Happy Birthday MOM!

Today is my Mom's birthday!

The Prophet is 99 + 1.

She is 90 - 1.... lol.

(But she's still on the lookout for that ONE

all the time!)

I got the opportunity to come out to Tucson

to visit everybody for her birthday this year.

(THANK YOU NANC!)

In her quest to lighten everyone's day,

she has a monthly little gift she creates

for each of the residents in their new home.

This month she made 90 little ghosts and

we walked around the hung them on all the

doors of all the residents!

(She was borrowing Dad's walker because

it has a storage bin under the seat - perfect

place to hold all her little ghouls...)

Everyone in the place knows her and she

knows each of them by name and calls them

by it and has a kind word for each of them.

You know, they say the most important

word for people to hear is their name.

(They teach us that in teacher training and

encourage us to learn our students names

and call them by it... and I can attest that

it is true, even on zoom... once I start 

using the students names they "wake up" 

and participate and join in the conversation.)

Nancy and Reid hosted a lovely dinner for them on Wednesday night.

We were celebrating both their SEVENTY-FIRST

wedding anniversary on Tuesday, and her 

EIGHTY-NINETH birthday today.

It was a full house and beautifully done,

as always!

Nanc had gathered a bunch of trivia questions

and answers about Mom, and had everybody

answer them on their own paper before dinner.

Then after the meal we all shared our guesses.

Everyone had a great time learning more about her.

(And before dinner Mom sat in the living room

with the great-grandsons and "helped" them with

their questionnaires... LOTS of laughter was 

heard from that room!)

It was such fun to get the whole family

together! Chris came down from Phoenix.

Jeff and his girls came over.

Kurt & Michelle and their boys (and their

big fluffy dog) were there.

Rozann and Greg and Naomi were there.

Greg was SO GOOD with the kids at

their end of the table! What a great Uncle!

(Hahaha, see what I did there? He's

their Great-Uncle.)

Nanc had a lovely display set up on her dining room table.

It was fun to remember all the little things that

mean so much to Mom from over the years.

In the little white box (the box her diamond ring was in!)

is the fraternity pin Dad "pinned" her with.

And above it is her charm bracelet. MANY a sacrament

meeting went by while looking at each charm and

remembering the story / event that went with each.

And there's her various pins and some extra charms

and a bracelet she wore back in Weyburn!

Along with the little teapot that was never used

for tea, but housed the sugar icing flowers from

their wedding cake!

And, of course, we have the happy couple!

(And a ceramic horse Dad painted and fired

wearing one of Mom's iconic watches...)

 

It was a lovely evening, celebrating a 

wonderful couple who are SO loved by each of us.

(Reid made THE BEST ROAST... there were

17 of us and we ate all but a small sandwich

sized ziplock of it... it was a NINE POUND ROAST!)

But back to Mom!

Looking back at my pictures, I realized I need

to take MORE!

We were entertained by a harmonica recital.

She is working on another lap blanket.

She has made several and gives one to each 

of the residents on their birthday!

They are SO appreciated, both by those who

use a wheel chair and by those who just feel

a little chilly when they sit for a bit.

We walked the LONG halls around their floor

and I mapped it on my "map my walk" app.

It's 0.13 miles! (So 10 laps is over a mile!!!)

Dad likes to go out and do a lap now and again.

We have done a LOT of eating.

Hahahahaha.

And a lot of talking.

And a lot of looking at pictures.

And a lot of looking at all the wonderful

things she has been creating for others.

Is this not the greatest hat????

She finds joy each day is loving those who are 

around her. 

She takes such great care of her beloved Kent.

She brings JOY to each of the residents.

As well as all of the various people who

work there to meet the needs of the folks.

She knows them all by name and makes

sure to say a kind word to each one.

(She shares her birthday with their breakfast

waitress who is a sassy Iranian... she's getting

a blanket this morning too!)

Mom's years of service have stood her in 

good stead and have certainly NOT ended!

She is a light and an example to all she meets.

She is the perfect illustration of what the

true joy of service looks like.

In everything she does.

Whether its peeling an orange for Dad

or hanging a goodie on a doorknob,

or sharing a loving word with a neighbor.

Because of her example, many of the

residents now have a fun display outside

their doors on her floor.

(They are sadly missing on the first floor...)

I am so proud to call her my Mother.

And I wish her MANY MANY more

Happy Birthdays!

I LOVE YOU MOM!

Happy Birthday