Spiel the Beans with the Queens: Mother's Day

Y'all.

I had the BEST of intentions to introduce this new link-up with y'all last week. But life is funny and basically always makes plans that it didn't clue me in on and that just didn't happen. So instead I'll introduce it to you today....

 Shelly and I had hoped that Queen Bees would become a place for us to connect others, but guess, what...

Haha! That's right - we knew that this was a tough{er} topic to discuss - and if we're honest (which we always are), it was TOUGH for us to come up with posts each month. NOT because we don't have tons of women that we could gush about it - because we do - but it's just not the easiest topic. But our goal still remains and we really want to create a space that welcomes you in like a friend. A place where you can share YOUR fashion tips, favorite recipes, funny stories, moments of hard and days of success. So we went back to the drawing board and are ready to SPIEL all the beans! :) This month we are cutting it up with the best (or worst) Mother's Day gifts we have given or received and I can't wait to read your stories.

I can't believe that this will be my NINTH Mother's Day as a MOMMA! What a gift in itself. I think all of them have been my favorites but the first one was perhaps the sweetest. Ryan and I were driving to Waco to hang out with my momma, Radley was buckled up in the back seat and  Ryan made some excuse to get me to open the glove compartment and inside was waiting a jewelry box and inside that was a single diamond drop pendant. And I haven't taken it off since.

Last year was pretty awesome, too... we've made it a tiny tradition to go to the lake every Mother's Day and they got me super prepped for the day. 

Me. My kids. A kite and my favorite hat. Definitely a Momma's Day to remember. 

I am so lucky to spend this day hugging and loving on my own kiddos - being pampered by my sweet husband and being reminded of His grace in each of them. It took having kids for me to realize just how much I am loved by own mom which is why my favorite Mother's Day was the year that Jenni and I surprised our moms with a trip to the beach. 

We had just finished our first year with real jobs and had saved enough money to book the same vacation that they had taken us on for a decade....

I have a lifetime of memories on the beaches of Port Aransas, flanked by the women that taught me ice cream for breakfast is totally acceptable. Guacamole is an acceptable meal. And men of any age will sit and talk to pretty women on the beach. They taught me to serve those that needed it - they brought an extra bucket to the beach every morning for the trash we could find. They taught me that time with friends was always time well spent. 

So the gift to them was a gift for all of us. Because we kept going again and again and never in a million years when I was that 6th grade girl did I imagine those beautiful, amazing, strong, funny, ice-cream loving women would be standing on that beach holding our children's hands. 

I'd give anything to be back on that beach with them again, I imagine every day is day at the beach for Dee now. Finding sand dollars, saving starfish, and eating ice cream for breakfast. 

Can't wait to hear about your favorite Mother's Day... 

Thanks so much for stopping by this month's link-up. 

A little linkup etiquette:  

We want this link-up to be FUN but we get it... sometimes it's hard to keep track of it all! So feel free to post old posts - new posts... it's up to you!  Please link to your specific post URL and not to your blog home page.

Please place a link back to this link-up in either your post or on your party page so that others can link up too. 

Use the hashtag #spielthebeans on other social media

It's a party, try to visit at least 2 other posts and show them some love!  This is the fun part! Be inspired, inspire someone else - don't just link and run!  

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Remember, this is a place to come to share your stories with others! Stop by other posts and say hello  - we are all in this crazy inter web together... so grab a drink, your coziest blanket and put your favorite Netflix show on in the background. Make some friends, share some laughs and maybe even shed some tears... we are so glad you here! Here are the prompts and dates for the year, we hope you'll join us for each and every one!

An InLinkz Link-up