FOREST HILLS, MI - Local mother Maria Hickman was lying peacefully in bed this Mother's Day morning when her children came in to see her. 

"Happy Mother's Day!" her eldest shouted in clear English, as the younger two screamed incoherently and tore at her face while trying to get on the bed. 

The kids brought their mother her traditional yearly meal of cold toast and eggs that had been dropped on the ground on the way to her bedroom. Still, Maria was happy to see her beautiful, kindhearted young children. She was so happy, in fact, that she didn't even realize they had let her sleep all the way until 7 a.m. 

"Goodness, I feel like I slept for a week," Maria said with excitement. "You kids are spoiling me today. What time is it, anyhow?"  When Maria looked over at the clock and noticed it was just past seven, she began to cry.  According to sources, Maria hasn't been able to sleep past 5 a.m. for the past six years, due to the presence of her wonderful children. 

"I don't know what happened this morning," Maria explained. "I just sort of broke down into tears of joy.  It's hard to imagine, but sleeping until 7 a.m. was literally the best gift a mom could ask for."

Maria's children said they have never seen her so happy. Her husband, though, says he remembers once when she was happier than this. 

"The happiest I've ever seen Maria was back when we first started dating," her husband explained.  "Back then I used to get her flowers, take her on romantic dates, heck, sometimes I'd even pay for dinner.  Boy does time fly! And wait till she sees what I got her this Mother's Day!" he said excitedly while proudly motioning to a load of laundry he folded all by himself.