In the spirit of thanksgiving....and because I have not sent my mom as card (in my defense, she is getting a present that is already bought.....but will be saved until we see her for Thanksgiving!!!).....here is a list of things I am thankful for about my mother! 
1. She was a part-time working mom. What that meant was she worked while we were at school, but was ALWAYS there when we got home from school. 2. She is the best listener. Some of my best moments were spent sitting on the garbage can in our kitchen (LOL) recalling every single teensy weensy detail of my day at school. I am a talker.....so she as very patient ears :) 3. She rarely get angry. Like I said, she is pretty patient. Too bad I didn't inherit that.... 4. She is a very strong woman of God. Her story of grace is beautiful.....how God brought her through the loss of her parents and brought the husband that she had only dreamed of....and didn't think she'd ever find.....and how she was able to help him through the grief of his first wife's death. I don't think I could have done that. 5. She has a very strong marriage. I only hope that my marriage will be as wonderful and loving as that of my parents. 6. She's one of the only people who can truly challenge me at Scrabble :) Scrabble and tea and popcorn (before I realized I couldn't eat it anymore) will always be a favorite of mine! 7. She calls my daughter (well, and son, bit it isn't quite the same since he can't talk!) all the time. I loved my grandma......but I didn't have much of a relationship with her. It was hard for me sometimes. I am so thankful that my kids have a loving caring grandma who is really involved in the details of their lives.....even if she is 500 miles away!  
8. She's a reader and I have inherited that love of books from her. I LOVE sitting and reading with her. Sometimes we would do that for hours. My sister would have died.....but we loved it :) 9. Gone with the Wind is our favorite movie. I'll never forget when we saw it when it was back in theaters. So great! 10. She is a good peace-maker between my sometimes volatile personality and my dad's....which is sometimes very like mine :) I love my dad dearly, but we severely butted heads growing up. That's what my mom was for! Right, dad? 11. She is a very talented and self-taught musician....which is even more impressive! No one taught her to play the piano. It took me a long time to catch up! 12. She has the most beautiful handwriting of anyone I know....my whole life I tried to emulate it. I never succeeded. I like my script, but hers is perfect. 13. She always cooks me my favorite food every time I am with her....which means I probably gain at least 5 pounds every time I'm with her :) 14. She's always the second person I call whenever anything important is happening in my life. First is Greg.....but second is her :) 15. She's into facebook even more than me. My parents have always been kinda "behind the times" but not in this....haha! I love that they've blossomed once we left the house. How hysterical is that? :) 16. She is a very creative person. She is a VERY talented painter. When we were younger she taught herself toll painting. Recently she has gotten into one stroke painting and makes the most beautiful things! If you are interested, go to her etsy page. I forget how to find it. I'll have to ask her and get back to you! 17. She is the perfect pastor's wife in my opinion. She is the one who led the Sunday school classes...and Bible studies.....and was the church secretary and music person. She was and is the ultimate back-up to my dad's ministry. I am not saying all pastors wives should be this way.....but she honestly felt "called" to this and thus has done an amazing job. I will forever hold my pastors wives to a higher standard because of my mom. 18. She didn't say no to anything we wanted to be. She didn't say no when I said I wanted to leave home to go to college.....500 miles away. She didn't say no when I told her I wanted to study music. She let us pursue our own dreams and allowed God to lead us and trust him to not let us go. 19. She prayed for Greg my whole entire life.....even though she didn't know who he was! Now she has a real son! 
20. She taught me to be a great mom who is highly invested in my children. She is an amazing example and I am thrilled to call her mine! Happy Birthday mom. Hope this makes up for lack of a card :) | 
