had the opportunity to head into the city, check out some new kicks at the ugg store, and visit a zoo no less, we were all game.  (even nathaniel and jordan.  we told 'em the scoop, gave them the option, and they wanted to come too.  having nothing to do with the shoes but just cause we're the bomb of course.)    so, that was the plan.  rain in the morning threatened to put a damper on things but - that tricky mother nature - the sun came out in the afternoon and the day ended up gorgeous!

we saw tigers, a lion, zebras, a hippo, gorillas, and more.  this was my first real zoo since the philadelphia zoo as a kid.  it was nice being there, seeing it with the kids.  we kept making connections to story books we've read to parker.  "there's a kangaroo!"  "parker!  it's like katy no-pocket!"  you know.  filling in the blanks.  nathaniel held parker the whole time which was really cute.  we weren't sure what their relationship would look like since nathaniel's been away at school much of parker's life so far.  it's like parker knows he's good, he's family.  nathaniel's pretty much always asking to hold him so the feeling's mutual.

after the zoo, i had to see what all the fuss was about with the shake shack craze.  and i'll say it lived up to its reputation.  the shack sauce??  yum.  thin burgers?!  yes (i am such a fan of thin burgers, you with me?!).  cheese fries, the arnold palmers??  it was really good.  our small army (i mean, look at the food required to feed our family) agreed.

thank you uggs for a great day.  everyone loved their shoes and no sore feet, even in new ones!

btw boston folk: ugg store in boston is at 75 newbury street.  check it out!  it's a pretty snazzy place with really nice employees to boot.

(and a ps. on the whole sponsoring business: i pinch myself a little when these opportunities come my way.  i almost want to reply, you guys know who you you're emailing?!  i'm grateful, no doubt about it.  and a serious thanks for your part in all of it.)

this post is sponsored by uggs.  all opinions are my own.

sometimes blogging is a head-scratcher.  i'm not sure what it's all about and what i'm even doing.  but then i'll get an email from a beautiful mama, wife, and reader like nycole asking for some help and i'm like, "shoot.  i'm so glad i've got this blog."  if i can get the word out to like ten of you?  that's ten more than before.  (though, i'm hoping for more than ten!!)

nycole is in the above video.  her husband brandon has cystic fibrosis and time's not on his side.  please watch it, it'll explain it all.  i cannot begin to imagine the urgency and desperation nycole feels on getting this video out, getting more people behind team brandon, and ultimately getting brandon healed.

share it, share it, share it.  facebook, tweet, blog, word of mouth.  and i know there are a lot of incredible causes out there, but if this one tugs at you, consider giving?

{here's the website.}

ohhh blogging, you funny thing you.

there've been a lot of posts on blogging lately: how-to's, change + growth, making money, finding your niche, sponsorship, and more.  in an attempt to add a new one to the discussion (though, maybe not new?), i'm going to do a post of my own.  so there!

i'm going to call this one: oops, you're in a niche and you didn't even know it?

as both a blogger, and a blog-reader, i like to think i have the whole scoop on a blogger's life.  i like to think they're giving it all up, telling me everything.  if i see them instagram a plane wing from an airplane seat without having announced prior - on their blog - that they were going on a trip i think, "hey!  wait!  where are you going?  you didn't tell us!"  i'm not sure why this is, but i suppose in this world of voyeurism via blogging, we want to believe we know the blogger personally and that our thoughts, assumptions, judgments are pretty spot-on.

