Mother's Day gifts through the years...

I'm sure you are wondering what I mean by Mother's Day gifts through the years-especially since this was my first Mother's Day this year.
Let me explain...

Mother's Day 2008: We had been married 11 months and had already been working with a doctor for 4 months.  I was blissfully hoping that we would be pregnant by this time but we were not.  Even though it hadn't even been a full year of us getting married, that first Mother's Day was still a little hard because we were realizing that it wasn't going to be quite as simple to get pregnant as we had hoped for.  So, that Mother's Day I bought myself a gift-a little something to help me get through the day and help me to not lose hope:

 Mother's Day 2009: Still battling IF, I decided to continue my little tradition that I had started the year before and went out and bought myself another gift, all the while hoping that this would be the last year that I would have to buy my own Mother's Day gift (God obviously had way different plans).  I picked out another cross, how appropriate that this was one of the first I saw:

Mother's Day 2010: Another year goes by and I go out and buy myself another gift...another little reminder to not give up, this one is called the "Angel of Hope":

Mother's Day 2011: I liked my idea of buying myself a Willow Tree figure, so out I went not knowing if I would find one that would be appopriate for my non-mother-Mother's Day gift for myself, but when I saw the "Angel of Health" I bought it and begged God to help heal my body of PCOS: 

Mother's Day 2012: Little did I know that I was already a mama at this point and the funny thing is, we were out of town with family and so I never had a chance to go out and buy myself something.  

Mother's Day 2013: I actually thought about the fact that this year I wouldn't be partaking in that little tradition that I had started with myself back in 2008, instead my dh was excitedly thinking of a special gift to get me.  And boy did he exceed all my expectations for a first Mother's Day gift.  When we woke up that morning, he said that he and F had a little something for me, along with two beautiful cards.  He pulled out a jewelry bag from the same place he had bought my pearl earrings for our wedding, and inside was the most beautiful, thoughtful piece of jewelry that he designed (he picked out each pendant himself!).  The opal is for us (our birthstone) and the amethyst is of course for our sweet little one.  I cried when I saw it and I know it's something that I will cherish forever:

Now, some people may think that I am crazy for buying myself gifts on a day that was such a painful day, but for me it was something that I had to do for myself and regardless of all the exact reasons...it seemed to help me.  Looking back I am so glad that I started that tradition with myself all those years ago-looking at each of those things now, I am reminded of where we came from, I am reminded that even in the midst of some really difficult days, I still hoped.

"We have to choose joy and keep choosing it." [Henri Nouwen]