Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom and her girls

Today is my Mom's 51st Birthday! I knew I couldn't top last years birthday because last year we threw a HUGE surprise party for her and had almost 30 people there, so I resorted to Olive Garden for lunch. She and I had a yummy lunch and then she went on a date with Dad this afternoon. Yesterday we went to Mimmie's for a day of the world famous cheeseburgers and chicken scratch, a favorite game of our family. Chicken scratch is played with dominoes and is such a fun game! If you haven't ever played it, you should look it up! I must say I won the game so I got the first place prize, perfume that smells oh so good, compliments of Katie's discount at Victoria's Secret! The family is also celebrating Mom's birthday Sunday evening after church. So Mom gets to celebrate all week, but that's ok because "its her birthday!" We have a tradition in the Woody family that on your birthday everyone has to do whatever you want, and if they protest, all you have to say is "its my birthday!" and they have to do it (within reason of course!). This has been obnoxious at times, but it sure is fun when it is your birthday!

I am so grateful that my Mom was born 51 years ago, otherwise I wouldn't be here and neither would Addie... ha! I have the best Mom in the world and couldn't imagine life without her. She always brightens my day, she is my best girlfriend, the one I can run to with anything. She pampers me, loves me even when I am so grouchy I don't love myself, and is always there for me. I always knew Mom loved me, but I didn't really realize the depth of her love until I had Addie. Now I see how I love Addie and I finally know what she has meant all these years when she talked about a mothers love. Being a mom has given me a deeper appreciation for all that my mom has done for me over the years and has made me realize what a rotten kid I was at times! When I was little I didn't understand why mom would beg us to let her take "just a 5 minute nap" and within 2 minutes we'd be fighting and waking her up. How did she put up with us??? Then again, Mom is very in control of herself (probably due to having 3 rotten kids). Mom has such a strong will power she hasn't had a soft drink in like 15 years I believe and can go without eating a single morsel of sugar for weeks, even months! Obviously that trait didn't get passed on to me as my idea of will power is not eating the whole batch of cookies at once...

I hope I can be as good of a Mom to Addie as my Mom is and was to us kids. I have uncountable fond memories of her telling us stories of "upside down world" or the "hole in the tree", taking us on bike rides to the library, or picnics on the mountain, and yes even fond memories of the scary stories she'd tell us over a single lit candle! Mom always played with us and was always home when we were. I loved coming home every afternoon and mom would always ask us how our day was, she'd help us with homework and stayed up countless nights until the wee hours of the mornings helping us with our school projects, writing poems for us or quizzing us on our studies, only to be up again the next morning at 5:30 to start another day. Whenever we were sick, Mom would be there to hold my hair, wipe my face, warm up a blanket for me, or just hold me while I moaned. Even this past Christmas Mom was here taking care of me every day while I was sick, even if it was just to hold Addie so I could sleep.

I don't we could have had a better childhood. My mom is absolutely beautiful, inside and out and I think she's the hottest 51 year old Mama I've ever seen! I hope you have a wonderful year Mom and I love you dearly! (and maybe next year I'll let you win at chicken scratch!)

Four Generations!