no doubt, sometimes the readers do have it right.  some bloggers give a lot up and are pretty transparent in their blogging style.  good for them, i say.  i don't think i'm one of them.  i think maybe i used to be?  or at least more than i am now?  i know without a doubt that i used to hit publish without thinking twice about it.  i suppose that's natural.  the course of blogging is a funny one. we all start small.  and then you see more comments and page views.  it continues growing and you're really psyched about it but there is definitely a momentary "shit!" about privacy and the things you might not want to blog about anymore.  then, you get your first not-so-nice comment.  and you think, what?!  i didn't mean anything by that!  when i started, i'm pretty sure my only readers were my friend ahnika and my sister kate.  i blogged so freely and innocently without a care in the world.  (picture me and my computer, frolicking in a grassy meadow somewhere.)  these days?  i think more about hitting that publish button (and goodness knows, i am not one of the queen bees of blogging by any means.).  but, without a doubt, i'm glad to have you all along for the ride on this previous party of.... three.  the bright side of thinking a little harder before hitting go?  i think i'm a better blogger now.  i think i used to just shoot out whatever i wanted just to post five times a week and a lot of it was sort of junky?  you may like old bridge, but, i dunno, i side-eye some of the things she used to post.  anyway, sometimes it all bums me out, my fear of being transparent, being judged.  i tell you what, it can suck the joy right outta blogging faster than you can say blog.  cause one thing is for certain, those transparent posts are the ones that you guys resonate with the most.  i love when the comment thread sort of takes on a life of its own and you find so many commonalities and shared feelings going on.  it's those times that i fall in love with blogging.

i'm getting side-tracked.  as someone who is both a blogger and a blog-reader, it's interesting, the whole discussion.  i know first hand how little one can put out there (if i had to put a number on my own?  gosh, that ain't easy.  but it's less than 50% fo sho) and yet i find myself often assuming i know other bloggers based solely on their blog.  yep, guilty!  i'm using the term loosely but i'd say it's a little dangerous?  stereotyping and assuming and all that when none of us have the picture filled in.  i guess i'm anti any sort of black-and-white thinking entirely.  be it within religious terms, political terms, and even blogging terms.  gray, gray, gimme the gray.  it sort of dawned on me, somewhere along the way, that some people have maybe put me in a niche?  that you've thought, "hey wait, she can't post about that.  she's posted about this and this and this already.  off with her head!"  for instance, i'm pretty sure some of you might think me a "crunchy yogi who smells of patchouli" (stealing the words of my friend).  i wrote that last bit as i wiped the potato chip grease off my cheek with a stray baby wipe.  it's like, as the blogger behind the blog i have the whole scoop.  of course i do, i'm me.  i know that i struggle with a love for junk food but still adopt all homeopathic remedies when said junk food gives me a nasty cold.  but you only know what i'm putting out there.  so maybe one slips into a niche unknowingly?  it's way more interesting to share about colloidal silver than it is "hey guys, i just ate a pint of haagen dazs."  who cares?  but if i have a few tricks up my sleeve that maybe allow you more junk food on the back end, i want to share 'em!  but heck, mod-er-a-tion is the name of the game.  i ain't perfect.  move over hummus and carrots, pass me the chips.

{the picture is a joke.  i don't foresee 56 more parts to this series but i could prooobably wrangle 'em together if i tried.}

if i sing that song enough times, will the kids get really psyched about clean up and thus jump (no, leap!) on that bandwagon just as quick as i can say seventh generation?

no.

but i can!  weeeee!

so, here's the thing.  kids are messy.  (did you watch the above video?  messssssssy!)  if i had a dollar for every time there was a rogue drop of milk on our kitchen island that skillfully escaped its bowl of grape nut flakes and, once dried, became unusually difficult to scrub up (you with me?) well... i'd be rich!  rich, i tell you!  (lindsey is particularly deft at leaving those drops around for me.  any chance to have mom whip out her cleaning supplies!)  

kids.  they eat off the counter tops too.  (and floor.  and lick the front door glass.  okay, that's just parker, not william or lindsey.)  so, when i really realized this i knew i couldn't be using any sort of nasty bleach-y chemicals to clean my counters.  i wanted something that, when they dropped a strawberry on the counter, picked it up, and plopped it in their mouth, wouldn't make me cringe.

seventh generation to the rescue.  counters, glass, bathroom toilets (fear not - the kids aren't eating off the bathroom floor or swimming in the toilets.  nevertheless, i use it there too.)... everywhere!  and now that the kids are older, they can help out too.  they get to spraying (sometimes their own dried-milk drops!).  lindsey likes to clean the window panes in our french doors (pay per pane!).  i wouldn't let 'em use just any 'ol cleanser knowing it can get on skin, clothes, whatever.  but i'll pass them a bottle of seventh generation quite happily and then start singing my song: cleeean up, cleeean up, everybody cleeeean up!!  once in awhile, they'll even chime in.

