I promise this will be the last time I post on your blog. Except to leave comment. To ensure that, you can go in and change your password. (I'll tell you how later)

This is my mother when she was a young woman, before she was a mother, before she was married. This is my mom when she turned down a job flying around the world for Amelia Earhart. Which I'm glad she did because I wouldn't be here. Thanks for choosing home and family mom. Thanks a lot.

My mother married my dad just after he came home from the war. My mom was amazing. Much of what she's done I have taken for granted. I grew up watching and learning how to manage a household. Being a wife and mom came natural to me because I grew up watching how it was done. I just knew. I do things differently than my mom but that's just the nature of generations. I make tacos the same, scalloped potatoes and bacon and egg salad with the best dressing ever, which we won't talk about because it's horrible for us. We know that now.

My mom managed a home, a family with three kids, she had dinner on the table every night at 6pm, a surprise pregnancy at nearly 40, now four kids and was always in under budget with the bank statement balanced to the penny for the last 60 years. (ok, I didn't get that part, but I think Nance did). I don't remember ever being late to church on Sunday morning, however I do recall the one Sunday when she forgot to change and had her slippers on when we got to church. I don't remember what she did about that. Every Sunday was roast in the over to cook while we were at church, mashed potatoes, and a "Gramma Salad", though it wasn't called that until much later. My mom, fixed us breakfast every morning, packed our lunches and fixed our dinner, she washed how cloths, made our cloths, broke up fights, fixed me chicken noodle soup when I was sick and rolled the black & white TV into my room when I was sick. My mom sewed and taught me to sew. A skill that would later become a huge part of my life. I remember an amazing birthday party she planned for me when I was little. It was near Easter and we had an egg hunt and we all got to decorate our own cupcakes with our own aprons which my mom had made for everyone. That was a really great party. Truthfully I think it may have been my only party because Mom didn't like birthday parties. She felt like it was asking people to buy you presents. It is really. Hmm! In my later years at home my mom became the Wedding coordinator at church, which came in handy when I came home and told her I wanted to get married in 10 days. I did. I got married in 10 days with a lovely wedding. Did I ever thank you for that? Did I ever thank you for loaning us the money to fly home when our car broke down? Did I ever thank you for loaning us the money to buy the suit Gary got married in? How about the time I announced I was coming home with my husband and two children to stay with you for the summer so Gary could help build the cabin, I didn't ask did I, I just assumed it was OK.

My mom raised four kids, stayed married to the man of her dreams for over 60 years (so far)

worked to allow my younger sister to go to college so she could follow her dream. My mom did all this for the last 60 years and until recently I never gave a thought to the dreams she may have given up in order to be that mom. That is why I asked her to write this blog.

I want to know the person behind my Mom.

Happy Birthday Mom.

Marty