10 Things About My Mom

We are reading "Because of Winn Dixie" for book club this month, and I liked it so much, I decided to read it out loud to my kids. It's pretty cute (so far). The book is about a girl whose mother left when she was three. At one point, she asks her dad to tell her 10 things about her mom because she is 10 years old - one thing for every year. I thought it was a cute idea, so I thought I would tell you 10 things about my mom (don't worry...I won't tell you one for every year of my life, even though I probably could come up with 31 things quite easily).

1. My mom loves chocolate. She probably loves chocolate more than any person I've ever met. Chocolate in any form makes her happy.
2. My mom has the loudest sneeze of any person on the planet. If you aren't prepared for it, you actually jump because it frightens you.
3. My mom is very emotional and cries whenever she is touched (which is often). Her nose gets red and she gets a little drip on the end of her nose when she cries.
4. My mom has amazing faith. She firmly believes that if you pray about anything, you will undoubtedly get the answer. She believes that if you ask for something in faith, the Lord will tell you exactly what to do. She gets nervous to pray or speak in public though, and she has a hard time "finding the end of the prayer" (as my dad would say).
5. When I was little, my mom always had her fingernails painted - usually red. She has beautiful hands, and I distinctly remember bottles of nail polish in the refrigerator. I love the sound of glass nail polish tinkling together.
6. My mom cannot hide it when she is disgusted with someone. She crinkles up her face, shakes her head, and puts on the absolute worst fake smile. She is also extremely short with that person. And she usually makes a "bleahhh" sound when the person walks away.
7. My mom loves to analyze things. She thrives on deep, meaningful conversations. (This came in extremely handy in High School and College because she would willingly stay up with me and talk through everything.)
8. My mom is a night owl. Her most effective hours are between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. She also loves to sleep in. I remember Saturday mornings when she would stay in bed until 10 in the morning. It was probably because she was up all night enjoying the peace (and quiet).
9. My mom likes to pick out her own gifts. She loves to go to her closet and say, "Do you want to see what Dad got me for my birthday?" She shows it to us and says, "Isn't he going to be surprised." Then, she puts it back in the bag so my dad can wrap it up.
10. My mom is never happier then when she is on a beach somewhere in the world...Hawaii, Lake Powell, Mexico, etc.

Bonus #1: My mom is a dare devil. She likes thrilling things and loves to try new things. She is also very determined. If she decides that she's going to do something, nothing can stand in her way from installing sprinkling systems or a tile floor to scuba diving.

Bonus #2: I have never doubted that my mother loves me (or any of her children). I know there have been times she's been disappointed or disagreed with me, but I feel incredibly safe with her. She is extremely accepting and loving and sees the best in all of us.

My dad's favorite picture of my mom:

My parent's engagement photo. I think I love this because they are holding a flower that is apparently the only flower growing out of the grass. It makes me smile every time!