One thing I’ve learned over the past decade of being a mom getting to experience Mother’s Day, is that if there is something important to you to receive or experience on Mother’s Day, then ask for it. In previous years I’ve set my expectations high while keeping my mouth shut and ended up feeling a little let down. Then I learned to request a couple hours on my own or specify that I did indeed want a card, but this year, there was very little that I desired from the day. I did say to David that I wanted the kids to acknowledge the day but that was about it.

The truth is that life is a little crazy right now. Additionally I have 10 years of experience and perspective under my belt and these days I’m much more likely to see how fortunate I am to get to be their mom, the only thing in life I ever knew for sure I wanted to be (wife and mom), rather than desire any kind of accolades for my commitment. But I lucked out because my sweet crew showed up strong for me and I am walking into a new week feeling celebrated and deeply grateful.

Our weekend kicked off on Friday. David was out of town so I spent the day in my favorite way, getting to be a fun mom. A spring storm moved in and so we baked chocolate chip cookies, played Scategories on the porch, read Harry Potter, made homemade pizza, and ended the evening watching The Princess Diaries.

Saturday we spent at the soccer field for Hailey’s end of season tournament. They haven’t won a whole lot this spring season so when the team pulled out two wins in a row, we went to celebrate with TCBY. Then we started the Mother’s Day celebration early by trying out a new spot, The Waterman Fish Bar in Cornelius.

We had Finley with us and snagged a table on the patio. We ordered fun drinks and oysters, ate nachos, played Monopoly Deal, and watched another storm roll in. We had a great experience and the food was delicious. We will be back for sure!

We got home in time to watch the Kentucky Derby, all picking our horses of choice. Hailey ended up picking the long shot winner! I swear she has the best luck. Take that girl to Vegas.

Mother’s Day morning we were up and out early, back to the soccer field for the championship game. A tied game led to penalty kicks in overtime, and our girls pulled it out- champions! It was such a fun way to end the season. I was thrilled for the team.

David and the girls insisted the rest of the day was up to me, so we stopped at Milkbread in Davidson on the way home for lunch. It was my first time and the hot dip fried chicken sandwich was excellent! I look forward to returning another time when the vibe isn’t so hectic.

Afterwards I found a nail salon with an opening and got a long overdue pedicure while David took the girls to run errands. Then David and I worked out (leg day!) and I laid in the sauna blanket for 40 minutes to get a good sweat. I took a leisurely shower before heading the kitchen to prep dinner. Honestly my favorite part about Mother’s Day is just the release from feeling like I need to do anything. Two hours spent working out and sauna-ing? No problem. Slow shower process? Just fine. Cooking but not doing dishes? The best!

When I came into the kitchen I was greeted with streamer decorations and homemade cards. Then the girls surprised me with rhyming written clues that led me around the house uncovering presents! It was such a surprise and was so darn sweet to watch their excitement. They gifted me a new nozzle for the hose to water my plants, outdoor throw pillows for the porch, NEW COOKWARE because my nonstick egg pan had been riding the struggle bus, and a homemade picture frame made with popsicle sticks and shells from our recent beach trip.

They poured me a Spendrift in a wine glass with a slice of lemon and then my favorite part of the day unfolded- all of us in the kitchen together. I was working on smashed potatoes and steaks. David was seasoning my new pans. Kaitlyn was making the salad for dinner. Hailey was thumbing through a road Atlas and Finley was snoozing. This was the pinnacle of the day for me, being in my element with my favorite people.

Not to brag, but I’m getting pretty decent at cooking up steaks. We ate dinner and had a discussion about activities for fall, since so many decisions need to be made soon. Afterwards I went to dry my hair and chat with my mama on the porch while they cleaned up the kitchen. The cherry on top of a most excellent day.

Holidays like this one can be so tricky. I certainly want to enjoy the feeling of being celebrated by my family, yet I also want to make sure I share how grateful I am for my own mom (the GOAT) and for my amazing mother in law who loves us all so well and raised such a great man. I want to celebrate my friends that are incredible moms and check in to make sure they got the love they deserve. I want to acknowledge how hard this day can be for some who recently have lost their moms or those wanting to be moms and not there yet. It can feel like a messy mix of emotions to want to share the joy and depth of gratitude I have while also holding space for those that experience the day in a different way.

My sincerest hope is that the day brought you a feeling of joy in some capacity, whether celebration, reflection, or anticipation. And now let’s kick things off with a great Monday; I hope you have a wonderful start to the week!