I can't let this Mother's Day end without writing something about my mother. Here are some of my favorite memories of my mother:
1. When I was very little, I remember her loving to "primp". She curled my hair and painted my fingernails. So, when I had my baby girl, I did these same things.
2. When I was growing up she sang songs all the time. She played the piano too. I wanted to learn to play the piano just like her. When I was old enough to begin lessons, I remember placing my first book on the dashboard of the car and pretending to finger the notes. When my parents had friends over for dinner, often times my mother would play and everyone would stand around the piano and sing. When I was old enough we began to sing together in church. We still sing together almost everytime I go home.
3. My mother made almost all of my dresses when I was growning up. She even made my wedding dress. I loved for her to make my clothes because I knew that no one would be wearing the same thing as me. When I was in elementary school, my teachers would always check out my dresses. They'd call me to the front of the room, look at the hem of my dresses, and ask me to twirl around so they could see my mother's handiwork. I know how to sew today because of her. Of course my sewing isn't as good as hers, but I try.
4. My mom is a great cook. Even if I follow the same recipe as her, nothing I ever make tastes as good as hers.
5. She instilled in me the importance of being well-rounded and having confidence. Because I started first grade when I was only five, I lacked the confidence of the other children. To overcome this, my mother enrolled me in dancing. I took tap, ballet, jazz, and pointe. I gained confidence and a sense of stage presence and for this I am very grateful.
6. She encouraged me to try new things. I remember her telling me, "you would be good at that, why don't you give it a try?" She set me up for success by telling me that I would be good at it. Perhaps this is why even today that I am not afraid to try new things. I don't need to know all the answers before beginning, I simply jump in, give things a try, learn and adjust along the way.
7. My mother has an intense love of home and family. She keeps a beautiful home. Both inside and outside, her home always looks great. She continues to put family first. She takes care of us, prays for us, and loves us.
I love my mother and am very thankful for all that she has given me.....and if I'm lucky....I'll grow up to be "just like her". Dear Mom, I Love You!!
This is a family picture we took when everyone was home for Christmas. It's a picture of "my side" of our family--my mom and dad, my brother, my granny (my father's mother), my sister and her husband and two sons, my husband, our daughter and her husband, and myself. Our daughter had just learned that she was expecting her first baby.