Thank you Mom

Thank you Mom. . . .

for waking up nights with me and holding me when my tummy hurt and for not giving up
on me even when I was a very difficult baby.

for changing hundreds of diapers.

for cleaning up spills, doing laundry, cleaning the house and all the other mundane things that made our home a safe and wonderful place.

for singing. When I think of a safe feeling, one is hearing you sing while you did dishes.

for cleaning my scrapes and cuts even when I cried and wiggled and threw a fit.

for spanking me and taking me clear out of church when I was disobedient and disrespectful.

for teaching me to love reading, even when you then had to call me several times to do something because I was so engrossed in a book!

for letting us have cats and dogs and play in the mud and the sprinklers.

for never making us feel like a burden even though there had to be days of exhaustion and exasperation and a desire to escape!

for teaching me to appreciate flowers. I always feels connected to you when I see a beautiful plant.

for monitoring what we watched on TV so we filled our mind with good things. Friends made fun of things that would shock me but I am thankful for my innocence!

for getting on to me when I would say mean things about other people, whether it be my sisters or people at school or teachers. Thank you for modeling so well how to treat people.

for cooking well balanced meals, even when I am sure we complained about somethings. And truthfully, I think I would still struggle with a good attitude if you served liver! :)

for having us do 4-H and piano lessons and then enduring my with complaints about record books and practicing.

for giving us chores.

for getting to know my friends and caring about them.

for praying for me.

for sitting through hours of games on very uncomfortable bleachers seats and caring so much you had to take Tums!

for teaching me to cook and set the table properly and for having family meals.

for making mashed potatoes.

for setting an example of a never quit marriage.

for loving and accepting Ashley.

for your example of forgiveness. Ashley was asked to describe you when we were doing our adoption homestudy and his word was forgiving. And for Dad he said generous.

for loving Jonathan. You could not love me more at this stage of life than by loving
my precious and praying for him and listening to my joys and worries about him and
listening to his stories and reading with him and walking with him and even letting him
tie you up!! :)

for liking chocolate and Dr. Pepper and frosting.

for having a house with toys and books for grandkids and a sandbox and for putting up with messes and noise and needs when we come. Our children know they are so loved by Grammy!

for being sad when we had to move and for accepting it so I had the courage to face it.

for coming with us on a trip of moving things and working many hours to help me clean and organize and working to help me be positive about where we were.

for climbing the ladder to get stuff out of an attic I was too afraid to get things out of. And then enduring the past horrible five months of pain and discomfort with such grace and strength.

for giving me the green cups!!

for loving the Lord and spending time in the Word daily and for truly living a godly life.

for never giving up on me and always loving me.

I love you so very much Mom and thank the Lord for making you my mom!