sunday spotlight: mary martha

i'm not sure i can adequately describe mary martha. she is such a loyal and wonderful friend. she's one of those people who is able to squeeze the absolute best out of life. she is constantly on the go-always able to find the neatest things to do with her boys. but she is also the kind of person who will stop and just play with her boys-she is never to busy to love on them. mary martha's adorable twin boys were born a week after hugo and i have watched her learn to raise two little boys as i tried to figure out just my one. i cannot imagine how much work they are-but mary martha has handled it with such grace and strength. and-she loves it. (she always talks about how she would love to have more twins). i'm lucky to call her a friend and have learned so much from her example. below are some of her thoughts on being a mother:

After a recent funeral, I realized that I don't want to wait until it's too late to see the best in people--including my own children. As a mom, I find myself moving from one necessity to the next and I always think I'm just so busy. I'm trying to discover ways to enjoy the ordinariness of each day and acknowledge the joys of every day. I have found that a part of my enjoyment of my role as a mother is being sure to capture on my camera phone lots of little moments throughout the day. I find great satisfaction in laying in bed at night with my husband and scrolling through photos--laughing together over the day's activities with the boys. Stepping back and capturing both the good and bad has helped me stop and appreciate through it all. I have worked hard at stepping in and getting on my boys' level. They are twins and play so well together so sometimes it's easy to let them do their own thing. I find great satisfaction in the relationship I have built with my boys as a result.

I never imagined how sweet the joy could be with becoming a mom and surrounding myself with little ones. I'm grateful for this great city that made me a mom. I've learned a lot both in the home and out and about in NYC. My twins teach me everyday how precious and sweet life really is. I feel empowered to have a family and to know where my true source of happiness comes from. I'm so grateful.