The Best Mom in the Whole World

Happy Birthday Mom!

My kids tell me I’m the best mom in the whole world. I believe that they really think it is true, but I know the truth... My mom is the best mom in the whole world.

Starting from my earliest memory, my mom’s unconditional love has shone constant, like the sun on the brightest of days. She never backed down from discipline and always expected me to live up to the potential God instilled in me. She has modeled eternal priorities and has never been bashful about her true passion in life… Jesus.

We’ve endured things together. They’ve all been markedly harder for her than me, and I’ve watched her handle, with God’s strength and grace; betrayal & divorce, the early and unexpected death of her beloved father, court battles with my dad, financial hardship, job instability, the death of her first born daughter, the divorces of two other daughters… Yet she has never lost grasp of God’s joy in her.

She is my hero. Yes, she is a real person with many flaws and quirks, but she, aside from God, is most responsible for every good thing in me. My mom is the best mom in the whole world.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you with all my heart.

Dedo

N is for Nana

The kids “Nana,” my stepmom, took us on vacation this week. It’s an adorable old log cabin on Kangaroo Lake. There are lots of fun things to do here; fishing, paddle-boats, RC boats, swimming, bonfire, games, etc. Endless fun for a family of six.

The best part of this vacation, however, has been our fun with Nana. She even swam so vigorously with the boys that she hurt her back. She is relentless when it comes to whooping it up with her grandchildren.

She makes up funny stories and feeds them junk food( (and fruit too.) She also had her cuddly, adorable and lovable mini-Yorkies with her (Desi & Lucy.)

The only bad thing is that Nana will only be here until today and we’ll have to enjoy the second half of our vacation without her. I’m sure we will have fun and make many awesome memories, but Nana will take her spark and unique zest for life with her.

Thanks for the great vacation Nana, but most of all, thank you for your love and presence. We love you.

C is for Connie

I have the best mother in the world. The reason my boys and I have such a great relationship (see B is for Boys) is because of my mom. She modeled it with me and my sisters. Her name is Connie.

I've grown up to be a little bit like her. My husband would say I'm a near carbon copy, except that I am about 6 inches taller than her, have freckled instead of olive skin and... well, that's about it.

We are song-writers, worship leaders, gardeners, coffee and tea drinkers. We enjoy the same food. We love the same reality TV shows, and discuss our matching opinions on the phone regarding them. Our spiritual outlook is the same. And so on, and so on.

My mom taught me how to be a good Mom, a loving supportive wife and my own person. She instilled in me the beauty of having a real, dynamic relationship with God.

My mom is always there when I need her. She makes time. She makes me feel like the most important person in the world and she does this with her husband and my sisters too.

I thank God for her all the time. I can't imagine who I'd be without her. I love you Mom! Thank you for being you and loving me and for the invaluable truths you have instilled in me.

No Rest for the Weary

I should be sleeping now, but I haven't been good at that for the past few days. There's a lot going on this week; things that have been keeping my mind from resting.

I've been running a business, with my husband, out of our home office for that past 15 years. Each year the business has done better than the previous year, until the economy crashed in 2008. I would have gotten a job outside the home a year ago, to supplement us during this rough patch, but we had a big surprise that postponed that. A baby.

So this week I stumbled upon a highly desireable part-time position with the local city beautification committee. What?! I've been interested in this non-profit organization for years. I don't have a current resume. Get to work!

With the help of my little sister's resources, wit and fabulous writing/editing skills, the resume is ready to be sent out first thing in morning.

Perhaps more responsible for my sleep malady is my mother-in-law. But it's not what you think. Her husband died three years ago. She did alright on her own for a while, but over the last year, her memory has been suffering. It had been slowly declining, but this week, paranoia and confusion took center stage.

These first hand experiences with her are hard to process. They are not peaceful. They are ridden with anxiety for her and me, and her sons. I'm upset and I can't sleep.

I know there comes a time when we all have to take care of our parents, but it's coming early for me and my hubby. We are in our late thirties, but his mom is in her mid-eighties. Our kids are in elementary school and we have a baby. And, I may be starting a part time job. How will we manage this? We don't feel ready for this, but there is no choice.

I will be praying for wisdom and patience for all of us. It's a season of life that we'll have to navigate one step at a time. And the next step for me is sleep. Lights out... I'm hoping for the best.

The Gift of Orchid

I saw my stepdad yesterday. He's about 4 weeks post open-heart surgery and doing very well. Wishing I was in more of a position to help him and take care of him, I bought him a book. You see, my kids and I have been sick for a month and I cannot bring sickness around him. I haven't been able to help. I thought the least I could do it help his sanity by giving him something intriguing to read. He's enjoyed Grisham in the past, so I found a new collection from him of short stories. Just as well since my stepdad's post-surgery attention span is suffering.

So there I was trying to take care of him, love him, when he surprised me with a Valentine's Day gift. My birthday is the day after V-day, but he clarified, this was not for my birthday, it was for Valentine's Day!

I am a novice gardener, but one who reads and studies and dwells in my gardens. I love my flowers. They are absent in winter. It can be very depressing.

He gave my my very first orchid for Valentine's Day. It is a very clear symbol to me of his unwavering support, love and mindfulness of me. It is a very clear representation of his humility, authenticity and generosity.

My stepdad "knows" me. He has peered at my heart and knows how to communicate with it, even though we have never found or made enough time to cultivate this beautiful relationship as much as we should.

I know the orchid won't last forever, but I know it is one gift I will never, ever forget. I am so thankful God put this man in my life. It is a confirmation of God's love, support and mindfulness of me. He knew I needed him.