this post is sponsored by seventh generation.  all opinions are my own.

i had the unique opportunity to work with musana jewelry this mother's day to swap a question with a mother in uganda.  my favorite sorts of organizations are ones like musana.  they go beyond monetary needs, and they provide continuing jobs.

after doing a bit of research, i cannot say enough good things about this organization.  here's just a bit:
musana jewelry is a non-profit organization that works with women in uganda to design, produce, and sell beautiful jewelry, both in uganda and in the usa.  musana identifies women in at-risk populations who are in the greatest need, such as single mothers, women with little education,and women who are hiv-positive, but are determined to create a better life for themselves and for their children.

between the ten artisans (eve being one of them!), they are supporting more than 26 children.

not only do they provide jobs, but they also focus on social initiatives: english + literacy (musana offers literacy classes), small business (empowering them to be stronger candidates for other jobs outside musana), and health + wellness (birth control, caring for babies, etc.).  their jewelry is not solely focused on us sales, but there is a store-front in lugazi where they sell to the ugandans as well.

don't forget to check out the jewelry!  that tukula necklace is beautiful.

now, on with the videos!  eve asked me a question, and then i asked her one!  here's what we had to say:

ignore my super awkward... "see you guys later?" at the end.  videos are not my forte.

also, other bloggers had the chance to do the same this week with different artisans!  check them all out here on the musana blog.

thank you musana!

i decided for this mother's day week to ask some mothers i admire for a few words--wisdom or otherwise--and a picture of them and their brood (or, however many they could wrangle for a semi-decent picture!). i know that mother's day can be rough for a lot of people. i want to say, though, that i'm hoping all women who have shown love to another let themselves be celebrated a bit. that 'ol saying, "it takes a village?" yeah, we're all a part of that village. birth mothers, adoptive mothers, sisters, aunts, friends. happiest mother's day to all.

let the celebrations continue!

{part one here}

(thanks for bearing with me.  this is waaaay longer than i thought it'd be.  and perhaps it is relevant to only some of you, but without these women (and many more--i could have made this weeks of posts if i allowed myself!), my road would be so much rockier.  i am so incredibly blessed to have this "village" behind me.  thank you to all!)

{this is my sister kate.  do you want to know how many phone calls she's fielded from me since i've become a mom almost seven years ago?  oh... somewhere in the vicinity of 4,000 plus.  and don't start me on how many just since parker's been born.  she's a best friend, an incredible mom, and one of the kindest souls.}

kate says:

Being a mother has allowed a certain peace to come over my heart. I am exactly where and who I need to be. And each and every day teems with joy...certainly not every moment (think diarrhea in the bathtub)...but absolutely every day.

{you might remember ahnika from her now defunct blog living with mr. johnson. while most of you don't get glimpses into her life any more, i am lucky enough to be real life friends with this california babe and, let me tell you, she's still as fabulous as ever. i mean it when i say she's really funny, she's real, she's honest, she's genuine, she's great. and that little one? that's svea. and she's parker's future wife.}

ahnika says:

Motherhood is the greatest potential influence in human society. Her caress first awakens in the child a sense of security; her kiss the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world. Thus in infancy and childhood she implants ever-directing and restraining influences that remain through life.  David 0. McKay

{rachael and i became close towards the end of our pregnancies.  we both had july babies and, as you can imagine, playdates with her and her lux were a god-send during some of the most monotonous days of mothering.  she is a really wise woman, really articulate (her writing is some of my absolute favorite on the internet), and her relaxed approach to motherhood has inspired me to chill out.  i'm so very glad to have rachael nearby.}

rachael says:

I like to think of motherhood as the summertime in the seasons of my life--humid mornings with juice glasses and quiet breezes, driftless afternoons spent with a bowl of watermelon under a tree, evenings reading a favorite book for the 20th (or what might feel like the 200th) time. All of it lolling away so slooowly at times, only to be longed for later, leaving a well thumbed collection of snapshots that barely represent how much those days will mean to us.

