I Love My Mom!

This is where it all began. I was born 2 days after my mom's birthday in 1975.

Every day of my life, I am thankful to have the mother that I have. As I have become a mother myself, I have often thought about how much my mom has taught me by example. Here are some reasons why I love my mom:

1. She is unselfish and giving.

2. She is always taking care of everyone else.

3. She does the "little things" for us that mean a lot. Examples are, preparing your favorite foods, taking me to get a pedicure, sending something in the mail. She used to get up at the crack of dawn to make me breakfast. Now that I am a mom, I realize how much of a sacrifice this was. These are just a few of the things that she has done over the years

4. She is empathetic. Growing up I was sick a lot and she always comforted me and did whatever she could to help me. When you call her on the phone with a problem, she is understanding and always tries to help.

5. The greatest thing that my mom has ever done for me has been the fact that she takes two weeks of her life each time I have a baby to care for me. Since I have C-sections and I am not good at having babies, having her there to be my personal nurse is essential. I am eternally grateful for this.

This is My mom with Riley (he looked pretty beat up after a rough start!)

This is newborn Ella with my mom.

6. Finally, I love watching my mom interact with my kids. She has a way of letting them know in little ways how much she loves them. I asked them tonight why they love "grandma in California" and this is what they said:

"Because she brings suckers." -Ella

"Whenever she is near me, I feel happy."-Mia

"She takes us to fun places."-Riley

"She made me a blanket."-Ella

"She plays with us."-Mia

"She loves me."-Riley

"She comes to my house."-Ella

"She brings things to do when we go to a restaurant." -Mia

I have taken a lot of pictures over the years of the kids with my mom. I noticed that she is always doing something with them. She reads to them, plays games with them and pays attention to them. They feel her love for them because she takes such an interest in them. She is the grandma that every child should have. Here are a few of the pictures that I have taken of her with the kids.

Thanks mom for sacrificing so much for me and for being one of my best friends. I love you and I hope that you have a wonderful birthday.