So tonight I went to Choir Senior Night at Eldorado High School. Tonight was Janet Tyler's farewell concert. In honor of the occassion she asked her alumni to come back and sing one more song for her. I would say there was about 25-30 students there, going all the way back to 1997. Now Janet hasn't been there that long but I am thinking she has been there for at least 10 years. So here are these "adults" walking up on the stage, getting ready to sing a song they had only just heard and they sung it amazingly. They gathered at 5:00; Were handed out solos; practiced till 6:00 and sounded as if they had sung together their whole lives. It was absolutely amazing.
However, I never thought such a wave of emotion would wash over me as it did. I am watching Awburn up there singing and was taken back to this time, not so long ago, of her crying because she didn't want to go to EHS. Janet was my only saving grace. She pulled Awburn into that choir dept. and gave her a reason to want to be there. I watched this shy girl transform into this confident, opinionated woman.
Then I see Kalah up there with her confidence, when so many others doubted, singing her heart out. Her facial expressions that she brought with her from middle school that stood her out from all the other kids. I see her hair up on her head, because she had just came from soccer practice or a game. But yet she was up there with such composure that you would never have known.
I see both of these amazing young women singing their senior solos and me watching them, thinking to my self, "Where did the time go?" That is how I felt tonight. Didn't know but one or two students up there from this years senior class, (The only reason I recognized them was that they were sophomores when Kalah graduated and one of them was the "Nazi Choir Moms" kid) and yet I am there to watch my daughter sing. The same girl who was begging me to not send her to EHS, singing in the alumni choir, with an engagement ring on her finger, given to her by the boy who stole her heart, whom she met at EHS. It was just really surreal for me tonight. It was an eye opener of what it means when one says "Full Circle".
Of course, this all goes back to the amazing woman who started it all and that is Janet. To her I tip my hat, kiss the ground, bow, curtsy, whatever it takes for her to know that so many of us are so grateful for all of her hard work, dedication, time and heart that she has put into teaching our children. Like so many other teachers, who are molding our future, with so little help and acknowledgment, and yet they still go in, Monday through Friday, with the determination that they are going to make a difference in at least one child's life. I want to thank her for doing it for two. My only regret is that she will not have the same opportunity to do the same for Tarin, who I believe, with all of my heart, would have got the greatest reward from it. I can only hope that Tarin will be blessed sometime in the next 4 years to have at least one Janet Tyler.

Happy Mother's Day to me. Can I just say what a perfect Mother's Day I had? Well let me re-phrase that...it was almost perfect. Kalah not being here was definitely a minus. I did talk to her A LOT today though. Around 11:00 My parent's came over along with my sister's and sister in-law and we had a wonderful brunch. I made my famous (or what has become famous) chicken-walnut salad croissants, fresh fruit and mimosa's. It was quite tasty if I do say so myself.

Everyone left around 2:30 and I laid on the couch and took a 2 hour nap!!!!! It was awesome. Before I actually started falling asleep I was remembering back on a few mother's day from the past and I have to say it made me a little emotional. Here are a few that I remembered:

1. My first Mother's Day, which also happened to be the day after my wedding, laying in the
hotel room and Toby handing me my card and it read "To My Wife on Mother's Day" and
crying.

2. I remembered how excited the girls would be to show me their gifts that they made for me
in school. I still have every little clay dish, flower pot, picture frame and card that they ever
gave me.

3. Leaving the house at 10:00 a.m to start making the rounds. First Grandma Barb's, who
we would surprise with McDonald's and Flowers then head off to Grandma Sharol's for a
BBQ, which I really didn't get cause us Mom's still did most of the work.

4. Going to a movie with the girls and only finding out 1/2 way through that it wasn't an
appropriate movie for Tarin. Quite awkward.

5. Laurie and the girls making a big Mexican feast for all of us Mother's. Which also, sadly
to say, was my Mother in-law's last.

6. And today. For the first time in 14 years I didn't have My 3 Girls with me on Mother's
Day.

I have always said that My 3 Girls have always been my greatest accomplishment. How amazing I think it is that God entrusted these beautiful human beings into my care. How blessed I am that not only do I have a relationship with each of them but also a friendship. Everything that I am is because of My 3 Girls and because of this I will be forever blessed.

To you, my daughter's I say this: "Have I told you lately that I love you? Have I told you there's no one else above you? You fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness. Ease my troubles that's what you do." Thanks for making it so easy to be your Mom.