I couldn’t let mother’s day go by without a dedicated post to my mother! I think as the years go by I appreciate her more and more. That is probably true of most mommas as they have children they reflect back on their own childhood and think, “man, my mom was awesome.” This quickly followed by the thought. “I must have been such a headache to raise!” I was so strong willed (probably where Inga gets it!) but she never broke my spirit and let me be my own person.

As a kid I remember my mom always making sacrifices for us. She always put our needs before her own, but never complained about it. I remember going shopping at second hand stores which was fine for my little sister, but I would make (bratty) comments about how I wanted to get new clothes and new shoes like my friends.

Soon I would find myself at a different store trying on brand new clothes. She would always tell me how cute I looked and would put most of them on the counter only to have them put on layaway. She would get paid each week from working secretarial jobs and then go make payments on the layaway. Eventually I would have brand new clothes and shoes just in time for school.

She always said that it made her happy to see us in nice clothes. Thinking about that makes me tear up because nowdays I see that my kids need shoes and then I click a few buttons on my phone and a few days later they arrive. I don’t know what that is like to work all week and then spend half your paycheck on your children’s clothing bill at a store.

My mom held our family together. She dealt with some big things but never let us know it. She always had a smile on her face and was a soft place to land. She was softspoken and rarely raised her voice. I remember being spanked one time. I probably deserved about a hundred more.

We always had a family dinner every Sunday. She would always make my favorite potatoes and didn’t force me to eat meat when I proclaimed at the age of 12 that I was now a vegetarian. She has always supported anything I wanted to do. Even if I was making bad decisions in relationships, vehicle purchases, home purchases, MLMs, etc. She was always there to support me, cheer me on, and than be there for the fall out!

My mom is an example of what total selflessness looks like. Right now, for instance- she is at my house watching my eight children while I have a few hours of quiet time to pay bills, plan our calendar, make phonecalls, work on my blog, etc. She always helps me without complaining or thinking of what she could be doing instead.

When we knew we would be moving out of state for my husband’s residency program we were expecting our third baby. We were trying to figure out how we would manage to both work, where we would live, and explore daycare options for three little ones. My parents made the sacrifice to sell their home of 25 years and move with us to help with our babies.

We got them a house across the street from us and my mom would come over every morning so that I could go to work. Our kids have only been watched by their grandma since they were newborn. And for that I am everso thankful. Going to work and not worrying about daycare struggles was such a blessing- and it was all because of my mom and her huge heart.

On the enneagram I am pretty sure she is a 2. Characteristics of twos are ‘naturally nurturing, goes the extra mile, helpers, compassionate, adaptable, hospitable, supportive, empathetic listener, caregiver.’ That is so her.

My mom is a good friend to her peers. She always does little extra things to make them feel special and is such a great listener. I have mentioned this to my sister before that our mom is a really good friend to others. She is also super goofy and a practical joker. When she starts laughing there is no stopping her! I remember one time when we were kids she started laughing at a restaurant my dad joked that milk was going to come out her nose which only made her laugh harder!

We call her goofy grammy. She is known to spontaneously start dancing and doing old jazzercise moves when songs from the 70s come on. My kids love her goofiness and grammy shenanigans!

Let’s see- what else- oh yes, my mom as a grammy. My kids call her Grammy K and she is their whole world. Every day their first sentences are ‘can I go see Grammy K?’ or ‘What is Grammy K doing today?’ They understandably adore her.

Grammy K is even more awesome than I remember her being as my mom- haha! She is always going the extra mile to do little things to make each child feel special. I roll my eyes and tell her she is making them high maintenance, but when you are one of eight kids and your grammy remembers to spray lavender on your pillowcase, has your favorite tea ready to brew, or has a new lego set just for you those things are huge!

I have said it before, but truly the only thing better than having my mom as a mother is that my kids get to have her as a grammy. We are so blessed to have you in our lives every day. We love you so much!

Until next time,