Happy Birthday Mia Hope Hasty

Today my children are finishing up their last day of our first home school year. What an amazing time I have had being their "teacher." Has it been a blast? ABSOLUTELY! Have I been overwhelmed some days? Um, YEAH!

You see, up until about three weeks before I started homeschooling them I always said "I could NEVER (key word) home school my kids." "It's too much responsibility." "I don't have that kind of time."

Be careful what you say that you will NEVER do. It always comes back to get you doesn't it?

But, I did it. We did it. It's done and I'm very thankful to have had this year with them.

Next up? Summer fun. They will be going to their first week long summer camp at the Lake of the Ozarks. The same camp that I went to every year from birth until about age 16. I can't believe that I'm bringing my kids to it. It's a very surreal feeling. We have small trips planned, play dates planned, movie nights, and nights of playing outside until dark planned.

I have very mixed emotions for today. I'm so happy for the kids to be done with school for the year and to begin summer.

However, today is Mia's birthday. For those of you that are new to my blog, three years ago today I gave birth to a beautiful little girl Mia, who was born still. I never thought that I would make it this far.

It's a very strange feeling to know that life goes on after loosing her. I feel like I should be terribly upset. And I am, but I'm not a wreck. I'm strong. Wow. I can't believe that I just wrote that.

For whatever reason, she didn't make it on this earth? I don't even want to question why. I don't want to be upset for the rest of my life and become bitter and angry. She didn't live and three years after saying goodbye, I feel like it was just a minute ago.

I wish you all could have saw how sweet she was. She had the tiniest little nose, a perfectly formed body, a beautiful face and the tiniest hands and fingers. I stared at her every minute that she was with us trying so hard in my mind to remember every feature about her. My sweet Mia Hope.

So here I am, three years later, blogging about life with my three healthy kids. Sad but Happy. How can that be?

I guess today I'll celebrate that fact that my kids school year is through. (I now have a kindergartner,third grader and fifth grader). YIKES! But today I will also choose to celebrate Mia's life. I'm so thankful for that time with her. Even if it was short.

I want to leave you with a poem that I believe that God put before me this morning.


Before even time began,
My sweet Mia for me was planned.
I brought her unto this earth,
Through the miracle of birth.

Even when life takes us apart,
We from each other will not depart.
For she is the goodness inside my soul,
A strength on which I will forever grow.


Happy Birthday Sweet Mia! I can only imagine the party that Heaven is having for you. It makes me smile.

Marsha

Meet my mom....Carla

You may not know her, my mom that is. But after you read this I hope that you do. I hope that you think she is as amazing as I do.

My mom, Carla Lorraine Ives Thurman is one pretty remarkable woman.

Those who know her love her completely. She is certainly one of the funniest people that I've ever known. She's always mispronouncing things, making us laugh, and making the most funny mistakes. (Like the time at a church function where she happened to mistake creamer for WALL PAPER PASTE, I don't know who put it in the fridge, but sure enough mom put it out and when people used it their coffee became thicker and thicker).

As a child I don't think that I appreciated her as much as I do now. Since becoming a mother myself she and I have become so close. I think I started to realize that sacrifices that she (and my dad) made for Angie and I growing up.

She's not only an amazing mother, but an equally awesome grandmother to my children. She is at every function that my kids are involved in. She's there on the front row taking pictures and cheering for them. They love their MawMaw.

I can't talk about her an not mention that fact that whenever Angie and I go on vacations she and dad go to our homes, take care of our pets, wash our dishes, do our laundry and completely clean our homes. So that, when we come back from said vacations, our houses our perfect for us.

She is one of the hardest working people that I know. Being around her any amount of time you understand that she truly has a servants heart.

Her and my dad have been married for 40 years now, and they have truly set an example for us. Though their marriage has had its ups and downs like most, they continue to love each other and still kiss one another every time they see each other like they are newlyweds.

I'm blessed. I'm blessed to have a mom like her, a dad that encourages me, children that are amazing, a husband that treats me like a queen, a sister that's my best friend,a pretty rockin brother in law, more in-laws that treat me like blood, a wonderful church family and many more friends and family to walk this life journey with.

If you don't know her, maybe now you do? At any rate I know her and get to call her my mom. How lucky am I?

Happy Mother's Day to you all. Love you mom!

Marsha

Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:38-30