But she's more than just beauty...She's not afraid to attempt a variety of awesome hairstyles and fashion choices. I know these photos are pretty classic, but the truth is that my mom has always been a great example of figuring out how to make herself and her kids look great even on a really tight budget. She showed us how to be thrifty and still feel good about ourselves. She also always got us awesome presents for birthdays and Christmas (evidence #1: the amazing see through phone in the final hair picture. That was probably my 14th birthday and I had that phone all the way through college)
She loves coming up with really incredible ideas for family Christmas card pictures. But the creativity doesn't end there. When my mom has a great idea, she'll stop at nothing to see it through. Whether it's a year's worth of work to create the perfect girls' camp or youth conference, or an afternoon putting together an exquisite dining experience right in her own home, a thoughtful birthday surprise party or a beautiful bulletin board, gathering fun holiday decorations for her grown children's homes or thinking of a great topic for a family email conversation, my mom's mind is always buzzing with new ways to enhance the lives of everyone around her.
My mom, despite being incredibly organized and somehow managing to have a perfectly cleaned kitchen even when she's just made a 5 course meal, is very FUN! She made sure we all learned how to snowski, waterski, hike, bike, swim, and play as much as possible. If there is a fun family activity out there, my mom has found it and given us all the chance to try it. She and my dad planned incredible vacations and somehow had the gumption to load 5 kids in a car and tool all over everywhere.
Finally (just for the purposes of this blog since there is much much more I could say) my mom is incredibly compassionate. She has always listened to us whenever we had anything we wanted to say. She is the absolute best person to have around when you are sick because she takes such great care of you. She can always just sense when someone needs a phone call or a visit or a special gift and when she has one of those senses, she follows through. She loves her kids more than anything in life and would do anything she could for all of us. And she's the most amazing grandma! This little guy in particular is practically the president of her fan club.
So here's to my beautiful, generous, creative, fun, compassionate mother. I love you! Happy Birthday!
