Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday. How do you properly honor your own mother in a single little post? My mom gave me life and attentively, sportively, interactively, willingly raised me and embraced every stage, every challenge. She took me to church faithfully two times (or more) a week, painted my room sea foam with a peach flamingo border when I felt that was the way to go, loved me when I was a teenage brat, stayed up with me and listened to hours of English papers over the phone while I was away at college, created and continues to fuel the fire within me for crafts and parties...(have you heard about our "craft closet" growing up? It was the best!!) How do I ever communicate to her or anyone the magnitude of warm fuzzy feelings I have toward my mom???

And now I have the privilege of seeing through her eyes the amount of love, care, concern and involvement that a Mother feels for her children. I have the honor of feeling the regret of the rude things I may have said through a few selfish years, and the pleasure of being at a place where her wisdom is now more readily accepted and welcomed...(it is so much easier this way, I hope my daughters figure it out sooner than I did :)

ANYWAYS.... Mom, you are so special to me. I am thankful for your empathy, your kindness, your glass-always-half-full attitude, your positive example in your friendships and your faithfulness in your commitments over the years, to AWANA, to the D school, to 3rd grade Sunday school, to my family... You are reliable and trustworthy and caring. I love you so much and I am so thankful for you and the very important role you have played and continue to play in my life.

Happy Birthday, I love you!

And now, some photos!!!!

Special Memories!

9 years ago today, you held your 3 day old first grandchild!!

4 generations...

Taking Mikayla to her first "show" Sesame Street LIVE...

you always think of fun and different things for the kids :)

So many great memories growing up going to the 4th of July picnic at Lamonica (and then Buchanan)

The kids feel so supported and loved by you!

I just love this pic...it's a good one!

Another good one I couldn't pass up...

Now this is dedication; writing postcards to us from the Eiffel tower AND snapping a photo to prove it! I still have the letters you sent every day to Hume Lake camp...that was so special!