Mother's Day Weekend

This past weekend was one of the best ever!  It was such fun!

Friday started like many others.  Lily, Ava Grace, and I loaded up in the car to take Lily to school.  The morning proceeded in usual fashion with a school drop off, morning nap for Ava Grace, and then puttering around the house doing what we do on Fridays!  The day took a turn, however, when Grandmommy and Papaw showed up around 2:00 for their weekend visit!  They had come up to visit for Mother's day, to see Lily play softball, and to go to the Strawberry Festival with us on Saturday.  Lily's game, however, got rained out!  We didn't let that rain on our parade though!  We just adjusted our plans and decided that dinner and ice cream at Chaney's Dairy Barn was in order! Mmmm!

My first Mother's day surprise was this beautiful art!  When we picked Lily up from school she could hardly wait to get her seat belt buckled before she was digging in her bag to produce her gift!  She was so proud and I was so honored!!!  After the artwork, she produced a beautiful handmade envelope from her bag.  It was for me too!  Inside was a precious message!



"Dear Meagan,

I love you more than anything.  You are the best step mom ever and you are a good first impression on Uva Contuva!

Love, your step daughter, Lily"

(Uva ContUva is Lily's nickname for Ava Grace)

It just made my day!  I was honored that she included me in Mother's day because before the holiday rolled around she had already deemed it necessary to have an "official" Step-Mother's Day in August! lol.

Friday night was filled with fun and laughter!  We played Apples to Apples Disney and Scrabble Slam and just had a great time catching up and playing!

Saturday morning dawned cool, crisp, and cloudy, but we didn't care!  We enjoyed every ounce of our morning, lingering in bed a little longer than usual and then lingering over morning cups of coffee and fresh from the oven peach pie muffins and sizzling bacon!  It was such a relaxing morning and just what we all needed to charge up for our big day!

After breakfast, we loaded up and headed out to the Portland Strawberry Festival!!  Our little Girl Scout Troop was to be in the parade and we wanted to get there early to enjoy the festivities beforehand!

We had a grand time walking around and playing games!  I found a couple small things to buy and so did Lily!  Grandmommy and Papaw got her the scarf she is wearing in the picture above.  She played Plinko and won a bag.  There were little games and freebies all around and she loaded up on all the fun stuff!

After a while, we decided it was time to sit down and warm up for a bit, so we headed over to 5 Chefs for a nice lunch!  We also did some shopping at Occasions while we were there.  Lily and Chris did some sneaky shopping and Lily couldn't wait to surprise me with these...

...attachments for my "Celebrate Everything" plate!  I had commented when we were having breakfast there a few weeks ago that I needed more attachments and she remembered!

After lunch, it was time to start preparing for the parade!  We walked over to the meeting place for our troop and then Lily and I stayed while everyone else went to claim a spot to watch the parade!

One of my little Brownie's grandfather volunteered to drive the girls in his truck!  In honor of the Strawberry Festival, he decked his truck out to look like a strawberry!  I think it was definitely the cutest ride in the parade!

All the girls got to ride in the back of the truck, waving and singing their little girl scout song!

All the moms walked along beside and behind to throw candy to the parade watchers!

It was So. Much. Fun.

I have never actually been in a parade, but it was really neat.  All the girls had a big time, but by the time it was over, they were ready to be done!  I think they were a little jealous that we were throwing candy to kids on the sidewalk and they weren't down there to collect it!

Ava Grace, however, was there to collect it!  Chris, Mom, and Dad said that she really got into the parade and collecting the candy!  She scored a few hand-fulls of candy for Lily to enjoy!

They even let her open a sucker and taste it!  It lasted only a few seconds because... well... it's a sucker and she's only one! lol

(Yes, my baby has a rebel flag in her hand in the above picture.  It was given to her by the Sons of the Confederacy Float.  Cracking. Me. Up.)

She had fun watching the floats and well! 

Overall, the day was a huge success!  It was twice as fun because Grandmommy and Papaw joined us!  We will definately be doing the Strawberry Festival again next year!  It was just the right combination of small town and classic festival!  We even saw country music star, Trace Atkins, walking around with his wife and also one of the guys from Duck Dynasty that calls Portland his home town!  Fun stuff!!

After all the fun, Grandmommy and Papaw headed home and Chris and I headed north to take Lily to her Mom's so that they could be together on Mother's day!

Sunday was cool and sunny!  The perfect day for my Mother's day plans!  I got exactly what I wanted!  I enjoyed a slow, relaxing morning and then headed out to breakfast with Chris and Ava Grace!  Afterwards we hit Lowe's and got several needed things for the yard!

We spent the rest of the day outside!  We did some work to our deck and then Chris headed to the yard and Ava Grace and I potted some plants for the deck!

It was the perfect day and a fabulous weekend!  I am so thankful for my family and so blessed to be a Mom!  I only hope that I am as great a mom to my girls as my mom always has been and continues to be for me!!!