Here are some things you should know about my mom:
Q Club: She was the second member of the Q club...even before Steven.
Madre: I went through/still am going through this phase where I didn't call her mom, only madre. Started in high school Spanish.
Musical: something a lot of people may not know is that she plays the piano. She often had music playing in our home growing up.
Festive: This was Steven's word and it's so true!! She decorates for every holiday...like even St. Patrick's day! And she has a 12 ft Christmas tree (the main one)
Kindred spirit: If you've ever watched Anne of Green Gables, you'll understand this.
Grandma: She has the grandma thing down! She skypes every week, asks for pictures basically daily and spoils the kid rotten!
Mom of 5 Friend to all: I think my mom could get along with most people. And this phrase could be her super hero motto.
Hip: She is so trendy! I have never been embarrassed to go out with her and I miss being able to go shopping with her regularly.
Teacher: My mom teaches English for a living. She also teaches Gospel Doctrine at church and each of the kids in our home.
Fashionable: She is looking for a dress for my sister's wedding and I hear comments like "that looks like an old lady would wear that!" I borrow my mom's clothes and especially jewelry when I go home to visit.
Friendly: I remember a lot of times growing up my mom was the one at church that would go say hi to new people and she always makes friends with the kids in nursery.
Unselfish: My mom is the least selfish person I know. She once drove 3 hours each way to pick up my letterman's jacket that I had forgotten at a leadership camp...by herself...in not great weather. She didn't complain about it either.
Patient: Did I mention she has five kids?
Ring leader: Our house is nothing short of a circus and she is the most efficient ring leader there ever was.
Thrifty: some of my greatest memories are from hitting up thrift stores together. She is so good at finding a good deal. Now it is so fun to call and talk about the good finds we get at thrift stores and the good deals we score!
Creative: My mom thinks of the coolest, most creative things sometimes. She is a magnet for creative things.
Baker: Steven wanted me to write baker extraordinaire but it wouldn't fit. She's not a big cook but she is a great baker!
Edumacated: Again, one of Steven's words. My mom has a Master's degree. I don't think I've ever heard her tell anyone she has one. Steven has known our family for over a decade and he had no idea she was so formally educated until we got married. She is educated but humble about it.
Reader: My mom instigated a love for reading in our home from as early as I can remember. She is the one I call when I find a great deal on books for Q because I know she understands me...oh and she buys him books a lot too!
Good Example: My biggest example in my life has always been my mom. I think she always will be.
Righteous: Even though she has been faced with a lot of trials and hardships, she has always been righteous. She took us to church alone for a while when we were young.
Smart Cookie: Like I said she has a Master's degree. But she's 'street smart' too. Like in the 5th grade, we went to a music store to get my clarinet books. We were talking to the owner about brands of instruments. She mentioned that we were looking at a Vito. The owner said, oh ya we see those in here a lot. Her response was, "Oh so does that mean they break easily and require a lot of upkeep?" I remember thinking WOW...never would have thought of that!
Caring: My mom is so caring. She checks in on all of us frequently and genuinely cares about what we are doing.
Crafty: My craft
Kind: My mom goes through a lot on a daily basis. She is forgiving and always kind. She rarely complains.
Wife: She has been married to my dad for almost 24 years...and that's saying something :)
Generous: She flew to Minneapolis and then drove 4+ hours by herself in a place she had never been to come the day when Quintin was born. She basically abandoned her classes and the rest of my siblings to come help us out. She stayed for about five days. She woke up with me every time I fed the baby so she could help me get situated to feed him. I could hardly move and she was right there with me every single time. After I fed him, she would stay up and burp him and get him back to sleep so I could try and get some sleep. She even helped me get him to the doctor twice while she was here (to check on the jaundice). She went and ran errands, got groceries and even let us pick out a few sleepers and other things for Quintin. At the end of her stay, she had to drive back to Minneapolis by herself on like zero sleep. This was in no way a 'vacation' for her but she did it, never complaining. She put her life in AZ on hold to come to take care of me and Q. And this is just a more recent example of her generosity.
Beautiful: I have always thought my mom was one of the most beautiful people in the world...inside and out.
Adventurous: (Just realized I spelled that wrong on the card...crap) My mom is always up for an adventure. Like driving to SUU for me to go to a leadership weekend. Or driving to Hurricane, UT (and yes it is as big as it sounds ;)) for me to go to Prom and sleeping on the floor on an air mattress with me at my date's house (he slept somewhere else, FYI).
Listening ear: my mom is and always has been a listening ear. When I was in high school I thought she never listened to me...now I realize how much she remembers and I know I can call her anytime day or night to talk about anything and she will listen. She's also great at knowing when to offer advice or when to just listen.
Best Friend: Something I've come to learn recently especially after moving across the country is that my mom is truly one of my best friends. She laughs with me. She cries with me. The only thing is we don't really fight like some best friends do. At Christmas break a friend asked us if we had ever thought that maybe in heaven we got the choice of who would be the mom and who would be the daughter. I think we have been best friends forever.
We love you mom! We miss you more than you know!
