the strange, the ordinary, and the divine

One of the perks of living in Australia is having strange and unusual friends...

Today is Mothers Day. Well, for me it is anyway. Since Ryan was was still overseas last weekend he decided to wake me up with a beautiful breakfast and a thoughtful pressie this morning. I was okay with that.

And then we went to visit some of our friends at the billabong down the road.

At times Levi couldn't be bothered. After all, there were sticks everywhere to play with...

...and what fun are koalas when they just sit there in trees looking cute? (Boring mom!)

Birds on the other hand... birds are on the move and fast and fascinating.

And of course the "dogs" are awesome. And these "dogs" even have really long tails and huge, funny feet. Oh, and they bounce around a lot... in between their lazy episodes of sunbathing. (Weird, but cool mom!)

Isn't it strange how becoming a mom changes things? Like how a great day for me is now one where I see my family enjoying themselves. Soaking in the warm sun. Glimpsing blue sky between the rustling gum trees. Minutes morphing into hours while chasing ducks, picking up sticks, and seeing life through the eyes of a very, very small and curious person.

Because to a very, very small and curious person... the world looks large and grande and full and... friendly. And I really like seeing it that way.

Through those eyes scary things don't look threatening... they just look amazing. (Even more amazing than on the pages of our storybooks.) And I like seeing it that way, too.

I reckon that sun on your back, dust on your feet, and a child on your shoulders (or in your belly) just make the world feel a little bit more right.

But of course kids will be kids... and even on a made-up Mothers Day they still don't "pose" for photos.

But that's ok. Because each little glance, each expression, each mid-sentance hand gesture frozen on film... all bring a sense of normalcy.

And that normalcy does nothing to detract from the divine gift of an animated and spirited child who doesn't yet know how to say "I love you mama." But I know. I know I am loved... in the ordinary moments as well as the extraordinary ones.

So this Mothers Day we come home and place our shoes by the door. Some of us go for naps while others fold laundry. The sun continues to sink on an extraordinarily ordinary, beautifully unusual, simply wonderful normal day. And I count my blessings, the best of which are the man and the boys who have made me a mom.

For this mom... on a Sunday... in May... with my boys (all three of them)... the world is a very good place.

Knowing that this is my current reality makes me a very happy, happy woman indeed.

Dear friends, how have you seen the divine in the ordinary this week?

glad to be a mama,



Current giveaways: Two Peekabooby nursing covers and one copy of The Pregnancy Companion (book).

Pregnant Blogger? Join in with the Bloggin' Babes & Babies of 2011 (a link-up for expecting mamas).

Linking in with Chelsea for her "friends" theme:

Being deliberate about resting, refreshing, and enjoying family:

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

our hunch was right

We're having another...

What an awesome privilege to raise boys in a world that needs a few more good men! And... I'll still be able to sign our family letters "love Adriel & the boys" which I've grown quite fond of. Bonus.

We're so excited to think about the bond of brothers and how much fun they will have together. No doubt they will keep me busy (and in the kitchen!), but I am genuinely glad to be welcoming another little dude into the family and let his tiny heart invade mine own. Levi has made me fall in love with little boys in a way that I never thought possible. And of course Ryan is thrilled to have another member of the soccer team. Or basketball team. Or football team. Whatever. (Joke, people! They can join the ballet for all we care.)

Now it's onto the challenge of thinking of boy names, which we find much harder than girls names!

Baby is 19 weeks along and we look forward to my doctors appointment next week to hear all of the results of the scan. Can't believe this pregnancy is nearly half finished already! Yikes. It is flying by.

We love our baby boy Booker and thank God for his precious life.

Dear friends, that's all from me today. Just wanted to share our wonderful news! Do you have any advice for being a mom to boys?? And in celebration of one year of the Memos (and boys all around!) make sure to check out my pregnancy and baby-related giveaways below.

love, adriel & the boys xx

Yay! YOU get presents in honor of 

MY birthday! How fun is that??

Enter to win The Pregnancy Companion. 

Win it for yourself or to give as a gift to an expecting friend.

Just leave a comment here. Giveaway closes May 15, 2011.

Enter to win a Peekabooby nursing cover!

Leave a comment here. Giveaway ends May 20, 2011.

Are you an expecting mama? Link up with the 

Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011 here.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

mothers day for those who have lost or are longing

For me, Mothers Day is sweet. But for many, I know it is bittersweet.

For mamas who have lost a child – born or unborn…

For women who have yearned for a child and have been unable to conceive…

For single women who long to be married and start a family yet remain waiting…

For those wanting to adopt who haven’t yet been able to see that dream become reality…

For those who needed to let someone else care for their child and had to say goodbye...

For single moms of young kids who are too young to know how to appreciate mommy as she deserves…

For moms serving in the military who are deployed and far away from their babies…

For moms of teenagers who have pushed away from them...

{And}

For those who never knew their mother…

For those who have had a mother walk out on them...

For those who had a mother who was there but not there...

For those who have lost a mother…

For those who have lost a grandmother…

For those who have lost a mother-figure...

