What's Cooking? Peanut Butter Balls but Mostly About Mothers Day

Last weekend was Mother's Day.

I spent a lot of time not looking forward to Mother's Day and then just trying to survive it.

When I became a Mother I didn't fully embrace it but it was now a part of my life. My daughter gives me little gifts she makes for me and I do love that but it's up there with my mom's birthday and the anniversary of her death for difficult days in my book.

This year was probably the best Mother's Day I have had in many years for a few silly reasons.

First, Heidi gave me a gift she made all by herself.

She planted a flower for me at school, she made me a card, and she made me that awesome Duck Tape Purse!

A bit later in the day Shawn and Heidi surprised me with this little guy.

Let me tell you about this little guy. He has been a little bit of a pain in my ass since he arrived on Mother's Day.

First, he was sitting on my dresser when I was getting dressed without me even knowing! 

Then, I placed my comb on the dresser, right next to him, where I put it every day. When I went to grab it to comb out Heidi's hair it was gone! Later I found it in the pocket of my bathrobe. He totally did that.

Later in the day when Jess and her family were over we had moved Mr. Gnome out to the Gazebo table. She placed a cigarette next to him and within a few minutes it was gone. It's been over a week now and it has yet to surface.

All of this forced me to make Mr. Gnome's home the small space between the strawberry patch and the zucchinis on the side of the yard. He had been minding his business in this new home but I am telling ya, we will not tolerate any more mischievousness!

Once I got Mr. Gnome settled into his new place in the garden we made our way to my parents house for lunch.

 Heidi, the bug whisperer, had fun rounding up all the inch worms on my dad's deck.

And she adopted this little guy who ended up living in a peanut butter jar on my kitchen table until yesterday when we talked her in to letting him go back out into the wild.

We grilled out and then enjoyed these yummy peanut butter balls for dessert. Mine are not nearly as cute as the ones made over at Strawberry-Chic but they were so very good! You really should go see her pictures, they are much better than mine.

After we ate we all sat around and played pass the baby.

 Heidi is a very good big cousin. She really enjoys holding baby Eliette Mae.

Grandpa was more than happy to get in on the fun of the baby holding too!

Eventually, when the baby holding was over, we headed back to our house and hung out with sibling-in-laws in the back yard. The Gnome didn't play any more tricks and we all just kicked back and relaxed while the adults chatted and the cousins played in the yard.

My amazing family did a pretty good job keeping me distracted for the day and I made it through.  What I learned this year was to lean on my family on hard days like this, not to just hole away and hide. And that is the best Mother's Day gift anyone could give me. (But the Duck Tape Purse is pretty awesome too!)

 I know it's a week late, but happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there. Keep up the good work!