Happy Mother's Day to Me!

This weekend we completed another big gardening project in honor of Brittyn. It was actually my Mother's Day present to finally put flower beds in front of the house. When we bought the house 5 1/2 years ago it had these horrible bushes in front of it!

We tore them out a couple of years ago and have never been able to redo them. So they have looked like this since then.

We had several family members and friends who sent us money and gift cards to help us through this time, so since we had the money that had been donated specifically for a garden for Brittyn, and since we weren't having to pay for food (because of the Gift Cards) we were able to afford to do the flower beds!

It was quite a process, and quite the workout! Casey got a big load of dirt and bricks, which helped us set up the flower beds.

We picked out the plants on Saturday. We did 6 double knock-out rose bushes, 2 "blue Heaven" Hydrangeas, 6 snapdragons, and 3 dozen Pintas.

This area is specifically in memory of Brittyn, complete with a stone my mom's best friend gave us. (Brittyn means "peace" which makes it even more special)

Last we put the mulch in place, and I think it turned out looking perfect!

It has been a great weekend, with only a few tears. Tomorrow marks the 1 month mark of her birthday, and the past couple of days I have been remembering the labor I was in just a month ago. Today I went to visit Brittyn's grave, and it was sad to be there and realize she really is gone. Several songs have been ministering to me the past month, but this weekend I have been listening to "Blessings" by Laura Story. These lyrics have spoken so much to me. It is so very true that this is not our home, and we need to remember that every single day. We so often do pray for things to comfort us on this earth and don't ever stop to think that maybe the things we go through that are trials are his mercies in disguise. So powerful to think about!

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise