The Best Woman in My Life- My Mother

Isn't she beautiful?! She makes 57 look good!

Today is a special day. It's my mom's 57th birthday!! So I thought I'd take the opportunity to tell you- and her- 57 reasons why I think she's so incredible and therefore love her so much:

1. She KNOWS the Gospel is true. She has always known, and has never wavered or doubted.
2. She's my temple "partner". (She also faithfully attends the temple 4 times a week.)
3. She continuously puts me (and other loved ones) on the Temple Prayer Roll.
4. She reads her scriptures and prays-- every single day.
5. She actively strives to be more Christ-like every day.
6. The simple, pure faith and trust she places in the Lord. She knows the Lord is going to help her through whatever trial she is asked to go through. 
7. She forgives me quickly and repeatedly.
8. She is incredibly patient with me- way more than I ever deserve.
9. She loves her kids more than anything in the world.
10. She also loves her grandkids and adores her role as a grandma.
11. How close she was with her parents (particularly her dad), and how close she is with each of her siblings.
12. She drives out to Bountiful every week to visit her mom in a nursing home.
13. She thinks newborn babies (whether human or animal) are the cutest things on this planet. If a newborn baby (human) is present- she must hold it.
14. She's young at heart and still gets so excited about life.
15. She never complains about her back hurting and doesn't let the pain stop her from doing what she wants to do in life.
16. Her love for Lake Powell. She'd go there over any other place in the entire world.
17. She can water-ski for longer than anyone I know. (She once skied for 26 miles straight.)
18. She passed her love for the beauties of nature onto me (and the rest of her kids).
19. Her passion for sports... even though it can drive me a little nuts sometimes. (She's a die-hard Ute & Steelers fan --> wanted to be a football coach when she grew up. She also loves watching basketball- particularly March Madness; tennis; and loved lacrosse when my brother played in high school.)
20. How excited she gets about the holidays- particularly Christmas.
21. If something breaks- she'll spend hours trying to figure out how to fix it. And she's pretty successful most of the time.
22. Something is not truly lost in our house unless she can't find it.
23. She's the designated "nurse" of the family. (I gave her lots of good practice to earn that role.)
24. How obsessed she becomes over a song she really likes- and listens to the song over and over and over again. (I do the exact same thing. :))
25. If you happen to say a sentence, when talking with her, that also happens to be part of a song she knows- she'll interrupt and start singing whatever song you've reminded her of. (And then she often gets that song stuck in her head, which annoys her and that can be pretty funny.)
26. She'll change lyrics to songs to fit the particular situation she's singing about.
27. She can be crazy and goofy. She'll start dancing, make funny faces- and just overall be weird.
28. She makes me laugh... and is often laughing right along with me. 
29. Our "I love you more" arguments.
30. The weird, old sayings she'll say sometimes. 
31. We can have an entire conversation with each other without saying a single word.
32. How much common sense she has towards life and people- she has a lot of wisdom.
33. She taught me that the only person you can change is yourself.
34. How much effort she puts in to make her marriage work.
35. She always counsels me to turn to the Lord when I have a problem and am struggling.
36. She reminds me how loved I am by the Lord when I lose sight of that fact.
37. She watches Gilmore Girls, Psych, Bewitched, and a lot of other TV shows/movies with me.
38. The special things she does just for me- if I've had a bad day, for special occasions/celebrations, and sometimes just for fun.
39. All the acts of service she does for me- every single day.
40. That she eats fruit despite being allergic to it just because she loves it so much.
41. How much she loves getting her hair brushed.
42. She must have popcorn while watching a movie. She can't resist eating popcorn after smelling it.
43. The notes she wrote on the napkins she put in my lunches she would make for me during college... especially if she included a drawing. ;)
44. That at the age of 22- I still have to check in with her... otherwise she calls me to check in. ;)
45. Her nicknames for me (that in reality make no sense): pumpkin poosh canoosh canoodle, little blueberry muffin, apple strudel, gumba- gumba, doll face, and finally- babe.
46. She always wears socks and slippers at home because she gets cold so easily.
47. How much she loves the game RIPPLE (and how excited she gets when she actually ripples- or gets the very card she needed). 
48. She's emotional and cries easily. Especially when it concerns the Gospel and her family.
49. She taught me that I'm stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for.
50. She taught me that when I'm overwhelmed to take it one day and one challenge at a time.
51. That through everything I've had to go through in my life, she has been right by my side every single step of the way- helping me figure out how to overcome the challenges/obstacles.
52. She supports me in everything that I do.
53. She genuinely believes in me and in my potential.
54. She's my best friend. She knows and understands me better than anyone else- even better than I know myself sometimes.
55. I can tell her anything; and I tell her everything... and she LISTENS.
56. Her "mama bear" side that comes out if you mess with one of her kids.
57. She's MY mother and there's not a single woman on Earth who would do a better job than she does. She's the perfect mother... for me.

This list doesn't even begin to do justice to how amazing my mom really is. If I end up being half the woman she is in my lifetime- I'll have it made! So- HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom!!! I'm infinitely blessed to be able to call you "Mom". Hope you know how much I truly do appreciate and love you!!!