Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday :)

This past week I've been trying to come up with a topic to talk about in honor of her birthday, or even a letter I could write her.

But nothing seemed right, nothing was good enough.

Then it hit me: how about all five of us choose one thing we love or appreciate about her?

Ryan - Me wuv her berry much! She got me Bandesco Laloulli!!!

Nate - She always gets me cool books and lets me watch movies at her house. Oh, and she has really cool toys for us to play with, too!

Paige - She gave me the bestest gift ever - my mom! And she likes horses like me, too.

Pete - She raised a wonderful daughter and is a great grandmother to my kids.

Me - Okay, maybe this wasn't such a very good idea. I can't narrow it down! So here's a few things that I love and appreciate about my mom:

- She has been someone who will always let me vent, cry on her shoulder, or just let me babble for an hour on the phone for no reason other than I just need an adult to talk to. I think she is one of the reasons I'm still sane!

- She loved me unconditionally even though I've made some poor choices, and a good deal of her gray hairs are from my late teens/early 20's. No matter what I did, she loved me. She may not have liked me very much, but I never doubted her love for me.

- She is helping me become a better mom. Growing up, she put everything she had into being Mom to me and my brother, taking very little time for her marriage or herself. She always tells me that I need to have my own hobbies and activities, and that taking time with my husband is important. When I do take the time for myself or with Pete, I'm recharged to be able to tackle the daily routine and stressors without going crazy.

- She has always made my birthday extra special. Because I was born so close to Christmas, a lot of people either forgot or neglected my special day. She always made a point of keeping it a separate celebration, and never skimped on the details just because it's a hectic time of year. I try to do the same for my kids; I really appreciate all the work she put in, it's not easy planning and hosting birthday parties! Oh, she always gets me a snowman Carvel ice cream cake, even though they're mad expensive. You can do this one for me instead this year if you want, Mom!


So happy birthday, Mom/Yaya, from all of us! We love you!!!!