Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's 74th birthday. 

Some things I remember about my mom......

My mom is very smart.  Still to this day I have people that know her come up to me and tell me "Your mother is so smart" (I'm not kidding).

I remember her as my LDS Seminary teacher for 2 years while we lived in Alaska.  We met in our living room at 7:00am everyday before school.  I would come running down the stairs with various parts of clothing and finish getting ready as I sat down so that I wouldn't be late for class.  She would just give me "the look" and start the lesson.  It has always amazed me of the things she knows and what we learned from her those 2 years.  I even managed to pull A's from her AND I was never tardy for class! :)

She loves to read, I always remember that she was in the process of reading some book when ever she got the chance.  She genuinely thirsts for knowledge.

She loves music.  She insisted that dad get a piano and we ALL had to take piano lessons.  For this I will be eternally grateful to her for, because without the piano I would be lost.  Even when I was in high school, my mom used to tell me that she could always tell what kind of day I had by what I sat down to the piano and played.

I remember my mom singing.  She sang lullabies to us, she sang in choirs, she sang just because.  I remember one Christmas she sang "O Holy Night" solo for church that Sunday.  It has been my favorite Christmas song since and every time I hear it or play it I think of her singing it in her clear soprano.  I have sang some of the same lullabies to my children and grandchildren.

She loves art.  As far back as I can remember she has always been active in artistic ventures.  She loves to go to art shows. She has belonged to various art guilds and associations.  She loves to teach art and has at various times taught art classes in the schools and privately.  She has taken many art classes herself.  She has done probably every form of art I can think of...watercolor, oils, sculpture, collage, pastels, and the list goes on.  I have 7 of her paintings hanging here in my home.  For the past several years she has been designing and making her own jewelry to sell.  I have several pair of earrings that she has made.  She has always been good at anything she has tried.

I remember her making all our clothes.  The sewing machine was always busy and she taught us how to sew.  My senior year I made most of my clothes myself.  When Jamie was little I made a lot of her clothes.  She would also knit and crochet.  I remember her putting up fruits and vegetables every summer. 

When my dad was in Vietnam and we lived with my grandparents, I remember that Christmas.....We had one of those silver trees with the color wheel.  Well every morning when my sisters and I woke up that silver tree would be decorated with a different color of balls.  Every night after we went to sleep my mom and grandma would redecorate that tree to surprise us every day.

I remember that same year when my mom was hit by a drunk driver and totaled the car.  She was very lucky and ended up with bruises and stitches in her head.  I remember being so scared when grandpa told us what had happened and had gone running off to the hospital to see her.

She was always having us try new foods.  Being in the military we always knew people from different backgrounds.  I remember once she was friends with a Japanese lady and she had her make us an authentic Japanese dinner.  I'm sure this is why all of us love so many different types of foods and we have never been afraid to try something new.

My mom has always been supportive in what ever we have chosen to try.  I remember when I was 16 and told her I wanted to quit piano lessons (we had just moved to Brigham and I hated the teacher she had found for me) and that I wanted to concentrate on dance.  I know she wanted me to continue lessons, but she let me do what my heart desired. 

When I made Dance Club my senior year, she (without complaints) helped me sew my costumes and run me to practices and sat in the audience cheering me on.

When I got married my mom made my wedding dress. 

She has helped me with the girls, watching them while I worked. 

I remember her when Kelly became sick.  She was by my side through it all.  Going to the hospital with me, giving me advice and listening when I needed to talk.  She never let me wallow in self pity too long before she would pull me up and push me forward to deal with the things I had to deal with. 

The day Kelly died my mom was right there the whole day, even though she was suffering from gout at the time.  When it was time for him to leave this life she was right there to guide me when I was at a loss for words to say to Kelly in his final moments.  I was truly amazed how she listened to the spirit and knew just exactly what I needed to say and do for him to go peacefully.

I have watched my mom in her dealings with my brothers and sisters.  I have even questioned her later as to why she said and did the things she did.  In dealing with my own daughters those examples and words have come back to me thousands of times and helped me decide how to handle the situations that have come up with them.

She loves to do Genealogy.  I remember going on vacations and in certain areas getting out to see old cemeteries while she looked for names.  She worked in the Church's Name Extraction office here in Brigham for many years.  I recently found out just how instrumental she was in making the necessary program changes that the Church had directed them to make and in learning and teaching the other workers there what they needed to know.

My mom's faith in the Gospel is unwavering.  She has a strong testimony and has brought us up in the church.  But in the end she has let us all make our own choices and loves us regardless.

I could keep going....in the end my mom is a loving wife and mother.  She has set wonderful examples for us and she loves us no matter what we do. 

Mom, I love you and am grateful to you for all you have taught me and helped me with.  I don't think words will ever be enough to get across my feelings for you.  I hope you have a very happy birthday.