Mom's Day

Mother's Day......the perfect occasion for a post about the best woman I've ever met, who also happens to be my mom:) So I know that many people claim to have "the best mom in the world," but only I can say it and truly mean it. I lived with her 18 years of my life and I honestly cannot think of a single flaw! That is the truth. So here are just a few of the things that I love about my mom.

As you can see from these pictures, she is beautiful! But her beauty is so much more than skin deep.....I am convinced that she could suffer severe burns on her face and lose all her hair, and she would STILL be gorgeous! I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Lady Blessington ....."There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness." My mom is the happiest person I know......or joyful might be a more accurate word......not the ooey gooey sickeningly "happy" show some people put on, but rather a sincerely grateful, content, and joyful spirit. She sees the best in people and situations which in turn inspires and motivates people (myself included) to be their best. She delights in life's simple pleasures.......homemade cards, picnics at the park, and quiet evenings reading the paper in front of the fire. At times her joy has manifested itself in a sound.......I remember when living at home I would often hear a high pitched "fluttering of the tongue sound" (which I really wish I knew how to convey with these keyboard symbols) that would escape her lips as she dashed up the stairs, excited that Dad was home from work. My mom never complains, whines, or feels sorry for herself. She denies being sick......she just sucks it up and deals with it. She is ALWAYS pleasant to be around. 
Besides being the happiest person I've ever known, my mom is also the most selfless person I've ever known. She gives 150% to those around her. She has 11 grandkids and whenever the whole family gets together, the rest of us sit back in awe over the attention and energy she has for each and every grandkid. She feeds them, reads them books, makes snowforts, blows bubbles, draws with chalk, kisses boo boos, feeds them some more, whisks babies away to change their stinky diapers, plays the piano and sings with them, plays with playdough, makes homemade books, plays games, cleans their messes, yada yada yada........and with a good attitude. It's amazing to me just watching her make cookies with my girls. She lets them all get in on the action, even if it means that Gwen spills flax all over the table, or Josie gets eggshells in the bowl. And she never loses her patience! 

I feel like I must also admit that I think my mom helped me "snag" my wonderful husband. He saw very early in our relationship what a wonderful mom I had and believed that as her daughter I would turn out much like her. While reading some Newlywed Game questions among some friends awhile back we came across, "Who is your wife most like in her family?" I sheepishly and with a question mark at the end said "my mom?" Steve laughed. So I obviously have a long way to go, but I have had the perfect example of what a wife and mother should be. So on this Mother's Day and every day I am grateful to be the only one who can truthfully say "I have the best mom in the world."