I am Ezra's Mom

There are some days when I think all women lose their identity. We are what we do. We cook, we clean, we feed, we carry, we soothe, we clean, we teach, etc... Then I remember why I do those things in the first place. I remember the most beautiful thing that I am a part of and that is motherhood. I am Ezra's mom.

There are multiple people who approach me at church, or approach Ezra and they know him. They know his name, they can recognize how much he has been growing, but they don't know my name or anything about me. They know me as Ezra's mom. I never get sad about that. I love being known as Ezra's mom.


I have never felt more warmth inside than the day I gave birth to my son. Having my husband by my side supporting me through it all made the idea of an eternal family become so real.

This week I have had several people ask me if I feel judged as a mother. I told them that while I am sure I am, I don't mind. There is one thing that I have always known about myself and that is that I would be a good mom. I'm not boasting. I just know that my heart was meant for motherhood and I have always longed for that calling.

Today is one of those days that I have been caught up in the moments of what I do that I've lost sight of who I am. I took a step back and felt the warm embrace of my husband and looked into those beautiful sparkling blue eyes of my son and thought, "oh, there I am." I am surrounded by God's love. Today I am no longer what I do; I am someone's eternal love and I am Ezra's mom.

Our Summer Vacation

Well, we're back from our vacation. We spent just short of two weeks out east in Maryland and New Jersey visiting family and it was wonderful. There is so much to say about it, but instead I think I'll just do a list of some of our highlights from the trip along with some pictures of beautiful baby Ezra.

Highlights:
Being out there with Duane and Ilene
Touring DC
Capitol Building
Botanic Gardens
Meeting up with our good friends, The Brady's
The Metro
Smithsonians (a bunch of them)
Blue Crabs (for James)
Visiting Erica and Dusty's family (James' sister)
Wakeboarding
Rafting (We learned that Ezra really enjoys paddling!)
Hiking
Wakeboarding
Tubing
Shopping
Government job fair
Shopping
Touring downtown Annapolis
Washington DC Temple and the 7th floor! How cool.
Wakeboarding
Traveling on a plane with a toddler...

Here's the good stuff:
This is Ezra on the first plane out to Maryland waiting for "blast off"! He really did well on the planes in the sense that he wasn't crying, but he is so active and was so wiggly. I got many scratches and hairs pulled out from this little boy. Though I did make sure to bring a duffle bag FULL of some of his toys and books to keep him entertained. That only kind of worked.

Seriously, what is this? It was in the Smithsonian Sculpture Garden. I could make that with play dough.

Of course the Washington Monument, though we never did make it that far down the National Mall.

Here's Ezra in Hawaii. Well, in the Hawaii section of the Botanic Gardens, which Ezra loved!

So proud of both of my botanists.

He was such a good boy through all of our touring!!

We taught Ezra how to throw coins into a wishing well. He kept begging for more coins. It was really cute.

This is on our hike in New Jersey at a beautiful spot called "Child's Park." This is also where my brave ten year old niece jumped off a cliff!

Here's Ezra getting ready to go out on the boat!

It was very windy, but he was very well behaved and well entertained by the water.

At the mall.

He had just enjoyed some cotton candy for the first time!

Ezra falls asleep with his two stuffed animals at his side all the time and he just looks so precious! This is on the roadtrip back from visiting The Townsend family in New Jersey.

Here Ezra is helping Grandma make beautiful music. Actually, he was mostly messing up her beautiful music, but he had fun nonetheless.

There is so much to say, but we'll just leave it at that. James is now back to work, Ezra is back to his normal sleeping schedule and I am back in school. This semester will definitely be harder than last, but I'm getting closer!