I had a blast in Peoria to say the least, but most of all, it was such an honor to spend some of the most precious first few moments with Britney, Braden and their newest addition Mason(their first). What a beautiful baby boy! Seriously, one, if not the cutest newborns I have EVER seen:) It was so special to be able to watch someone else in those "fresh" new stages of parenthood, and motherhood. I have to say it was such a great perspective for me to gain, being on the "outside" this time, looking in. Normally, it would have been me, on the inside, struggling to find an out. I will forever be grateful for this trip, as it made me realize how supportive our families can be for one another, and how important sacrifice is within those families. I loved watching Britney spend almost every minute dedicating herself to Mason. As it seemed for me in my first few moments with my boys, I stressed about other things, that caused me to fail to recognize some of these tender moments in the beginning. But Britney, she took in EVERY moment. I am so proud of her, and I have ALWAYS known she would be THAT kind of mother, the one that sacrificed everything, the one who loved unconditionally, who found joy amidst trial, who found hope when their was doubt, who gave everything SHE had to fulfil the happiness of others, even if it meant sacrificing some of her own. I love you Britney, and cannot wait to watch you grow and bloom to become the mother you have always been, I have already learned so much from you! Thank you:)
It was also very special to spend some quality time with my own Mother. Yet, another beautiful example of sacrifice. I love HER so much! Normally it would have been her helping me, and watching me struggle, and this time it was her watching my sister. I learned a lot by watching, and noticing the small yet simple things that make my mother who she is. She has more energy than I do! I kept wondering where all her energy came from. Then I thought of something, as a parent, you always want your children to succeed, you want them to be better, you want them to laugh & experience joy, and because of this, you will DO anything for them. They are YOUR babies. Its the fresh and early moments that we as mothers have with our children that make and give us the energy later on to sacrifice for them. So dear Mother, thank you for teaching me also about love, and sacrifice, for I know it will be something I learn time and time again, over and over. It was a pleasure being with you this past week, and I hope we can do it again sometime:)
