Mommy Dearest

First off, HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY to my momma, my mother.in.law, momma's who have been there for me along the way and of course to everyone else who is a madre!

I am so grateful for my mom. I find it hard to describe how grateful I am because I feel like words could never do her justice. All that she has done for me, my brothers and sister and father is at times unthinkable, she is much like superwoman. I still, to this day, have no idea how she managed a family of 6 on a teeny budget and kept her sanity all along the way. As I have become a mom this year I have a new found respect for her and all of the sacrifices she has had to make and continues to make. I have always loved my mom and known that she has done a lot for us but your whole perspective shifts a little when you have your own child, you then realize, w. o. w., she did so much more than I ever thought of saying thank you for. So now, I will do my best, as best at words will let me, to say thank you. I love you mom!! You are the best and I think you ARE superwoman!

:::Thank You:::

for loving me when I peed, pooped and puked all over you as a baby

for rocking me to sleep night after night

doing the never ending piles of laundry

trusting your instincts in raising me, with new and repeat challenges you had to decipher

letting me suck my thumb

and then paying for braces

working hard to keep me clothed, fed and a roof over our head

signing me up to do summer track and craft classes

making me take piano lessons

letting me try the violin so I could be like my sister

making Christmas', Easters, Thanksgivings and Halloweens so much fun

continually coming up with crafts to keep our little hands busy

letting us ride our bikes wherever we wanted to

letting us climb up in that big ole weeping willow in the backyard even after Amber fell out of it

not getting mad when you found out we would jump off the roof to the trampoline

letting us camp out in the backyard, tent and all

Baking your amazing chocolate chip cookies and keeping them in your crystal cookie jar

teaching me the value of a clean home

ALWAYS having dinner on the table by 6 so we could eat as a family

making us finish our plates at dinner time

Driving to Houston for EVERY home track meet I ever had

making it a must that we attend college

Making the numerous roadtrips to and from WY, UT and IL so we could see our cousins and grandparents

taking us school clothes shopping before each new school year

letting me make my own mistakes so that I could learn my lessons

sitting at the kitchen table night after night helping me with homework

making us go to church every Sunday so that we would have a relationship with God

Keeping your church callings even if they run you ragged sometimes

Being one of those 5 people they can always call in times of need

Babysitting kids at home so you could be a stay.at.home mom while we were little

taking us to the dentist every.six.months

keeping all commitments you make

loving our dad and giving him hugs and kisses

giving us an example of true love and devotion and what a real marriage should look like

sending all of us out of the country at one point or another

trying to instill the love for reading in me....it halfway worked :)

loving and spoiling your grandchildren

helping Justin and I out as we became new parents

telling me I am doing a good job as a mom

but most of all, thank you for being you, loving your family and taking the time to be present with us. Your the best mom anyone could ever ask for and I am so happy to call you mom!! I LOVE you!