Mama... you are beautiful: Sumer + Hannah

I am so excited to start my summer blog series Mama... you are beautiful. I have so many women in my life that I absolutely love and cherish, and I want to feature them. I also look forward to meeting new mamas this summer and featuring them too!

I got this idea one afternoon as I was on my way to pick up Max. My route to pick Max up is very entertaining. I see all kinds of people walking and driving along Minnehaha, then Dale, then Maryland. This particular day, I watched as moms from all kinds of backgrounds walked their kids in strollers, sat with their babies strapped to their chests at bus stops, drove their minivans and picked up their kids from school. I started thinking about that idea that we are all fighting our own battles. We are all going through hard life-circumstances of some sort: self-hatred, body issues, break-ups, tantrums, heartache, anxiety, fertility issues, unplanned pregnancies, betrayal, friends who don't call back, despair, grief, difficult marriages, kids with special needs, bills, uncertainty, bad attitudes, not enough money, broken cars, bald tires, no health insurance, trying to sell a house, husbands who work too many hours, a death, milk stained carpet (!) etc. etc.

But we are all experiencing really wonderful things too: pregnancies and adoption, good health, miracles, happy kids, sweet husbands who pinch your butt once in a while, good friendships, supportive church bodies, hope, faith, love, baby giggles, hugs from our sweet but sweaty boys, girls nights, cars that work, cute toe nails, a new necklace, successful breast feeding, those jeans that you can finally fit back in to, that sun dress that makes you feel like a queen, sun kissed shoulders, good coffee, good sex, good cake!

I love that among all of us with kids, motherhood unifies us. It is what we all have in common. I want to bring that to light. I want us to stop judging each other. I want us to see that we aren't so different from each other.  I want us to step out and make new friends, hear other people's stories. I want us to offer encouragement,  support and understanding to one another.

With this series I will feature moms. I'll take pictures (with my iPhone, no fancy camera here.) I'll ask them five simple questions. And then, in return, I hope you will see that we are all so alike. And oh so different. Simple.

I met with my girls at Highland park this morning. I came so well prepared  I packed lunches the night before, made healthy cookies this morning, had water bottles filled up... DANG I'm a good mom. (This is kinda a big deal, I am never this prepared.)

But then Eli needed to be changed, and I didn't bring a blanket. So when you aren't prepared, you make-do, and use your new garage sale purse as a pseudo changing pad head rest.

Highland park has the scariest slides I have ever seen best slides ever. My kids think they are so brave. I think so too. A million bucks couldn't get me to slide down it. Okay, I would for a million.

So now, without further ado, 

I would like to introduce you to my girls:

Sumer (yes, pronounced like summer)  I met years ago. She married my childhood friend's brother. I actually don't remember when we actually met, all I know is that we have been tight since we were both pregnant in 2007. She is the one that I can laugh with about all the joys of living pay check to pay check. The one who gets me on so many levels. Her smile and laugh radiates joy. She loves my kids. She'd do anything for me. She'd do anything for YOU. She is selfless, she has a total servant's heart. And her little ponytail is absolutely darling. Love me some Sumer.  

Sumer with her babes: Nyla Rae, 5. Zander, 11 months. Malek, 8.

Comforting two at the same time. 

1.) What's the best part about being a mom?
Seeing them become who God intended them to be. being a mom of three and seeing that God's intentions for each of them is different.

2.) What is your favorite feature?
My eyes. I like green eyes.

3.) What does your family love to do together?
Grand Ol' Day and Cinco de Mayo.  On Cinco de Mayo we usually invite friends over, go to the parade and then grill out at our house.
Sumer lives RIGHT by where the big parade happens over on the West Side in St. Paul. For those of you not from 'round here, there is a HUGE celebration every year for Cinco de Mayo. 

4.) What's your signature dinner dish?
Because my family will all eat it: Tater Tot hot dish. I don't care for it, but everyone else LOVES it!

5.) Who has been the biggest influence on how you mother your kids?
Every girlfriend that is a mom influences me in different ways. My mom influences me too. I am like her in so many ways, but really different too.

Now Hannah. This girl I have known for about three years I think? Feels like a lifetime though. We had only been friends a short while when she was the only one I could get a hold of in the middle of the night when my dad was dying. She met me at the hospital at 2 in the morning, and held my little baby Gabriel as I watched my dad's life abruptly end. She was the first person I told "my dad is gone." She cried with me. She prayed with me. She waited with me. She is like a sister to me. We bonded very quickly. She parents similarly. She is Latina with me (haha) and she has always been there to listen and to love me through some very dark times. Sweet sweet Hannah. Love this woman. 

Hannah and her little crew: Cooper, 6. Wesley, 11 moths. Sage, 3.

 

Hannah and her sweet little Sagie.

1.) When you were a little girl, how many kids did you want to have?

I don't know, I think I always felt like four... there were four in my family and I felt like a family with four kids was complete.

2.) What parenting trait did you inherent from your childhood?

I learned from my dad to discipline out of love. I really understood that as a kid, that when my dad was disciplining us it was because he loved us. "I love you too much to allow you to..."

3.) What is something that you do that makes you think "DANG I'm a good mom."

When my kids spontaneously behave. And when I have clean clothes in their drawers, not just "oh son, check the second pile on the left" in the basement. 

4.) What fictional mom character from T.V. or books did you want to grow up to be like?

Ma Ingalls. She was kind... and resourceful! She could like, make bread out of dirt!

5.) What's the best thing about being a mom?

Those moments when you recognize the potential of who they're going to be, how they are going to impact the world. And being able to take some ownership over that, that I am impacting them.

Hope you enjoyed meeting my friends. Aren't they beautiful? They are pretty awesome. Be prepared. I'm coming after you next.

Have a great afternoon. Only four more hours til bedtime :)

Peace.