Happy Motherâs Day, Rural Sprout readers!Â
 Today, we celebrate mom.  With every passing year, I have to say my favorite gift from my kids is simply having all three of them under my roof for the day. (Luckily, I got them for the whole weekend this year.) As theyâre getting older, and the eldest has already flown the nest, it gets
harder and harder to manage.
I was thinking back on Motherâs Days of the past, both as a mother and as a daughter. There were some great ones and some pretty funny ones.  And quite a few bizarre gifts over the years.  About fifteen years ago, little clear glass cubes with laser-etched designs inside them were
quite popular at the mall. The design was always something kitschy like a teddy bear, a single rose or a bald eagle.  One Motherâs Day (before my youngest was born), my two kids (mostly the eldest, the middling child was only one) decided I needed one of these. (I really, really didnât.)  Mine had a bouquet with butterflies flitting around it, the word 'Mom' above the bouquet and 'I â„ïž You' on the bottom.
But it was from my kids, so I proudly displayed it in my home over the years.  Even after these interesting décor choices fell out of popularity, I kept mine.  A couple of years ago, I heard a loud crash.  It had slid off of its illuminated, spinning mirrored
base (yeah, that kind of tacky), and an entire corner sheared off.
Itâs funny how these things grow on you.Â
The Engineer happened to pop in about ten minutes after my glass butterfly bouquet cube bit it. He found me standing there, carefully holding glass shards in one hand, a busted cube in the other, sobbing and begging him to fix my favorite Motherâs Day
gift.
The following Motherâs Day, all three kiddos went in on a gift, so I knew something was up. I unwrapped the package and inside was another laser-etched decorative glass cube. Only this one is inspired from one of my favorite photos of my kids when they were younger - my boys are giving their sister a big ol'
smooch.
 Is it just as tacky? You bet.  Do I love it beyond words? Oh, heck yeah.  (I kept the busted original. I couldnât bear the thought of pitching it.) Â
Enjoy those goofy gifts you receive over the years. They mean the world when the goofy kids who gave them to you are all grown up.Â
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Did you miss a newsletter or want to read a few for inspiration? Find past newsletters here. Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for daily updates.Â
That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers.
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