30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 11

Well today there is no question what I'm thankful for...my mother.  Mom came up last night since she had the day off and has been here helping me this weekend.  She cleaned my fridge out, browned hamburger, watched my kiddos so I could get a haircut, held Addie in the store while I got groceries and chased around my little man.  Not once did she complain or get upset about all the things that needed to get done.

Isn't that the way it goes with good moms?  They spend so much time just loving and serving us...and we seldom take time to appreciate it.  How often do I take the fact that I have her for granted, or think about all the ways she sacrificed for me.  I think about is sometimes when I'm up at night with Addie, when I look at her beautiful face...I think, my mom did this with me...she woke up at night to feed me, she bathed me, she changed my diapers.  And I'm sure she stared at me as a child and just looked in awe at the same way I do Addie and Jackson.  She did all the 'not so fun tasks' that nurtured my well being...and then later in life she made sure I could be involved in things.  And she won't miss a major event in my life even if it means driving six hours for a short weekend.  The thing I know for certain is if I have a question about anything mom-related she is a short phone call away and if she doesn't have an answer-she'll find one.  Why do I go so many days without thanking her for all she does?  I know now, the role of the mother isn't always the glorious one...but it definitely has its rewards that far surpass any monetary thing I will have in this life...

Mostly though I realize how lucky I am to have a mother who works so hard at loving us.  And she never expects anything in return.  Unfortunately we tend to heckle her the most...and she takes it.  But truth be told, our family wouldn't function without her...she does all the things that a lot of times go unappreciated but keep us together.  Thanks mom, for the things we take for granted, for selflessly giving us so much, and for just being the best mom we could ask for.

An old pic of mom and her girls...but a fave...

I can only imagine what is happening here...

One of my faves...watching my dad and I dance the father/daughter dance at my wedding...