My Mother: I love my mom so much. She had flowers delivered to me yesterday with a sweet sweet note and I was so surprised and touched by that! I'm so grateful to her for working so hard to take care of her kids. I admire her for the obstacles she has overcome and for her go-get-em' spirit. She kicks butt, seriously. I know she won't care me putting her age out there, but she turned 50 and completed her first triathlon in the same month. She has done one more since then plus a ton of other runs/races/killer hikes. I want to be like her when I grow up - after having 6 kids that's pretty dang good I'd say. Most of all, I love her because she has become my best friend. One of my favorite things to do, when she's not busy on a backpacking trip or something, is to go over and hang out with my mom. I definitely appreciate her much more after becoming a wife and mother myself, but it's so nice to just hang out and talk and realize - mostly for the good :) - that we have a ton in common. It gives me hope for my tom-boyish self who hates shopping, shaving my legs, and decorating stuff, that I can still turn out to be a respectable woman someday :). Thanks mom, I love you!
My Mother In-Law: I totally totally lucked out in the mother in-law category. Actually, probably one of the main reasons I married John was because of his mother. :) But seriously, I think of her and the word LOVE pops into mind. This woman had 9 children, and I asked her how the heck she did it, she just smiled and said "boy, I love my kids." She totally does just LOVE. In capital letters. She is such a good example of Christ-like love and just goodness! She never subtly tells me how I should run my home or raise my kids (even though she raised 9). She is always willing to serve and help out whenever she can, and never ever complains. I think the sisters in-law can agree, she didn't cut us any slack with our husbands - whenever we complain about duties with our 1 or 2 kids, they can justifiably retort - "my mom had nine!" She is incredible.
My Step-Mom: I also lucked out in the step-mom category. She's definitely not like the future step-mom in The Parent Trap (Lindsay Lohan version). I don't know how my dad got so lucky, and I still think he bribed her or something, but he found a wonderful person to spend the rest of his life with. She has two lovely girls of her own and came into a family with 5 rowdy boys and 1 rowdy girl (most of us had moved out by the time she came into our lives, but still she has to deal with us regularly when we all get together). I think it was pretty shocking to her at first because she's very...well I guess just normal and polite, and we're not. But she is an amazing woman, and I have a lot I can learn from her in patience, cooking, sewing, and many other skills and talents that she has. She is also gracious enough to watch my little boy on a weekly basis, and I am so grateful for that! We are very lucky to have her in our lives!
Myself: J/K - but I just thought I'd add that I love being a mother. It is the most fulfilling, amazing experience I have ever had. I still can't believe that I can be blessed with such an incredible little boy to care for. I'm quickly finding out that it's an indescribable feeling being a mother and I just feel so blessed to be able to look at this cute little kid several times a day and still be overcome with happiness and love each time I see his litte 2-teeth smile. Man I'm lucky. Sorry for the cheesy mooshy gooshy post, but I just wanted to thank my 3 incredible mothers on this beautiful Mother's Day.
