Happy Mother's Day to All the Moms Out There, Especially Mine!

Tongue Out and Sleeping

Every year on the second Sunday of May, we celebrate Mother's Day, a day dedicated to honoring the incredible women who raised us, nurtured us, and loved us unconditionally. But where did this tradition even begin?

The origins of Mother's Day can be traced back to ancient civilizations who celebrated fertility and motherhood. In the modern era, credit for the holiday goes to Anna Jarvis of West Virginia. After her mother passed away in 1905, Anna campaigned tirelessly to create a special day to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of mothers. It wasn't until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making Mother's Day an official national holiday in the United States.

Why is Mother's Day so important? Mothers are the cornerstones of our families. They are the ones who bandage scraped knees, celebrate our victories, and offer a shoulder to cry on during our defeats. They are our biggest cheerleaders, our confidantes, and our guiding lights.

This Mother's Day, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to three amazing women: 

Carrie (Wife and Mom to Oliver), you take good care of Oliver and me. Oliver wanted to wish you a Happy Mother's Day which he did with kisses first thing this morning when he saw you wake up. Oliver cannot wait to snuggle on the sofa with you to celebrate.

Mom (Nancy), thank you for your unwavering love and support throughout my life. You taught me the importance of hard work, kindness, and resilience. Your endless patience and guidance have shaped me into the person I am today. Of course Oliver had to be part of the day to help celebrate.

Joan, Happy Mother's Day! Your warmth and thoughtfulness aren't reserved for holidays – your delicious cooking and special gifts are a constant reminder of your love and support. Thank you.

To all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day! May your day be filled with love, laughter, and appreciation. You are all truly heroes.

Celebration for 90th Birthday for Our Mom... Happy 90th Birthday Nancy Haverty!

Mom Celebrating 90 Birthday

Our family got together to celebrate my Mom's 90th birthday. She turned 90 on December 6. A few months ago, we started discussing and figuring out what we would do to celebrate her birthday. Mom did not want a huge party, so we knew we had to keep it small to our immediate family. However, Betsy had the idea of doing a card party for Mom. So, the announcement was sent out and people started sending in cards to Mom. I know Carrie and I sent nine cards and others also sent multiple cards. She loves it and getting cards daily for the past two weeks has been great. We read through some of them when we celebrated which was fun to do.

Group Family Photo

Betsy organized us into a group picture. We were missing a few family members that were not able to make the trip. This was the first time in a few years that this many of us were able to get together. We missed Spencer, Jack and Katie, Katy, and Donna.

I ended up taking the pictures with my phone as we had some technical issues with Betsy's Android phone to get it to do a timer countdown. I think we got some good pictures of the whole family.

See all the pictures from the celebration on Flickr.

Beautiful Sunset

Beautiful weather for the birthday celebration. Carrie snapped the picture to the right of the sunset. Amazing weather for December 9. Carrie and I took our fire pit and had it going most of the afternoon into the evening. It was nice to have a little heat to stand around while we were talking and enjoying one another's company. The forecast for earlier in the week was rain and snow, but that never happened and it was a great celebration.

A small group of us remained and kept Mom up late into the evening (midnight) talking and telling stories. Mom was sharing stories from when she was little which was interesting.  Tim started the question asking and then Carrie and I chimed in and started asking questions too. Questions such as how Dad proposed or favorite meals from her childhood. It was really interesting and some stories I had not heard before.

Oliver Went to Quiet Room

Oliver went off by himself at one point in the evening as he had enough of family time. He did well overall, but did not like having a one and half year old try to pet him. So, we had to keep Oliver separated from Hayes. It was so good to meet the little Haverty's that attended the gathering. 

So happy with how the celebration turned out. Mom had a great time and we kept it only to immediate family. I hope we are all able to get together again soon just to be together.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week...

Happy Mother's Day to My Moms and All Mother's!

Happy Mother's Day! What a beautiful time of year! The grass is green, the trees are green, and the flowers are in full bloom. Makes me wonder if having Mother's Day this time of year was planned. What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than with new life everywhere we look this time of year.

Happy Mother's Day to both of my moms! I am so fortunate to be able to see my mom frequently and I try to talk to her everyday. I am able to see my mother-in-law frequently and we do a lot of things together. I love how she checks in with the kids frequently and works out time to get us together each week.

Over the course of the past year, I have had friends that have become mothers. It is so great to see them enjoying their families and being wonderful mom's to their children. Often times I reflect back on when I grew up and how much my mom did for me and my siblings. Cooking meals, doing laundry, cleaning up after I made a mess, or simply making sure I was doing my homework. Seeing my friends with their kids always makes me think back to myself and my mom.

Back in 2002, I was fortunate enough to marry into the Shirron family and gained another mom. So wonderful to have two moms who are both wanting to take care of us in old old age (of middle 40s). Both are always available to answer questions or help with a decision. Wonderful having two mothers!

The holiday also makes me think of those children that do not have mothers in their lives. Or, even worse, those that have mothers but the mother does not care or tend to the child's needs. As with any holiday, I am left wondering how those children deal with this day when they do not have someone to honor.

I am happy to honor my mom, Nancy, and my mother-in-law, Joan, on this day. I try to not only honor them on this day, but throughout the year. I know how much they do for us and their impact on our family. I am also happy to honor my friends that are mothers and I see the work that they do for their children.

Happy Mother's Day!