Beautiful Gifts...

This gorgeous bouquet was proudly presented to me by my 19-year old son Alex at brunch. It was wrapped so beautifully, I felt like Mrs. America (sorry Kelly!). We met up with my parents & sister (it was her very first Mothers' Day!) at The Old Red Mill for Mothers' Day brunch. Thank you Alex!

This amazing picture was drawn by my 16-year old daughter Sam for an art project. You really have to click on it to get the full effect on just how beautiful it is! She knows how much I love things made with their own hands, so once graded, it became my Mothers' Day gift. She even made me a hand-made card...haven't seen one of those since the 4th grade! This picture sits proudly on the shelf in my family room. Thank you Sam!

After a nice hike with my husband along Tonawanda Creek, we picked Sam up from work & headed down to the Niagara River (one of my favorite locations). Since I was still pretty full from brunch, we fed Sam, & Norm & I shared a plate of clams casino. More walking along the river (Norm & Sam not too happy at this point...but indulging Mom's need to be outdoors), and of course....finish the day with an ice cream cone.

Lots of tough days lately, this loss of job has turned out to be a lot harder than I would have imagined. I think to express it most accurately, I feel like I'm greiving. There are good & bad days, but I often seem to be filled with a great sadness. It's sometimes hard to explain to people, but something very significant has been taken from me...this beautiful thing we called Epic. It was my place to worship, it was my place to hear from God, it was my place to connect with some of the most important people in my life - my Christian family. It's now gone, and seemingly for no reason. Every Sunday now could be like being at a wake...except for special days like I had here. Surrounded by my family, God shows me He loves me & wants to comfort me. I'm given some of the most beautiful gifts in the world...my family & my Father's love.