Happy Mother's Day

We all have mom's and like most people I don't tell them how much they are appreciated. Not being a mommy yet I can only imagine what love for a child is. I can only see from example from the mom's I have in my life. I just want to take some time out today and express how much my Mom, Janice and my Mother-in-Law , Linda mean to me.
My mom has always put my sister,Jen, and I first no question. She would and still will do without so we can have. Even now that Jen and I are grown, married and far away from home she still puts us first. I guess that equals a mother's unconditional love. I can remember as a little girl, all the trouble I got into and at the time I just knew mom would hate me! Here are few examples......


1) I just started Kindergarten, I took a bright green crayon and wrote "I love Bobby" all over the walls of our play room. This is of course after mom just spent day painting the walls a perfect color yellow.
2)At the ripe age of 7 or 8 I must have already knew what I was going to do as a grown up. I took all the barbies/dolls with long hair even my sisters, and chopped all the hair off to the scalp. Btw my sister did not appreciate this at all.
3) Around the same time I convinced Jen, who is 14months older, to ride our Pokey Pony down the stair well. Now you need to know that it was enclosed and a little hall at the end of the stairs where a bathroom was to the left of the stairs and a wall right at the end of them. So yes, Jen rode the pony down the stairs in full speed and slammed into the wall with full force. Don't worry Jen recovered.
4) I was about 10 years old and once again I put my sister in a dangerous situation. I thought it would be a good idea to have her wrap herself in my jump rope so I could pull the other end of the rope and send her off like a top! This really worked (I was a strong child)this sent her flying across the room the only thing that stopped her was the fact that her front teeth hit the wall. Indeed it knock out half of her front tooth!
5) Jen, my friend Ashley, and I were home with a baby sister one summer day and she loved to fall asleep on the job. So we went outside in the backyard to have a bonfire. Jen being the smart sister put a "fire ring" around the pit. I am pretty sure this is what saved the house from going up in flames.... don't worry no one was hurt.

As the many mistakes and crazy things we did as children Mom would get mad for awhile but always let us know she loved us. Never did I feel like my mom didn't love me. As I got older I realize how much she had done for me and our family. Thank You MOM! I love you more than you know.

When I started dating my wonderful husband, Deric. I knew right away I was going to love his mom, Linda. She is so sweet and easy to talk to. She made me feel right at home when I was at their house. Which is hard to do when she was working with a teen. I loved the way she always made sure she included me into their family events. Even when Deric left to go off to college, I could go over to just hang out at her house and it wasn't "weird". I think I am most thankful for Linda because she raised such a great son. Now that I am married to Deric I can really see the morals and habits that she has instilled in him. Here are some memories I have with Linda.
1) Deric was trying to teach me how to swing a golf club and of course it turned into a fight. I was getting so mad at Deric I was yelling "Let me do it my way" Linda peeked her head out the back door to tell us to just calm down because we were going to say hateful words and regret them.
2) It was Valentines day and Deric was off at college. I was so bummed out because I wasn't going to see him. Deric's isn't the type of guy to send me roses just because "that is what you are supposed to do for v-day". Linda knowing her son very well went out and bought me flowers and left them at my house. Now Deric might have told her to do this, but what a awesome thing for her to do for me. It made me feel so special.
3) When Deric got in his car accident while visiting a college roommate in Ohio, Linda made sure to comfort me. Deric and I had been "broken up" for a while but the whole family made it a point to come to my house and let me know what had happened. When I got to the hospital Linda gave me a warm hug,started to tell me that everything was going to be okay, and wanted to know if I wanted to see Deric. Now when I think back at this moment. It should have been me comforting her, but her mothering instincts kicked in and she was there for me. This was her own child in ICU and she stayed strong for the rest of the family.
4) While I was shopping for a wedding dress I had picked out the dress the weekend before with my mom and sister, but I couldn't get it until Linda saw it. First of all Linda gave me a coupon for the bridal store,(Linda always has her coupons ready!) The moment I put on my dress I remember asking her "Do you think Deric will like it" She replied "You look beautiful in that dress, he will love it." I loved hearing this from her. This moment might seem like no big deal to anyone, but it was just good to know that she was accepting me as a daughter.

Now that I am married into the family she never makes me feel like I just a daughter-in-law. I know she truly thinks of me as another daughter and loves me. I am so thankful that I don't have any "mother-in-law issues" that so many people do.

I just hope when I become a mommy one day and I am half the Mom they are. They are such great role models to look up I am so proud and thankful to call them Mom.