Mother's Day

Just a few things I love about my mother:

-I am so thankful that my mother taught me to love learning! She home schooled me from the time I was 3 until 9th grade. Not only did she teach me facts, she instilled in me an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. I remember as a child being so addicted to learning that I would "research" for three hours any subject of my choice. Then I would tell Mom all about what I learned and she would listen and listen and listen.
She brought learning to life! Whatever we were studying, we did ourselves. We studied American Indians and so we roasted corn, made clothes from different tribes, and slept in tents. When we learned about the royal court, we set up a banquet in our house complete with ladies in waiting, a jester (me of course!), and food prepared from old recepies.
She read to us endlessly. I remember laying in bed with her and all my sisters piled on top of eachother and listening as my mother read heartwrenching stories from real people. Sometimes we would read for four hours because we were all so enthralled by the stories. I remember my mother weep as her heart was touched by a certain part of the story. Her heart was so tender.


-Even though she has so many children, I feel like she KNOWS each one of us so personally. She knows our love language, what makes us happy, what we love to do, what makes us sad. She knows us so well and she loves us so well. She loves us in our own personal way. I never felt like a number or part of a group. She has always taken time to single me out and spend special time with me to find out what's going on in my heart. I'm so thankful for this!

-She has taught me how to be warm and inviting. Growing up, I watched my mother be warm and inviting to EVERYONE every time they came to our home. Whether that was a barn, a trailer or her dream cabin. She made it comfortable and open. It is always a place for stories and laughter. I've watched her welcome people who weren't lovable into her home, people that weren't accepted. I've watched her love on people who had no one else, like our many elderly neighbors. She always has an open home. And even at a moments notice, she can be prepared to serve a meal to ten people from what she has in her kitchen. I want to be like her so much! And I find it already is my nature to be this way, because I had such a good example growing up!

-She sacrificed so that I could be creative. My grandparents always gave my mom money to do nice things for herself. She never used it for herself. She would pay for violin or ballet lessons with it instead. I remeber one time, I had the best violin teacher in the whole town and I was learning so much. Lessons were so expensive and we didn't have the money for them anymore. So Mom would weed my teachers garden once a month for a couple hours and we got free lessons. She always found a way for me to do what I felt passionate about. She has always believed in me and encouraged me in my talents.

Thank you for everything you've done for your children Mommy! You are the best mom in the world!