To you, I want to say Happy Mothers Day as well.

May you be comforted in your loss or in your longing. May your eyes be opened to those you have “mothered” through your love and care and nurturing, whether you have children of your own or not. And may you be filled with sweet memories of the special women in your own life who are as mothers to you, even if your own is gone.

Mothers Day is not just a day for moms; it’s a day for women.

Mothers and mother figures everywhere are deserving of our honor. You are appreciated... and I sincerely hope there's someone in your life to help you know it.

I want your Mothers Day to be sweet as well. Because you make our future, and our children's future, better.

Little hands applaud you.

Dear friends, have you ever thought about mamas and women who are hurting on Mothers Day? Newsflash: not all are getting pampered with breakfast in bed and a day of no chores. How can you reach out to one today?

in support of women everywhere,

Bloggers for Birth Kits update: 210 kits donated, 34 posts spreading the word, more than 192 links on facebook (I lost track after that!), and tons of #B4BirthKits tweets. Yay! (I can't wait for our accounts office to open back up on Monday so we can get a new count!) Thank you for lending your heart and voice and resources to this important cause for mums & bubs in developing nations.

GIVEAWAY OPEN NOW: Enter to win The Pregnancy Companion - a wonderful book for expecting moms, whether you are one yourself or know someone that would appreciate this encouraging and practical gift! Entry is quick and simple. Click here.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

my mama

I write about being a mom all the time... so this Mothers Day I want to write about having a mom.

This is mine:

{and levi made her a grandma... gigi to be precise.}

I love her.

She held me when I needed to be held.

She helped me to stand and always celebrated my growth.

She showed me what it looks like to be a stylish woman. (Check out those awesome shades!)

She kept me warm through Oregon winters.

She took me overseas to far-away places and helped me to discover the world.

{here we are on a short stint living in fiji.}

She taught me what it means to be beautiful on the inside and out.

She played with me and gave me hugs when I needed them.

She's always loved me and stood behind me.

I also love this mum - my Australian mother-in-law Sylvia. She's the one who gave me my beloved. I couldn't be more grateful.

How in the world I got so lucky to have two amazing women in my life to call mom I will never know. But this Mothers Day it's my privilege to honor them and say thank you for being who you are: mom and mum.

Dear friends, what's the best thing about your own mom? And, if you're a mom yourself, I hope you have an amazing day celebrating with your family and friends.

love,


P.S. Check out Amy's My Mama, Your Mama feature for Mothers Day. So precious.

Bloggers for Birth Kits update: 210 kits donated, 33 posts spreading the word, 192 links on facebook, and tons of #B4BirthKits tweets. Yay! (I can't wait for our accounts office to open back up on Monday so we can get a new count!!)

GIVEAWAY OPEN NOW: Enter to win the Pregnancy Companion - a wonderful book for expecting moms, whether you are one yourself or know someone that would appreciate this encouraging and practical gift! Entry is quick and simple. Click here.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
 do not reproduce without written permission

going at it alone

Since becoming a mom, I have never had more respect or admiration for single moms and military wives. How these women manage to parent their children, run their households, earn a reasonable income (especially in the case of single moms), and maintain their sanity and well-being without the support of a loving husband is beyond me.

I'm completely baffled.

Obviously, the grace is there. Obviously there is a strength in women that lurks below the sometimes seemingly vulnerable surface. And obviously we are capable of far more than we often give ourselves credit for.

That being said--as much as I admire and respect these women who are going at it alone (all or most of the time)--I never want to join their ranks.

Being a mom on your own is hard. H.A.R.D.

despite missing ryan, levi and i had a
lovely easter together with friends

I've just passed the half-way mark of Ryan being away for nearly a month. I was glad to see him board a plane to Papua New Guinea where he would join teams of volunteer medical and aid workers on our organization's Medical Ship. Knowing that he's helping bring services and education to those who need it most is wonderful and satisfying. I whole-heartedly believe that it's a privilege to be able to serve others in this way, and if it weren't for the malaria risks associated with pregnancy (potential miscarriage or stillbirth to unborn babies), Levi and I would be right there along with him.

So yes, we are glad--and proud--to have Ryan away representing our family like this.

But I'd be joking if I said that having my husband sail up rivers into remote areas and villages of PNG is all fun and games. It's not.

Not for him... or for me.

To serve is always a sacrifice which must be weighed. It looks different for those who are going as well as those who are left behind. And for us, the sacrifices associated with this outreach are worth it.

photo source: ywam medical ship

But the fact remains that it's hard going at it alone.

Levi and I are doing fine. Of course we miss Ryan terribly--our incredibly kind-hearted husband and hands-on dad--but we will see him soon enough.

In the meantime, I'm seeing how tough I am and how resourceful I can be. I'm having a small taste of a new kind of perseverance and learning a tiny bit about life for the women who are my heros:

Single moms and military wives.

Seriously, these women should all be given medals.

Being a mom is an incredible joy and honor that I would wish for anyone who desires to be one. But it's also a tough gig in the best of times. And it's even tougher when your support system is stripped back to the minimum.

