Mother's Day 2026

 

I used to have a hard time with Mother's Day. My mom died a month after I turned 18, so I never had a Mother's Day with my mom as an adult. In 2020, I was finally able to take my time, celebrate my mom, grieve experiences I felt robbed of, and be celebrated by my husband and kids without having to go to celebrate someone else (I know this part is selfish). This was what I needed to heal and finally be able to enjoy Mother's Day. We still send my mother-in-law a gift, and my husband calls her. However, I am allowed to spend time a lone to think of my mom, and my husband and kids celebrate me. 

This year, we had a plan. Chad was going to make homemade fettucine noodles and alfredo sauce with broccoli and a cherry cheesecake for dessert. I made rolls the day to go with it when I made bread the day before. This dinner didn't happen. 

After church, we had lunch; Eric came over; and Chad started on the cheesecake. Then, Eric, Sean, and I planted some shrubs and flowers that I had bought not long ago. When we were finishing up the last shrub, Chad came to the back door and told me he was in pain and may need to go to the ER. He was having a diverticulitis attack from eating too much rice. We made the decision together that he would lie down, take some Tylenol, and drink some water as he monitored his pain. If it got worse, we would go to the hospital. It started to get better, but there was no one to make dinner, and we didn't have anything for a backup out of the freezer. The kids and I ordered from Red Robin instead of having the planned dinner. On the way to pick up our order, we stopped at the gas station to get soda for us and apple juice for Chad. (Apple juice was his dinner because that was what we were told to do before he was discharged from the hospital in March.) We still had the cheesecake for desert after we played a game. I continually checked on Chad through the night. He eventually felt well enough to come out of our room and spend time with everyone before Eric left. 

Mother's Day didn't exactly look like we had planned. The dinner I dreamed of was not able to be made. That didn't matter. I was able to spend my time with my children, and they all got along. We laughed, we played, we ate good food. What more could this mama want?

Replacing Grass

I have wanted to replace the grass in the front yard with xeriscaping for a while. In 2020, I started the process of killing grass which in hindsight was dumb because it just left more space for the weeds to grow. last year, we bought weed barrier and a small amount of rocks thinking that we could get rid of the weeds and grass and slowly buy enough rocks to fill in the areas where we didn't want plants. This idea didn't get very far because rocks are expensive and we got distracted by other things. This spring, as Chad and I talked about homesteading, we considered the state of the front yard again and knew things had to change. 

We are working on gardening in spots in the front yard (the garden boxes next to the driveway, the former flower garden in front of the front porch, the corner by gate, etc.). However, we still need to beautify the rest of it. (Thankfully, I have a small front yard.) A few months ago, there was a link in the town newsletter for xeriscaping plants to replace grass and lower water needs. I looked through the options and found one that covered a decent space that we could afford. Chad agreed that this was a good idea and aligned with our plans. I ordered a package that was created to attract butterflies and should cover about 60 square feet when full grown. They were ready for pick up last week and have been sitting in my house since Noel and I got them. 

Yesterday, I had a grad plan of clearing enough of the yard to plant the flowers and grasses, put down a weed barrier, and plant everything before we had to leave for Noel's graduation. This was a foolish plan. The weeds have taken over the front yard and have big roots. Chad and I worked for a few hours on it. We were able to clear it for the most part after marking off the area. This morning, I finished pulling the weeds, mixed in some gardening soil, and placed the weed barrier. Then, I pulled out the planting guide they provided and a measuring tape and carefully planned out where each plant would go. I was able to get about half the plants planted before it got too hot. After dinner, I planted the rest. Tomorrow, I will spread out the mulch. Next week, I will place some stepping stones around it to finish it off. I am excited to see this plan come to fruition. 

My plan is to continue doing this each year until the grass is completely replaced with each section separated with stepping stones to make it easier to pull weeds and water when needed. I can't wait to see what it looks like when I'm done creating my dream!

Sprouts

 

A few weeks ago, I planted seeds in egg cartons we had saved for the past few months. I now have a bunch of sprouts. The first sprouts were dill and corn. Since then, oregano, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, onions and zucchini have sprouted. I have high hopes for pickling cucumbers and green beans will show up soon. 

I will be clearing space in the yard this weekend, and I will start hardening the plants next week. The basic rule of thumb for planting in Colorado is to wait until after Mother’s Day. I should be able to plant everything the week after that. I get off work early enough to be able to plant for an hour or two before making dinner each day until everything is planted in the ground. Hopefully, it will only take one or two days.