holalohayall: Day for Mother's is a Happy One

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

This is my fourth Mother's Day spent as an actual mother. I spent my first Mother's Day bent over in pain, full of stitches in my abdomen, packing up my things from my hospital stay, heading home to recover with my new baby girl. It was beautiful.

And so has been every Mother's Day spent thereon. Our family has made a little tradition out of going to the lake and being together as a family. We usually go with Dario's sister and husband and kids, and Blanca, Dario's mom. This has been the 2nd year in a row that we've spent the day this way. This particular Sunday was so nice, because it wasn't too hot, there was a nice breeze, not too crowded. We had a lovely time. Here are some pictures to prove it. And yes, I did mean to use the word "prove" because it's not often that I can say, wholeheartedly, that I've spent a "lovely time" with my in-laws. Oops! More on that in later blogs.

Starting from top left, clockwise: Falls Lake, The Oneto's (Dario, sister Rossana, mom Blanca), Blanca, Giovanna, Azul (niece), Sebastian (nephew).

For so many years, Mother's Day was just about, obviously, my mom. It feels kind of nice to have a day that is dedicated to me, and every other mother in the world I guess, now that I'm a mother. I can remember making homemade cards for my mom on Mother's Day, and stealing quarters out of her "secret" stash, scrounging up just enough to buy some lamentable pair of costume jewelry earrings (and bus money to get back and forth to buy $1 worth of kaki mochi at the crack seed store in Kaimuki). Side note: I'm just realizing that that style of purchasing has been a habit of mine since I was, obviously, very young - - one for you, one for me. Anyways, point being, I can't wait until Giovanna's old enough to steal my money in an effort to show her affection and love by presenting me with some awful gift on Mother's Day! Ah, the things I have to look forward to. For now, I'm more than happy to accept her hugs and kisses in exchange for tragic attempts at appreciation that I'm her mommy.

Oh, and by the way, in case you're wondering...I had a wonderful birthday. I got calls, and texts, and facebook wishes from friends and family. Dario and I went on our "date" and, although I had to elbow him ever-so-slightly a couple times during the romantic comedy to get him to stop snoring, it was a nice time. (FYI, the movie synopsis is, go figure, as such: Ladies' man protagonist who, scared of real emotions, stifles his feelings by sleeping around, then after seeing the one he let get away with another man, realizes it's better to love than to have not loved at all, and confesses love for aforementioned lucky lady in most romantic of ways. American ideals of romance, blog post #6 - read it!!!) We went out to eat afterward, at a hip spot downtown, where, ironically, we felt like - okay, who am I kidding - we were the oldest ones there, and enjoyed one anothers' company.

Then, the next day, a package arrived in the mail. My friend and fellow blogger, Brittany, sent me a present! It was sweet and sentimental, just like her...an apron, with a note that said "Keep up the cooking." She's been following my blog, about the cake diaries. Thanks Brit, you always have the most creative ways of saying you care!

And thanks to everyone else for your kind words, wishes, and presents that make a silly girl like me feel the love!

Here are some more pics from my date night with Prince Charming...