Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tribute to Mom: 57 reasons why I love her so!

Today, November 16th is my moms 57th birthday! So in her honor, I have decided to list 57 reasons I love her so!  There are in no particular order; simply the order that they randomly came to mind.  This was actually a lot easier to do than I thought....try it with someone you love!

1.  She talks to me almost every day-sometimes multiple time a day.
2.  She lets me send 400 emails in one day all filled with questions and she just answers me instead of wondering why I am sending so many emails or being a bug-a-boo.
3.  She doesn't bring up the fact that I ate my poop when I was baby....anymore (since she's already told everyone I know!)
4.  She can and will hem anything-and since I am not even 5 foot tall-I NEED that!
5.  She let me host a Halloween party at her house with my crazy friends when I was in my 20's....twice....and never complained about it (to my face).
6.  She has a group of close friends and has shown me the value of long lasting friendship!
7.  She makes killer Halloween costumes!
8.  She knows the answer to every single cooking question.  I often call her Martha Stewart.  My poor kids are not going to get so lucky!
9.  She still lets me host Halloween parties at her house, this time with my friends and our crazy kids, and even helps me with the food, set up and clean up. 
10.  She hand-made every single flower used for my wedding.
11.  She didn't kill me when I was 11 and threw a lunch box at her head.
12.  She is the best singer in the whole wide world (well, I used to think so when I was little and she would rock it out in the car)
13.  She keeps EVERYTHING!  She recently dug out me and my sisters old baby dolls.
14.  She treats my friends like her own kids.
15.  She has paid me to clean her house for years because I needed $, even though she hasn't always needed me to clean it (they keep they house pretty clean).
16.  She loves to dance and doesn't care what anyone thinks when she dances.
17.  She came down the night before my college graduation and partied with me and my roomates and then spent the night on a blow up mattress at our college house.
18.  She will bring 2 large pots of chicken noodles to a birthday party because I don't think I can make enough (and then take them back home almost full because I made too much).
19.  I never have to pay when we eat out and she is anywhere in the same restaurant.
20.  She is good friends with my dad and step-mom and they have a good relationship. 
21.  She will watch my kids anytime I ask her and she is available.
22.  She will come to any sporting event of her grandkids that she is able to go to.
23.  She split her spa gift certificate so she could treat me and my sister too!
24.  She will do anything I ask her too, if she can.
25.  She has great taste in men!  My dad and then my step-dad!
26.  She hired me at her lawfirm because I didn't have a summer job.
27.  She smells like "my mom" and every house she has ever owned smells the same-like her.
28.  She leads a tradition of baking cookies together (me, her and my sister) every year around Christmas. And when I say cookies-I mean close to 1000 cookies.
29. She will cook Sunday dinner and let me bring over whoever I want to eat.
30.  She is thoughtful and does things for others.
31.  We used to tease her that she should own stock in Hallmark b/c she will shop for cards in bulk.  She is good at sending them out.
32.  She bought me an expensive baby monitor because I couldn't stop crying about my first son falling asleep (can you say baby blues???)
33.  She married a great guy that became an awesome step-dad and beloved Papaw.
34.  She offered to pay the entry fee to a cute kid contest for my kids because she truly thinks they are as cute as I think they are!
35.  She loves to have fun!
36.  She is a heck of an entertainer.  She knows how to throw a shin-dig!  I for sure want her planning my 50th birthday bash!  (not that I am looking forward to that or that it will be anytime soon.....)
37.  She can Boot Scootin' Boogie. 
We have the same hair-do!  Princess Lea.

I could not find a closer one of the three of us!!  (me, mom, sister)

Me & mom first week home

Me and mom-my first birthday! 

Sweet
38.  She can get along with anyone and strike up a conversation with anyone.
39.  She put up with my many loser choices in boys until I found "the one".
40.  She will bring me her Kohls 30% off discount at 8:00pm, when it is raining outside, on her birthday-because I need it.
41.  She's short, like me (1 inch taller)-it is a reminder how I got to be so short.
42.  She has worked hard to get where she is professionally and rocks her profession.
43.  She has a contagious laugh.
44.  She's moody like me, which reminds me that I am not the only one that isn't perfect.
45.  She shares my taste in books and likes to read, therefore she buys the books and hands them down to me when she's done. 
46.  She still has things we made or gave her when we were little hanging on her walls at home.
47.  She always has gum.
48.  She tries to call me at the exact time I was born every year on my birthday.
49.  She has tried to quit smoking 187 times and counting.
50.  She makes Coco Wheats for my kids when they spend the night, which is a childhood memory of mine.
51.  She goes away for a weekend every year with her girlfriends and has a once a month "supper club" with them.  I hope to follow in her footsteps with my friends!
52.  She spent a lot of time making us cool birthday cakes when we were growing up. I have tried to do the same for my kids.
53.  She will never ever get rid of her season Colts tickets without asking us if we want them.
54.  She is beautiful.
55.  She gets me surprises for Christmas.
56.  She doesn't get mad or upset when my kids spill or break things at her house, which is every time they are over there.
57.  She is the best Mom and Mamaw ever!

Love you mom!  Happy Birthday

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Halloween Par-TAY!

This year we hosted what turned out to be an AWESOME Halloween Party!  All the kids came in costume and many adults too.  Thanks to some fabulous friends of mine we were able to offer different areas for kids to make their own cotton candy, make their own caramel apples, 3 different crafts, a bounce house, pile of leaves to jump in, mini-hayrides (these were especially popular), pumpkin pinata, bonfire and lots and lots of food to eat!  I had so much fun and I am sure the kids did too.  OH, and our family dressed up as characters from Toy Story!  A perfect party to celebrate the best season of the year (FALL!).  I wish I could post all of the pictures here w/ all the different families dressed up but I will keep it to a minimum.  Enjoy!
Mommy (Jessie), Connor (Buzz), Taylor (army toy soldier), Daddy (Woody) and Claire (Big Baby from TS 3)
Meredith Family with their donkey for a prop :)  Yay! Donkey rides!
Cotton candy, sweet and low, let me see your tootsie roll!
Will, the caramel man, Klein and his vampire helper
Bo & Luke Duke scrounging on some cotton candy (like those two need sugar!)

My mom helped us put our costumes together (she witchery-stitched the chaps onto my pants, sewed the white onto my hat and made Todds vest.  Todd's artistic tendency came in handy when he drew the red plaid and yellow/red design onto our shirts)