Happy Birthday, Mama!

I don’t talk about my mom a lot on my blog.  That’s actually kind of odd because my mom is one of the biggest parts of my life.  Although, ironically, we saw each other more when I lived 2 hours away.  Now that we’re 10 minutes away, we both seem to get tied up in the day-to-day shuffle and can go weeks without seeing each other anywhere other than church.  It’s kind of sad, really, ’cause my mom’s teh awesome.  Yes, it’s true.  She is.  Go ahead be jealous.

When I was little, my mom stayed home with me and my brother.  For some reason I don’t remember very many specific details about my childhood(I’m not alone on this; my BFF can’t remember jack-crap from her childhood either.), but I do remember some things.  Still shots, almost.  Like actual little photographs stored away in a filing cabinet somewhere in my brain.  I remember sitting on the floor next to her while she was  folding clothes.  We were watching “Little House On The Prarie“.  That’s it.  That’s all I remember from that event.  Nothing spectacular happened.  No life changing event.  Just folding clothes and watching some Laura Ingles Wilder.

I remember lying on her bed and watching Beverly Hills, 90210 with her as a pre-teen.  It came on after my little brother’s bed time, so it was our special time together.  Sometimes she’d let me stay up and watch Murphy Brown.  (Are you laughing at me?  Don’t laugh.  That show is awesome!)

I remember us going to pick out my prom dress.  That was pre-breast reduction, so finding a dress that fit the lower part of me and the upper part of me was no easy task.

I remember her going back to school to pursue higher education.  (I’m proud to say that she is now a Woman’s Health Nurse Practioner, and a damn good one at that.)  It was hard for her and for all of us, but it set a great example for me.  She, without saying a word, showed me that you can do anything you set your mind to.  And that being a mom doesn’t mean you can’t be anything else.

I remember watching her with her parents, and hoping that she and I would have a relationship like she had with my Nana.

I remember watching her so lovingly care for my Mama Jo, her mother-in-law.  Cooking dinner, opening jars, buttoning buttons, doing things my grandmother just couldn’t do for herself.

My mama has given tirelessly of herself for years.  And she continues to be an amazing mom and an amazing grandmother.

I love watching her with my kids.  I love hearing her sing songs to them that she used to sing to me.

I love watching her scratch Lydia’s back.  And remember how she used to scratch mine when I was a little girl.  And how she’ll still do it now, even without me asking.

I love watching her explain things to Carter.  I love how she doesn’t leave out the little details when she is trying to teach him something.

I love watching her snuggle with Asa.  Sing so softly that only he can hear.

I love how she loves them.  And how she loves me.  And how she loves everyone.

She is giving.  She is kind.  She is patient.  She is full of God’s love, and always wanting to share it with others.

And today, on her birthday, I just want to share her with you.

On the count of three let’s yell happy birthday, m’kay?

One…Two…Three

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

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