Blessed

Lance just after he lost his first tooth.

I was laying in my bed very early (too early) this morning after being awoken by my fabulous five year-old. He had a nightmare about a "zombie booger" and quickly fell asleep after snuggling in. I tossed and turned trying to get comfortable with the new addition to our bed as my thoughts turned to how blessed our family is. It warms my heart. Lance sleeping soundly in bed with his mommy and daddy, the rest of the children snug in their beds, with filled tummies, good health and happiness is pretty much all I ask for as a mom.

Every day I make a promise to be a better mom, have more patience, don't yell, give my kids opportunities to be the best they can be. At the end of each day I aspire to be better, to be the mom my kids will look up to and learn from. The kind of mom they like to be with as well as the mom who sets boundaries they don't want to cross.

The adage these days is, "Given this economy..." and I know how fortunate we are. We are able to put food on the table and have a roof over our heads, but our family is much more than that. It is the unconditional love we show which makes us rich. To admit our mistakes, to respect one another and to express love and kindness. We aren't perfect, but we do the best we can every day.

In the end, I may never know if I succeeded. It is my children and their children who will decide if I was a good mom and I will probably be long gone. Really it doesn't matter if I ever know. As long as I am the soft place to fall when my kids need me, whether it be for a "zombie booger" nightmare or a broken heart, I know I am doing something right.

He kind of does look a zombie booger!