*Happy Birthday Mom!!!

~Today is my Mom's 50th Birthday!! She is a very private person and doesn't really enjoy attention to herself. (So you know she's dying right now reading this & knowing that other people are too....but oh well Na na nanana!) She deserves the attention every now and then so here it goes:

~Mom is someone who never focuses on herself and is constantly giving to others selflessly. She puts her needs behind those of her families, friends, ward members whoever and never complains about it...no really she doesn't! Mom is always happy and tries to make the best of every situation.  She has the silliest sense of humor that we all make fun of her for, yet each possess in some way.

 Don't worry Mom I won't talk about your shimmy dances in the kitchen or cheerleading kicks you recreate from back in the day. Oh.. whoops!

~Mom raised 7 kids and often did it alone when Dad was busy serving in the Bishopric. It was not always easy, though she made it look that way to others. And she did not go without the "you have-too-many-kids comments" either, whether it be from rude strangers in the grocery store or even at church. Little did they know that if anyone could raise this many little kids; she could. 

~Mom is like one of the old pioneer women in the Gospel who stays on the straight and narrow and never wavers. (Appropriately pictured in front of Nauvoo Temple.) She easily allows the spirit in the room and taught us kids to feel that same spirit through good music and activities. 

~She can do or make almost anything, whether it be musical, crafty, sewing whatever. I find myself calling her on a regular basis to have her answer some sort of mothering or cooking question.

~Mom hardly ever has a mean thing to say about anyone. There have been people that had done her wrong or hurt her feelings that I didn't know about until I was an adult...and even then it was said very cushiony and without judgement. As kids she wanted to protect us from the World. She wanted us to have love in our hearts for everyone around us and taught us to not get offended and to be the peacemaker in situations. And peacemaker she is.

 

*Mom is like our DIRECTOR in Life. She is behind the scenes most of the time, yet probably deserves the most credit.*

*Happy Birthday Mom~ We LOVE YOU*

Dad gets his Doctorate 2002 (i was big & prego 

....but notice how Mom is in the background-how fitting)

~I love this picture of my parents and I for a couple of reasons. The fall leaves, because I see my kids faces in mine, my Dad's groovy mustache and how pretty my Mom looks. You wonder if at this point in her life if she had any idea what the future would hold.

~And yes she is the one who has begun this growing phenomenom of "Grandma Day." Once a week, she takes my kids and spends some good quality time with them. They go to the pet store, or the park, library, play on the McDonalds playground, get ice cream cones just for fun...you know all the stuff that Mom's promise their kids but don't necessarily always do. Daylan calls her "Gramma Tappy" and Kaylea says that she is her favorite person.