{i've been a longtime follower of jane's blog but happened upon meeting her last fall.  she's just as lovely in person as you'd imagine.  i fell in love with her blog for so many reasons, but the chief of which was her absolute celebration of life.  i can only imagine her kids (and husband!) feel so incredibly special both on their birthdays, and all the time, with jane at the helm.  they're lucky to have her.}  

jane says:

mothers… we are women who love our children. including women without their own children who are influencing those around them - all of us. there are a million things that make kids different from each other or even us women different from each other...but there are a million more things that make us all the same, and the fact that we are all doing our very best to love these chidren makes us so incredibly bonded. you don't have to be perfect to be a mother, you simply do your very best – and while doing so, your kiddos love you in return… that pure love is what makes motherhood feel perfect. the cycle. the journey is challenging and beautiful, and my favorite place to be.

{anna is full of creativity and beauty over on her blog and it's always so inspiring to see what project she's up to next.  sometimes i'm at her blog and i think, "how did she do that?"  she's got so many great ideas and such good follow-through.  as a crafting-dummy, i'm endlessly impressed by anna's many feats.  and on top of that, she is a mother to those sweet kiddos and is expecting her third in the not too distant future!}   

anna says:

I kind of look at motherhood like receiving this really cool pair of specs that allows you to see the world with new eyes. Even though some days its Mission Impossible III, its the most important mission I have ever been given, and the deep happiness I have received in return far outweighs the sacrifices made along the way.

{andrea and i met nearly six years ago while working out alongside each other doing barre method.    (since then, she's become a yoga instructor, done aerial yoga, and learned to surf!)  once we finally broke the ice and introduced ourselves, it was an instant connection and i've been inspired by her ever since.  whether we're going on double dates or just meeting at the beach over coffee, i always walk away more motivated to complete projects, to discover what i love to do, and to follow my passions.  she's one of those cheerleader types, you know?  i'm so glad to have her in my life.}

andrea says:

I have never believed in sacrificing one’s personal happiness for anyone, including our kids.... I’m not talking about the many small compromises, or momentary discomforts that come with the territory of loving someone else as much, if not more than we love ourselves. I’m talking about sacrificing the big picture. Nothing good comes from foregoing our callings, giving up our passions and dreams.

{i remember caroline calling me one morning over a year ago telling me that she was pregnant.  she had just found out and was both shocked and scared.  i was so honored that it was me she called because, for me, throughout many dark times early on in my journey of being a wife and mother, caroline was the one with the incredible wisdom and listening ear.  she probably has no idea how much it meant to me then and still does.  i can only hope that i've been half the help to her as she has to me.  she is so smart, beautiful, and seriously wise.  i'm so glad to now share motherhood with her and her sweet vivienne!}

caroline says:

Only four months into my marriage, I was surprised by my pregnancy - and terrified by it. It felt like a hostile takeover of my body, career, and newly launched marriage. But the great surprise is this: I am still myself! The big adventures we had planned are looking a little different these days, but we're forging ahead, and our fearless, charming girl is thrilled to tag along.

{grace's blog is a newer find for me and you know how humor-writing can be really hard?  well grace is gooooood at it.  and with a seriously full plate (three under three and a hsuband in residency!) she regularly makes me, along with the rest of her readers, laugh about the struggles of motherhood.  many times in my own journey, i've thought, "if you don't laugh, you'll cry."  and grace personifies that.}

 grace says:

Motherhood is not for the meek, weak, selfish, tired, or unorganized and yet ... here I am. It's a pungent, exhausting, and never ending privilege to spend my days with my kids - even when they drive me to exciting new levels of crazy.

image credit

{i think i was clued into sara's blog when she sent me some incredibly sweet email when i had just had parker (i think that was the timetable?).  i am soooo glad she wrote me.  i had to see the face behind the words, and i was hooked immediately.  the friendship began!  sara parents with such care and thought.  there are times when i'm parenting my own and i think, "what would sara do?" - and then, i shoot her a lengthy email to which she lovingly responds!  she doesn't half-ass the job and you come away from her blog refreshed and wanting to fully own your role.  i cannot wait to meet sara one day and talk to her for hours.}

sara says:

i've never been a career-sy girl. as far back as i can remember, i wanted to be a mom when i grew up. it took me a little while to realize that about myself, though. actually, it's more like it took me a little while to be at peace with it. i never had the big ah-ha, this-is-what-i-want-to-be moment. i never chose a major and felt my life's purpose start to unfold with each passing semester. i never worked my way up a corporate ladder to achieve my career goals. sure i went to school, had a job in my field and even enjoyed it. but i never felt like it fit me. it just didn't fulfill me to any measurable degree and i could never quite pinpoint why it all didn't matter to me like it seemed to with co-workers and friends. i thought i had to have aspirations beyond "just being a mom", that "just being a mom" somehow wasn't enough. but as the years went on, it slowly became more and more clear to me. that was exactly what i wanted. 

