Today I am thankful that I have a BENIGN lump in my neck!!

Today I am thankful for good literature. I needed a good break from reality today and found my salvation in a story. Getting lost in a fictional place is nice.

I am also thankful for Caelan's chubby cheeks. I could pinch them all day long and can always escape from reality for a moment to attack him with kisses. Thanks for your patience, Kiddo. :)

Today I am thankful for rainy days. I have been high on sunshine and needed this cozy, rainy day to slow down. Everything looks greener today. When the sun makes its return tomorrow, the flowers with rejoice and we will all feel refreshed.

Tomorrow I am sending out an application for a writing class offered by The Institute of Children's Literature. It has been a lifetime (sort of secret) goal of mine to become a published author of children's stories and I am super excited to make my official attempt. I am finally realizing that just sitting here with these stories floating around my head won't get me anywhere with this goal... so I decided that it is now or never. I really, really hope that I pass their aptitude test and get accepted. I will feel pretty dejected if I don't. I guess I'll have to wait and see. In the mean time I need to keep writing.

Writing my stories for their test proved to be a lot of fun and very rewarding. I am definitely more motivated than ever and need to hold on to this mojo. I feel like the Little Engine Who Could. I used to have a whole lot of confidence in my writing... I was one of the youngest kids in my grade to be accepted into an AP writing and lit class as a sophomore in HS and did very well in it. English was my favorite subject throughout school until my senior year when I had an evil teacher who told me that my writing 'lacked maturity of style'. She gave me unfair grades and treated me horribly. (She was very well known for being a highly biased teacher, though.) I think that one of my primary motivators for getting published is my desire to send her a copy of the piece with a post-it that says "f-you". I do believe that she has since been fired.

In other news: tomorrow is my first Mother's Day! Geoff and I went out for a nice dinner last night to celebrate and had a great time. Yay for Outback Steakhouse and their fabulous Gluten-Free menu!! It was lovely but, Caelan, you are the only gift I need for Mother's Day. You are my pride and joy and I love you, love you, love you. You are getting SO big and are so ridiculously adorable. I feel like my heart is going to explode just thinking about you.

I'll sign off with a shout-out to all of the moms out there. To my mom, Geoff's mom, grandmas and your future wife, Caelan. NOTHING compares to the love that a mother feels for her children. Motherhood's love is infinite, unconditional and nothing short of a miracle.

Things have been a little rough for the Roberts Family throughout the last week and it has been tough to find time to sit at the computer. I just looked back at my post from April 27th, before any of this turmoil began and would just like to reiterate the truth in that statement. Gardy, if you read this blog please know that a window WILL open for you.

Today I am thankful for a wonderful world full of delicious possibilities. Even if it doesn't always seem that way.

There are days when it is more difficult than others to come up with things to be thankful for. I suppose that on those days I can at least be thankful for the gifts of faith and hope.