Recently a friend of mine asked me why I thought it was such a big deal to have my husband gone for a month. "What's so hard about it?" she earnestly asked me.

I almost fell off my chair. (Especially considering she is a mom herself.)

I guess we each have different standards and measuring sticks to determine what is difficult and what is not... and I'm ok with that. No need to get into comparisons. But let's just say I have a million answers to that question. In fact, I'd be tempted to ask the question in return: "What's not hard about having my husband away for so long?!"

But I knew she meant well and was just trying to lend a listening ear.

Like I said, Levi and I (and bubs) are doing well. (I can certainly feel the grace factor!) But that doesn't mean we aren't counting down the days until our family is reunited.

In the meantime, single moms and military wives - I salute you! You are amazing and your children should be so proud of you. (Same goes for single dads and military husbands.)

Dear friends, have you ever had a time where you've been a mom going at it alone? Maybe for a long time or maybe just for a "short" time like me? What did you find the hardest and how did you cope?

glad to usually not be alone,


P.S. Do you have any friends who are single moms or military wives? When is the last time you offered some form of support to them or told them how much you admire all they do for their families?

Are you an expecting mom? Have you linked-up yet?

Join the Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011.

{"Easter" with Casey}

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

rejoice a little louder, feast a little slower, love a little stronger

Dear friends, count your blessings, savor the moment, hug a little tighter, rejoice a little louder, feast a little slower, pray a little deeper, love a little stronger. Enjoy your holiday.

love,
Adriel xx

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

making the moments count

It was going to be our last weekend together for a month.

How would I make it count? How would I slow down enough to savor it when there were bills to be paid, banking to be done, paperwork to wade through, suitcases to be packed, and a million things to be checked off The List?

But we did. Make it count, that is.

a day off on magnetic island.

We are still reclaiming Sundays.

Last weekend, our Sunday was on Friday.

Knowing that my boys would soon be separated for far too long, I relished the moments they played together in the sand, sat together in the shade of our beach tent, walked along the shoreline, swam in the shallow, and whispered nonsense under their breath.

I sat in amazement watching my littlest drink milk from a box - such a small thing and yet such a marker of toddlerhood.

{Sippy no longer required.}

pretty impressed with himself... and life in general.

I watched as my husband teased him and tickled him, trying to distract him from one of his favorite times of the day - snack time.

Little moments, regular moments... precious moments.

i can't get enough of watching these two together.

It's good to have good-byes every now and then. They help bring your priorities into alignment and gently pressure you to make your moments count.

Our "Sunday" gave way to Saturday - a bustling day filled with an early Easter egg hunt and a backyard full of friends, lots of to-do's and packing completed, and then a nice night out with my beloved before I (temporarily) lost him to an airplane headed to another nation.

first father-son easter egg hunt. presh.

I'm grateful for the time we have. It never feels like enough... but it is. It's enough. What we're given is always enough... as long as we make it count.

the closest thing we're going to get to a family easter picture this year... and as you can tell,
levi is a far cry from being a poser. camera on = instantly disinterested... but still as gorgeous as always.

Dear friends, how have you made your precious time count this week?


making the moments count,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Are you pregnant? Link up with the Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011.

Share your creativity and Easter inspiration by submitting your Easter card to our Easter card linky (closing April 21).

This post is part of my Reclaiming Sundays project - an intentional effort to carve out family time every week to rest, refresh, breathe, laugh, relax, enjoy... Please feel free to join me if you'd like.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

reclaiming sundays... carefree and clothes free

Sometimes life feels like a runaway train and it takes everything from within to make a stand for slowing things down.

Raising kids is like that.

Regardless of jobs and deadlines and finances and responsibilities, just being a parent seems to propel life into fast forward. With each new milestone, developmental leap, and growth spurt the passing of time is amplified.

And so is the challenge of slowing things down, which is why I'm thrilled to say that our last few Sundays have looked a lot like this:

Sun, grass, a cheap wading pool, a garden hose, tall glasses of ice water, thrown together plates of cheese and cracker snacks, sticky, juicy orange slices, lounge chairs, sunscreen, floppy hats, a well-loved swing set, and sweet, mellow playlists providing the perfect soundtrack to the unfolding joy.

They have been lazy; they have been perfect.

No one straining to finish a project. No one sweating to cross things off the list. No one stressing to get one last errand in before the shops close.

Just resting, refreshing, relishing, enjoying.

But one of the best things about this time--these days--of our lives is this:

Little boys with bare naked bums.

I know if I'm not careful I'll blink and Levi will be too grown-up to run around the backyard naked without a care in the world.

So for now, we're savoring these days. Carefree and clothes free.

Life is good.

Dear friends, what are you savoring these days?


love,

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Are you pregnant? Link up with the Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011.

Share your creativity and Easter inspiration by submitting your Easter card to our Easter card linky (closing April 21).

This post is part of my Reclaiming Sundays project - an intentional effort to carve out family time every week to rest, refresh, breathe, laugh, relax, enjoy... Please feel free to join me if you'd like.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission