Happy Birthday Mom!

In honor of my mom's birthday (which was this past Saturday), here are 10 things that make me want to be just like her!

1. She loves me unconditionally & she let me know it - no matter how bratty I could be (and trust me, bratty is putting it nicely) to her while I was growing up she always let me know how much she loved me! I am sure that sometimes she wanted to slap me, but she was always there to hug me, say an encouraging word, or give me a chance to apologize.

2. She is fun to be around & very outgoing - my mom has tons of amazing friends (and many of them I am happy to call my friends too!) and she was always encouraging me to be more outgoing and talk to people. I have a tendency to be shy & a little nervous in big groups of people, but my mom was (and still is) always there to make me feel better.

3. She taught me manners - this is a big deal. I had the words "Yes, ma'am" drilled into my brain from a very early age, and if I didn't use them then I had to say it again! Now, when I hear children talking to adults without saying "Yes, ma'am" or "No, sir" it drives me crazy! It has actually become so much of a habit to me that I say it to pretty much anyone...this is definitely going to be high on my priority list with Collin. Also when we were growing up and we were invited to a birthday party we were supposed to go up to the friend's parent and thank them - this was incredibly embarrassing, but I am glad now that she made me do it.

4. She made me go to church - she was a great influence on me in this area and I realize now how blessed I am to have such wonderful godly parents who brought me up to love the Lord. Also, when I moved to Florida she found First Baptist for me. When she came to visit me we went to "big church" together and she picked up one of the brochures with all of the phone numbers on it - then she threatened me that if I didn't start going to Sunday School and meet some people that she would call the Singles Ministry and have them come visit me! I think I was in Sunday School the very next week :) Also, this is where I met Son, so if she hadn't made me get involved we may have never met...thanks Mom!!

5. She loves my dad - this is another thing that I appreciate more and more now as I get older. I never once worried that my parents were going to separate or get divorced - my mom used to say that they had taken that word out of the dictionary. Believe it or not, I cannot remember one single fight or argument that they ever had! I am sure that there were several behind closed doors "discussions" as every couple have, but growing up I was never aware of it - and this is a huge blessing for a child to grow up in such a secure home.

6. She lets me make my own decisions - my mom never oversteps her bounds or tries to be pushy with me - sometimes I even wish she would tell me what she thinks I should do more. She is so sweet to Son & I and never once has she criticized us or any of our decisions. I know so many people who always dread holidays and trying to please their own parents along with the in-laws, but with my mom she makes it effortless. She is also very open minded. I am sure that there have been several times that I have come to her with some idea that she probably thought I was crazy - but she always listened to me and let me explain where I was coming from before she gave her opinion.

7. She makes me feel special - I know that this is pretty much a mom requirement, but my mom really has this mastered! She was always telling me how beautiful I was, how good I was at dance, how smart I was, etc. This was a big help to my self esteem especially in difficult times, she was always there with an encouraging word to make me feel better!

8. She always takes my side - whenever I had a problem or was upset about something she was unconditionally my #1 supporter. This continues to mean a great deal to me because I know that no matter what the situation, she is always there to back me up & I knew that no matter what I had to tell her that she would always believe me. I know that if she is able to be here when Collin arrives (and we are praying hard that she is!) that she will be a great advocate for me in the hospital. I know that Son will be amazing also, but together, the two of them will have me totally relaxed & taken care of! I remember one time at school I had gotten in trouble for something that really wasn't my fault or a big deal, but the vice-principal had called me in his office and made me cry - well I think that my mom was in his office the next day letting him know how she felt about the way he talked to me. Way to go mom!

9. She was always involved in my life - when I was growing up it seemed like my mom was at my school every day! She was a homeroom mom, art mom, and PTA volunteer for like a million years! I remember that in 2nd grade she even filled in as a substitute teacher a few times - once she had bought me I think some cowboy boots and brought them into the class to show me - I felt so special! She also always took me to dance practice and gymnastics class and stayed to watch me most of the time - I loved that. She always made friends with my teachers, the school nurse, and the principal so that she would know what was going on, and so that they would know that I belonged to her! I always knew that she was very proud of me!

10. She is my mom! She belongs to me & I know that she would do anything in the world for me. No one else has a mom like mine (okay, except for my sister - but even then she always made me feel special and one-of-a-kind) and even today she does all of these wonderful things for me - even from a thousand miles away!!

Happy Birthday Mom (2 days late)! I love you!!