Mother's Day 2012

Thirteen years! That's how many years I have been a Mom. I can't believe it has been that long. It seems like only yesterday when I was holding my babies in my arms. Now, my baby boy is almost 14 years old and taller than me, and my baby girl is a beautiful young lady. Where did the time go?

Yesterday, May 13, was Mother's Day 2012. Like many others, my family came together to celebrate the occasion.

Here's a picture of the four woman in our family who lovingly fill the role of "Mom."

 From left to right are... my sister-in-law, Andrea, her mom, Pat, Me, and my mom, Charlotte

I would be remiss not to mention the special men in our lives. They came together and made the day very special for us. My husband, Terry, worked with our kids to make me a beautiful collage of our family, and my brother Jesse led the charge in preparing us a wonderful dinner that he cooked outside on the grill.

Here is the cook in action. Accompanying him in his work is my son Tyler.

Here are some more shots of our special day together.

Here's my brother, Jesse, with his wife, Andrea, and their wonderful boys, Aiden and Conner. Aiden is in front of Andrea and Conner is in front of Jess. 

This is my family. My husband, Terry, my daughter, Serenity, Me, and my son, Tyler. Man, I love these three people! They are my greatest treasures!

Here I am with my two kids. My handsome son, Tyler and my beautiful daughter, Serenity. They are the brightest parts of my life and I am extremely honored to be their mom.

Here's a picture of me with my son, Tyler. I love this picture! It does make me realize though just how fast time goes by. When did my little boy grow up into a young man? Where did the time go?

Here's my mom, Charlotte, with me and my brother, Jesse. I think Jess would agree that our mom is the most amazing woman in the world! She is an angel that has always willingly sacrificed herself for others. She is an inspiration to me and I am honored to be her daughter. I love you Mom!!!! Happy Mother's Day!

The original family, "The Adams Family." It is here that it all began. My dad, Steve, Me, my mom, Charlotte, and my brother, Jesse. I thank God for these three people.

And, last but not least, my parents. Were it not for these two people in my life I would not be the woman I am today. They are the best parents a girl could ever hope for and I am honored to be their daughter. I love you Mom and Dad!

As I reflect back on this years Mother's Day, my mind keeps coming back to time. There's not enough time and the time we do have goes by way too quickly. I remember my parents and my grandma telling me to never take a day with my kids for granted because before I'd know it, they would be grown. I've never felt that more keenly than I feel that this year. As I look at the pictures of my children, I realize that I don't have that much time left with them before they're grown.

I wish I had been more aware of the shortage of time back when my kids were younger. I realize now that so much of it was wasted. What I would give to have a rewind button on my children's childhoods. 

My advice to every mom out there would be to never take a day for granted. The lives we live together on this Earth are so short and for one reason or another, they will be over before we know it. Cherish your children and the time you have with them. Value every moment and guard every day. Make the effort to build memories together and take LOTS and LOTS of pictures!

I have recently become a mad woman with a camera but I wasn't always that way. When my kids were younger, like many young parents, I didn't take a lot of pictures. I regret that now. So many memories have been lost. Trust me, you won't remember some of the sweetest moments without a picture. You think you will but you won't. The years pass by so quickly and it all becomes a blur. Pictures are the only defense we have against the passing of time. They allow us to go back to the moments that have passed and relive them over and over again. So, don't let your time with your kids go by without capturing it. Take it from a mom who wishes I had captured more moments. Pick up those cameras and start shooting!