...and a very happy birthday to my MOM!

In honor of my amazing mom's birthday, here's just 71 of the many reasons why I love her...

1. She gave birth to me, need I say more! (no....but I will)
2. She is an only daughter and her brothers absolutely adore her and look out for her...still.
3. When I love little, we would come home from school to homemade bread, grape juice and raspberry jam...all the time.
4. She is fun and adventurous!
5. She used to roll down the hills with us, laughing the whole way...always a kid at heart.
6. She begged my Dad to do the sky coaster at Lagoon just a few years ago. They invoked quite a crowd of on-lookers....they and their gray hair were the hit of all the passer-bys. She is a total thrill-seeker!
7. She should have been a doctor or nurse. Nothing grosses her out and she loves to watch surgeries and interesting medical things. (I did NOT get this from her...I nearly pass out after a paper cut)
8. She was always able to stay home and be a mom. She was ALWAYS home when we got home from school. I loved it!
9. When I came home from school and said that I wanted my hair cut like MaryLou Retton's in the 4th grade...she let me, even if she was afraid that I might look like a boy. (it wasn't my best look, but I was still pretty cute)
10. She taught me about having a house of order. She is a great homemaker.
11. She always told us she was proud of us.
12. She makes the best homemade rolls! Seriously...to die for! Now, as an adult...that's all I ever want for Christmas! They totally rock with her homemade jam!
13. She has friends that she's had for decades!
14. She and my Dad still have "Dinner Club" with many long time friends each month.
15. She always peels my oranges for me!
16. She is reserved and genuine.
17. Their is nothing more powerful than her disappointment in you. Holy Silent Treatment! I used to wish she would just beat me! :)
18. She would also cut the corn off the cob for me, because I hated that it would get stuck in my teeth. She is so good to me!
19. She loves BYU sports almost as much as my Dad.
20. She is an incredible grandmother.
21. One of the most looked forward to days of the year is Grandma's Cookie Bake and Sleepover...even now that many of the grandkids are grown.
22. She is a great cook!
23. She always let us open a present on Christmas Eve and we always watched the original Miracle on 34th Street before bed.
24. She handmade me 2 "cabbage patch" dolls when I was young, with birth certificates and all. They were the best!
25. She threw the best birthday parties and always made us awesome birthday cakes! (My Nancy cake was my favorite)
26. She loves the Lord and is a great example to those she meets.
27. She is a home-body. No place in the world she would rather be than at home with all of her family.
28. She has a funny sense of humor.
29. She always comes up with the best "white elephant" gifts. It has become a funny tradition with high expectations!
30. She always made us huge heart sugar cookies with our names on them on Valentine's Day.
31. She has crazy dreams! If you do something wrong...even in her dreams, expect the above mentioned disappointment and silent treatment.
32. She takes little power naps almost every day.
33. She packed a lunch for my Dad every single day he was working!
34. My parents have always had an incredible yard. Amazing fruits and vegetables and BEAUTIFUL flower beds.
35. She has always been a great friend to me, much more than just my Mom.
36. She has always supported my Dad is church callings and civic responsibilities.
37. She had (and maybe still does) a huge crush on Tom Selleck. She LOVED Magnum P.I.
38. She hates the water, but would still plan amazing family vacations to Lake Powell and Bear Lake every year, so we could enjoy it. We spent lots of time boating growing up and she doesn't even like it.
39. She always packed great snacks for our road trips.
40. She always made great bedtime snacks. When I visited them in the Philippines, even as a 30 year old, she would cut me a fresh mango into bite size pieces with some other fresh fruit and have it on a plate for me just before bedtime. Mom's are the best!
41. She loves milk with soggy bread. Don't ask me why.
42. She reminds me of my grandma. I love it!
43. She loves baths...so do I!
44. She always makes her bed very first thing...before doing anything else! So do I... it's just how you start your day!
45. She hates winter....so do I.
46. I loved getting up early every 4th of July and going to the Balloon Festival, it was always so much fun.
47. Every sunday night growing up, she would make a huge pot of homemade hot chocolate and cinnamon toast and we would spend time together as a family before starting the next week.
48. BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING! I have been getting up and hitting the early morning sales with my mom the day after Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember! I love this tradition! We always finish it off with a fantastic breakfast and a nap!
49. Mom would always lead us in "When The Family Gets Together" as our opening song for FHE and we would usually have Orange Julius for refreshments! Yum!
50. She collects nutcrackers and they all have names.
51. She goes all out on Christmas decor. I always loved Christmas growing up...the whole house was decorated!
52. We always had 2 trees growing up...the one in the family room downstairs was for the kids to decorate with all of our homemade decorations, but the one upstairs in the living room was off limits! It was HER creative project and it was always beautiful!
53. She saved all the little gifts that we ever made her.... Christmas ornaments from primary, art projects from elementary school, porcelain vases from summer arts and crafts...you name, she loved and cherished it.
54. She is very protective of the people she loves. Don't cross her or hurt someone she loves.
55. She is always up for time with the girls - daughters, daughter-in-laws, and granddaughters!
56. 4th of July water fights will always be a cherished tradition. She's a fierce competitor and nobody is safe...not even the little kids!
57. I will always be her baby and I love it!
58. When I was a little kid, I hated KFC (I still have a bit of an issue with meat on the bone) and whenever we would go to picnics or family reunions, she would get the good old bucket of chicken for everyone else and then stop and get a happy meal for me! SO nice!
59. She technically has 2 birthdays. According to her original birth certificate it says she was born on September 3rd (probably the day it was filled out), but my grandma has always been CERTAIN that she was actually born on September 1st. She remembers when she went into labor, when she was admitted into the hospital and when she had the baby....and she always knew it was the 1st...so thats when they've always celebrated her birthday!
60. She always cooked a great dinner and we ate together as a family every night.
61. She was hit by a car when she was 7 and almost didn't make it. I'm sure it was because she had amazing things to still accomplish in this life....(you know, like birth me!)
62. She loves to travel and experience new things. Always up for an adventure!
63. She was pregnant for 6 1/2 years of her life...WOW! I am so glad that she continued being willing to have more kids...otherwise I would not be here!
64. She sacrificed so much of herself for her kids. We were always and still are her #1 priority.
65. She can always tell from just my voice or my tone if something is wrong or if I'm down. She has an amazing Mother's Intuition.
66. She has always supported me in everything that I have ever done.
67. She loves me unconditionally.
68. She will call me occasionally just to leave me a message and tell me she was thinking of me and loves me and just how proud she is of me.
69. She has been married to my Dad for 51 years! What an amazing accomplishment!
70. Her grandkids adore her and all the fun memories she's created for them.
71. I hope that someday I can be even half as great of a mother. She is the best!

and most of all...

She's my MOM and I just plain love her guts!

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MOM---Happy Birthday!

I hope the year ahead is your best yet! You deserve it!

I love you!