Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. We will be celebrating with dinner at Beth's house tonight. We wanted to do something special for her and Beth came up with the idea to think of 60 things that we love and apprecaite about our mom. So I talked to my brother Mark and the three of us went to work coming up with personal reasons why we love our mom. In honor of her and who she is to each of us I want to share those here today!

60 Reasons Why We Love and Appreciate You!

Growing Up

You always took care of all of our needs, dinner, laundry, and homework help and got very little thanks for it.

You planned and organized family vacations and helped us develop a love for travelling as a family.

You were always home after school if we needed, something I wish I could now do for my own kids, but never truly appreciated at the time.

You always asked how my day at school went, even if you knew I didn’t want to talk about it, and that made me know that you cared about me.

You were there when my dreams didn’t work out as planned and helped me see that there were other dreams to be had.

You always made Christmas fun and I have so many memories as a child from those times.

You taught me the value of working to get something that I wanted and didn’t just give me everything that I asked for. I hope that I can do the same for my kids.

You encouraged me to be kind and giving towards others.

You helped me type out school papers many times on that old typewriter we had.

You would let me watch CHIPS in the basement and eat frozen dinners on those few nights we had a babysitter.

For making handmade Cabbage Patch Dolls for each of us one Christmas.

You were an example of how to be a loving wife.

For renting 8-tracks to listen to on long car rides. “C is for cookie….”

For teaching me to do what I love.

For reminding me at a softball game that I was not playing golf.

For getting me up every Sunday morning to get me to church.

For teaching me to follow my dreams.

For all the home cooked meals you made.

For letting us have a dog, even though you didn’t want one.

You made me hamburgers in the oven in Kindergarten and I loved them.

You always tucked me in a night and left a light on for me.

You packed my lunch every day so that I wouldn’t have to eat school food.

You always picked me up from elementary school and I never had to take the bus.

You spent time with me as a kid and I am lucky that you were home so much.

You helped me get through 6th and 7th grade computer class.

You let me decorate my room using my own ideas and creativity.

You always had supper ready at 5:30 each night and cooked a delicious family meal.

You were my cheerleader when I was in sports and at so many of my events.

I appreciate all the work you did to smoothly run a family of 5.

Today

You have always been just a phone call away.

You let me make and learn from my own mistakes even when it was hard on you to watch.

You shared and taught me how to use your recipes so that I could make meals for my family.

You are always there when I need advice about my kids.

You are generous with your time and make arrangements to help us pick them up when we need.

You are always willing to spend time with your grandkids and find ways to make them feel special.

You are a “cool grandma” just because you have your own Wii and games for it!

You are considerate in finding ways to do something special for Gabriel, buying his favorite treat, or bringing him “green pop” when you pick him up for us.

You find ways to have fun with the girls on our “retail shopping trips” and are always overly generous.

You pray for us at red stop lights.

You taught me what it means to be a woman of faith.

You have been accepting and forgiving even when I didn’t deserve it.

You are still happily married to dad.

You encouraged me to go to school.

You allowed me to make my own decisions.

You don’t smoke or drink.

You are very forgiving.

You always let me know that you love me.

For praying for us when you are at a stoplight.

For all the financial help to keep me going. I can’t say enough how I have appreciated that.

You know how to stimulate the Minnesota economy better than anyone and I love bonding on our shopping trips.

You are a fabulous grandma to Isabel and I never worry about her when she is in your care.

You support and pray for my family and truly want what is best for us.

I can call you and blab about anything and you always listen.

You love all of us unconditionally and never give up on us.

You have taught me to be organized, neat, and always on time.

You spoil us even as adults.

You are a great shopping partner and I love being your “fashion expert”.

You give me great advice on being a parent.

Because you have loved each of us wholly but also each in our own special way.

We are so blessed to have you as our mother.

Happy Birthday Mom! We are all who we are today because of you and dad and we are so proud to call you our mom!

Kristin, Mark and Beth