BEEing A Mom: A Regal Welcome Home

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs...since the payment is pure love."

~Mildred B. Vermont~

When I returned home yesterday after four days at a writers conference, my little guy greeted me at the door with a big hug and kiss. Ah, how I loved that! But the best was still to come.

He grabbed my hand in his and led me up the stairs to our den.

"I made you something special, Mommy," he said in his sweet voice.

I grinned as he handed me a balloon he had doodled on. Then he gave me his Burger King crown. Oh, I felt like such a queen. :0)

But that was not all. He held up a homemade card and wrapped gift. I reached for the card and studied the cover for a few moments.

"What did you draw here?" I asked.

He pointed at the picture in the middle. "This is Daddy, you, and me."

"And what are we standing on?"

"A Bible."

Oh, I love the imagery of that! Our family standing firm on the Bible.

As I opened the card, my little guy asked, "Can I read it?"

I gave him the card and bent down so I could read along.

Tears filled my eyes as I hugged him.

He then asked if he could open the gift. I nodded.

As he unwrapped it, I spotted a pasta necklace he had made at school. I proudly put on the necklace. How regal I felt with my crown, necklace, and wand (the balloon)! I tapped him on the head with the balloon and declared, "You are now a prince."

BEEtween the Pages: Love You More by Jennifer Grant

“I expected that the country of my daughter’s birth would be transformed from just another patch of color on the globe, speckled with unfamiliar city names, to a place of significance to me. My family would begin to identify with it—we would have roots there. I twirled the globe and saw the countries spin past. India. China. Russia. Haiti. Sudan. A slideshow of images clicked in my mind as I strained to imagine the child whom I did not yet know.”

~Excerpt from Love You More by Jennifer Grant~

In her memoir, Love You More: The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter, Jennifer Grant eloquently writes about her family’s journey to adopt her youngest daughter, Mia. Grant gives a “real” account of the adoption process, sharing with readers the ups and downs she and her family endured on this lengthy journey. She doesn’t sugarcoat the process and often poses questions or raises issues that anyone contemplating adoption should consider before beginning the process. I found this book insightful and helpful in better understanding the adoption process.

But Grant’s book focuses on more than adoption. It chronicles Grant’s journey as a mother. She sprinkles wisdom and humor in the stories she tells of her life as a mom before and after she adopted Mia. As a mom myself, I enjoyed these stories and could often relate to them. With Grant’s down-to-earth, conversational style, I found this book inviting and endearing.

I recommend this book to anyone who is considering adoption as well as to anyone who is embarking on the journey of motherhood.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it.