1st Mother's Day

This last weekend, I had a wonderful time relaxing and celebrating my little family!  Jeff did a great job of making me feel special by doing more chores around the house, taking care of whining boys, making me an awesome breakfast (complete with, what we call, a "Jamba Juice".... aka smoothy), and getting me a bracelet with "Happy 1st Mother's Day.  Love, Ethan and Samuel" engraved on it.  Hooray for awesome husband!!  =)

My sweet Sammy Boy

Sam

Sam

My Silly Ethan

Ethan

Ethan

We also celebrated two very special ladies this weekend: my mom and Jeff's mom.  Saturday, we got together with my extended family to celebrate mother's day AND our two new sets of twins in the family!  Five weeks after my guys were born, my cousin adopted twin boys!  I'm so excited for our kids to grow up together and play with each other.  God is so gracious in many ways.  He gave my cousin and I each other to lean on and share ideas while walking down this road of twin boys.  Love you Lisa!

The Doswald Clan (minus a few cousins)

The Doswald Twins!

Twins...

More twins... (Ethan was done.  Can you tell?!?)

And I (obviously) wouldn't be here without my mom.  I am in awe of what a good mother God gave me.  I'm not sure if it's because I am a mom now, or it's just the relationship I have with her now that I have kids, but my respect for her has grown immensely!  She has selflessly given of herself & loved my brother & I unconditionally. She is my best friend, my confidant, and my arrow that points me back toward God.  She always tells me the truth, even if it stinks.  Mom, thank you for being such a good example for me of what a wonderful mom looks like.  I hope I can be half as good a mom to my boys as you are to us.  Jesus loves you and so do I.

My parents enjoying Sam

Then Sunday at church, all the kids went into the the service near the end of church and gave their moms roses.  As I was getting my Sunday school class to their moms with their roses, I turn around and this is what I see in the hands of some nursery workers...

Sleepy Sam and Ethan

Mother's Day roses!

They put the roses in the carseats and delivered my boys to me!  It was super cute.  Then, as you can see, they fell asleep on the way home.  =)

Later, we spent the afternoon here with Jeff's family.  It was a relaxing afternoon with yummy food from Tahoe Joe's.  I am so thankful to have in-laws that love and care for my boys as much as I do!  Lynn, thanks for being a Godly example to your kids and giving of yourself to raise them with love and compassion.  You raised three wonderful children who all the love the Lord with all their hearts!  I am forever grateful for you and Ron.

Ron and Lynn enjoying Ethan

Then late Sunday night, as I was going to bed, I couldn't help but remember my other two babies who are in heaven.  They both were only in me for 7 weeks, but they are still my kids.  I never got to hold them, or name them, but I still love them and am so thankful to have had the chance to give them life.  They are in a much better place now, playing with Jesus and my grandmas (whom I miss tremendously).  But sometimes I still get sad that I never met them and couldn't protect them and keep them safe.  I know God has His reasons; and if those two hadn't died, I wouldn't have Sam and Ethan.  So for that, I am very thankful.  But I don't ever want to forget those two babies.  I know miscarriages are awkward to talk about, and sometimes people don't know what to say.  And that's ok.  For now, I'm going to follow Mary's example and "treasure all these things in my heart".  So, to my two babies I never knew:  I love you.  And I look forward to the day when I can see your sweet faces and listen to all the fun stories of the adventures you had growing up with Jesus.  Thank you for making me a mom.  Jesus loves you both and so does your dad and I.