 they say being a mother is the most important job in the world. it's such a cliché, right? but, for me, it's true. it wasn't until i became a mom that i felt like i'd hit my stride in life. that i'd found my purpose, that i was doing what i was meant to be doing. the feeling of knowing i'm on the right path that had eluded me for years was suddenly so all encompassing. being a mom is the most important thing in the world to me. every single day i feel so fortunate to be able to be what i am, and what i love to be: a mom.

{alison has been a friend of mine since middle school.  oh yeah, we're going way back.  i'm so grateful to have a handful of friends from way back when and alison is one of the best.  there's something comforting about the shared history together.  we were pregnant at the same time and i'm so thrilled to be a mom with her.  though we're separated by many states, there's often a stream of text messages and a forthcoming plan to meet in nyc for a few weekends.  when we're together, we're right back in our groove like no time has passed.  alison is a devoted mom and we have so much in common.}

alison says:

Being a mom is a privilege that brings something new and beautiful to my life everyday. It surprises me, brings unimaginable joy, brings me to my knees, makes me want to scream, and leaves me shaking my head and giving my husband the "what do we do now?" look. And sometimes I think, "am I cut out for this? Who am I?!" But every morning when she wakes up and hugs me with a hug that says "never let me go" I know, I was meant for this. Oh yeah, and she was at our wedding. Sorry I'm not sorry!

{bron lives in australia with her beautiful family.  i came across her blog a few years ago and have checked in ever since.  she has a beautiful aesthetic, and celebrates being a mom over on her blog on a nearly daily basis.  and side note, check out the eyes on her littlest.  that little girl is gorgeous.  i was also thrilled to be sharing in the sling diaries with bron!}

bron says:

I don’t always find parenting easy, but being a mum to me means being given the privilege to love. Being loved is wonderful too, but loving them is second to none. It also means I get to play with fun kids toys and read picture books for way longer than would otherwise be socially acceptable. Bonus.

{shannon is one of those women who just does it all, does it all well, and you're pretty sure that she just has more hours in her day than the rest of us!  i've known shannon for several years now and i'm always struck by how thoughtful she is (i.e. she sends me an anniversary card when steve and i don't even get each other one!) and how willing she is to laugh at herself.  she just became a mom of TWO as well!}

shannon says:

Motherhood is letting go of what you can't control. It is also getting out of the way so your kids have room to build their sibling bond -- even when that means dirty toddler hands on precious newborn faces. This scene between my two sons has become a near daily experience in our house. A simple, gentle touch which makes my heart explode with joy (and cringe a tiny bit) every single time.

{lauren recently joined the ranks of motherhood and has done so with such ease and grace.  from her trips to portobello road in london to various beautiful eateries, she seems to be coasting through so beautifully with her lovely little viola by her side.  her road to becoming a mom made me both ache and rejoice with her.  if you haven't been checking her out, you should be now!}

lauren says:

Motherhood is the most vulnerable you'll ever make yourself. From the moment you see those two lines on that pregnancy stick to the moment you first hold your baby- your heart will never feel so fragile and yet completely satisfied.

{casey's posts are always from the heart, intimate, and personal.  she freely talks about her fears, her insecurities, her love for being a mom and wife.  she embraces the role so beautifully and after having met her in person, it's obvious that she means every word.  she loves those kids with every part of her.  i'm glad moms like her exist.}

casey says:

Being a mama forever gave me a love & purpose that I never knew existed. It's forever to have your heart walking around outside your body. The fear and love that comes with being a mom is so powerful, there are days that I barely know how to manage it. A forever gift.

i decided for this mother's day week to ask some mothers i admire for a few words--wisdom or otherwise--and a picture of them and their brood (or, however many they could wrangle for a semi-decent picture!).  i know that mother's day can be rough for a lot of people.  i want to say, though, that i'm hoping all women who have shown love to another let themselves be celebrated a bit.  that 'ol saying, "it takes a village?"  yeah, we're all a part of that village.  birth mothers, adoptive mothers, sisters, aunts, friends.  happiest mother's day to all.

