My Mama

My sweet mom. I love her. She started a new little tradition of taking us out individually for our birthdays. Yes, my birthday was almost 2 months ago. However, with a newbie baby and just life schedules we just now got around to it. We get to pick what we want to do. I chose Red Iguana in Salt Lake. Never had been, but I hear it is the best Mexican in the Valley. So we headed there. After dinner, we went to Dodo's for a piece of their tollhouse pie. Which means I was down 2 pounds this week, but after that dinner I was back up 2 pounds. Dang it. It was worth it, it was that good.

All I could think about the whole evening, was how much I love my mom. I love her. I wish every single person could have a mom like mine. You know how some people were just born to be parents, like it was their life calling or something. Thats my mom. She was the PTA mom, the make your own halloween costumes mom, the wake up at 6:00 in the morning to make you breakfast mom. She knew perfectly how to draw the line between being my friend, and being my mom. She stuck to her guns on tough decisions. Even with me kicking and screaming and carrying on and on, if she had said no, then the answer was no. She has always known what I need or what I need to hear before I could even realize what was happening. She tells me the truth, even when the truth is hard to hear. Even at 28 years old, she still has more influence and more guidance over my life then anyone else.

I know I have said this before, but she truly is the person I model my own life after. I use the same phrases and expressions that she does, thing like "theres a park or my little monkey shine". I make the same recipes, potluck casserole or taco soup. She taught me how to clean, things like don't forget the baseboards, or no mops, we get down on our hands and knees. My parenting comes straight from her, my kids are told multiple times a day that they are loved, they are always tucked in before bed and we sit down to a home cooked meal almost every night. I learned from the best, and although I know I will never measure up to her. I try my hardest. I hope to give my kids a glimpse of what she gave me. It was more than back to school clothes and afterschool snacks. She gave me confidence in myself, the knowledge of all that I am capable of, and most of all unconditional love. I know that no matter what my mother loves me, she is proud of me, she considers me and my sisters her greatest blessings...we are her three little angels from heaven, as she used to say. In a world as scary and unpredictable as this one, I am so grateful for the safe haven she has always provided. That is what I strive the most to accomplish as a mother. This world is mean and cruel, it throws so many bumps and curves along the way. I hope my children, in the face of adversity and trials and tears, I hope they will think of me and my husband and our home and feel peace and love and hope. That we can be a beacon in the storm for them. The way my mom always has been for me. Someone to lift them up, to strengthen them, to help them see the light when all they see is the dark.

To my mama, I love you. More than anything. All that is good and right about me, I owe to you. So much of who I am links right back to you. You gave me the absolute best start to this life. The words thank-you seem very small and insignifigant when considering all that you have done. Love you little lady and am thankful every single day that I get to call you mine.