Mother's Day was hard for me. I think I handled it okay though. I got slightly teary eyed at church when my pastor prayed for mothers and then for those aren't able to be mothers yet have the desire. Two babies were baptized, and whenever that happens the sermon theme has something to do with children or parenting.

Since it was Mother's Day, the theme had to do with motherhood. It was a good message, entitled "Faith and Motherhood", which was mainly about how mothers are called to teach their children about the Lord. But when you would love to have children and can't, phrases like this in a sermon can be painful:
- The bearing of children is a high and noble calling.

- Being a parent in Christ is the most important task in the world.

When I hear things like that it is easy for me to get defensive. Isn't what I am doing now a high and noble calling? Aren't there more important things in the world than being a parent?

When I start thinking that way I need to step back and really take a look. Saying that bearing children is a high and noble calling is meant to make mothers not feel worthless. It's not saying that any other calling is better or more respectable. There's probably a stay-at-home mom in the congregation who was feeling a little down about staying home with kids all day who needed to hear that she is doing a great thing for her family and Lord. Being a parent isn't the most important task. The words that should be stressed are "in Christ". Many people can be parents, but what's most important as a parent is that you are following Christ and teaching your children about Him. Now that I've looked at the sermon from the right perspective, I'm feeling a little better. Still, it was a hard sermon to hear.

The good thing about church on Sunday was that I was able to escape right when the service was over. My husband had to leave right away to go check on the plants at the greenhouses. I didn't have to stay and watch my mother-in-law and others go crazy over the babies.

Sunday night we went to my in-laws after church for Mother's Day. My husband's brother and his wife came with our niece and nephew. They gave my mother-in-law a present. It was a metal heart that hung from a stand. A chain hung along the bottom of the heart. Two square pendants were hooked to the chain. Each pendant had a birthstone to represent the birth months of the two grandchildren.

It was a nice idea, but I didn't like the gift much. First of all, I thought it was ugly. Also I had hard feelings about it. My sister-in-law picked it out herself with no one else's help. She has the priviledge of doing that because she has the only two grandkids. I don't want my kids to have to have their birthstones hang on that thing because the other grandkids have theirs on it. I had no part in purchasing that heart-thing. I only want it to be for my sister-in-law's kids. I'll pick something else that I like to represent my children.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the ugly heart thing. No one has made any comments about the future, but I can't help wondering what the others are thinking. My mother-in-law didn't appear too excited about getting it. The only thing she told me when I asked about it was that it was kind of like the charm bracelet that her mother had had. Each charm of the bracelet had the name of a grandchild engraved on it. I know my mother-in-law thought the charm bracelet was pretty special. I hope she doesn't get too attached to the charms for her two grandchildren that are hanging from that heart.

Fertility Friend has made some changes. It's going to take a while to get used to it, but the changes seem to be for the better.

My cycle is progressing normally. Can you believe that this is the 27th cycle I have charted!? My period is pretty much over now, and I'll be fertile in a few days. I don't really care though. It hardly seems worth it to try anymore. I don't have much hope of ever conceiving naturally.