{this is my real-life friend jenny and her kiddos.  she is one of the most dear women i know and i am so grateful to have her in my life.  she has a heart of gold and has blessed me with her wisdom and grace more times than she probably knows.}

jenny says:

Mother Theresa once said, "we can do no great things, only small things with great love." I am certainly no Mother Theresa. But I can be someone who takes one moment at a time and pours as much love as I possible can into it. That one moment may look like a mess... like the many times I have placed my tear covered face in my hands, crying out for more love to fill me. Or, that one moment may look like eating donut holes.

{i found kera's blog a million years ago and we became blog friends pretty quickly.  she is hilarious, beautiful, and we have a common love for, at times, speaking without a filter.  her funny and honest musings about motherhood in abu dhabi made it easy to fall for her and her blog.}

kera says:

Happy Mother's Day to me. I hope that my children will freaking know and will one day understand how hard this is. But mostly, I hope that they have really nice things to say about me at my funeral.

{i actually found annie through her comments on my blog.  she was a frequent commenter and always left really thoughtful ones that so resonated with me (particularly on my new-mom posts!).  of course, i had to click over and see who the face behind the sweet words, and i found annie!  here she is with her little guy!}

annie says:

Being a mom is absolutely my hearts greatest joy. Making sure that you are sharing Jesus, teaching manners, raising a gentleman and having fun, it's a great responsibility, but one with the biggest reward. Sure, I'm teaching him, but he teaches me too. You learn that not only should you extend grace more, but that you need grace more. At the end of the day when that little boy comes up and stares a hole right through to your soul with those twinkling brown eyes, and says "I love you momma", then, right then, you believe you are doing something right.

{this is drea and the little marlowe.  drea is stylish, funny, real, and just a cool gal.  her love for that little lady is evident in everything she writes.  she lives in florida, has a seriously fun home, and blogs about their vegan eating and other adventures.  i'd love to meet drea in real life pluuuus she has some massachusetts roots so, you know, it could happen.}

drea says:

being a mom means never having to dance in my underwear (or fully clothed), alone, in my home again...... well, at least until she's a teenager and then well, you know, I just embarrass her.

{this is my friend candis, her husband, and her littlest (wait!  not anymore!  she just had a baby girl!).  candis is one of those women who just exudes a peaceful energy.  i don't know how to explain it besides that.  she's just calming, she's kind, and you just want to be around her.  her family is lucky to have her.}

candis says:

The other day my son fell and bumped his head pretty hard. It could have been a lot worse and I was really shaken up by it. As I rocked him and kissed his face holding back tears myself I realized that no matter how old he gets I will always feel his hurts and my heart will always be with him. It was beautiful, it was scary. It was something I already knew of course, because from the moment you lay eyes on your child you know this truth. But you know, sometimes it really hits you. Motherhood to me is relentless. Relentless love, movement, work, joy and bittersweet heartache having this perfect being who is your own heart walking around exposed to this great unpredictable world.

{jora has been a longtime blog friend and a mother i really look up to.  she's honest about the difficulties of motherhood, but also seems to do it with such grace, beauty, and patience that you really want to know her secret.  along with her family, she lives in san diego and one day i'm going to stop over for a dip in their pool.}

jora says:

"your children are not your children, they are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself. they come through you but are not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you. you may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. you may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. you may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. for life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday." -kahlil gibran

{sarah is a long time blog friend and, as you can all probably attest, she's a genuine woman, a seriously loving wife, and now the sweetest mother to little tuck.  whenever i visit sarah's blog, her love for life and people comes through in her posts and i think her readers would agree.  she's got such talent for so many things too and, no doubt, motherhood is chief among them!}

sarah says:

we find a delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body - ralph waldo emerson