Mama Doran Day

I'm not sure that anything can beat the wonderful surprise/scavenger hunt gift I got last year from my babes and to be honest, nothing needs to be done. The best gift is really just being together. With Joey working in Kalamazoo, that can be hard but we got him home! I was talking with Jeff on my way home from work and when I pulled up to the house, I screamed, "OH MY GOSH! JOEY IS HOME?!" I was so excited! Although I had to work Thursday and Friday it was so wonderful to have him home and we even played my new obsession card game (5 crowns) and no one really complained.

Zach got me flowers (a hanging plant that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies), some seeds and watering can) and he and Seany also wrote me really nice letters. I really appreciated them cleaning up and getting our deck summer ready! It was so nice to all sit out on the deck and just catch up! Ali came home around noon so we got to have ALL the babies together for a couple hours. We reenacted an old Mother's Day photo too!

Nana of course was able to come too! We don't do Mother's Day together because we go to Saginaw each year because we don't get as much time with them and it's much easier to see my folks (even though I feel like I don't see them all that much with the craziness of life).

Chef Jeff treated us with DELICIOUS pancakes, bacon, and hashbrowns from the blackstone and we also had fruit and mimosas! (soooo good) It's fun that Ali can have a drink with us now too. We were going to do a three generations picture (missing Great Nan) but Z photo bombed us and then it didn't matter all that much. I just wanted to be together.

Since reviving this blog again, I do realize how much I appreciate pictures and telling the stories that went with them. My mom and I got a picture with all the Doran kids. Jeff took it though and he wasn't the best and cut off Sean... Zach actually had a lot of space on his side but we tried to crop it so it didn't look TOO bad- so sorry Seany. Dad isn't the best picture taker but he's getting better.

This was a great way to celebrate Mother's Day~ a day I'm not all that keen on and while that melancholy feeling was there under the surface it feels better that it's known and something we accept and just a feeling that's OK. I love my family and I am so very thankful that I get to mother these amazing humans and that I learned from the best!