Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Happy Birthday Mom

Today, my mom is 53, and as my dad would say, "Smokin' Hot." 

Favorite Foods: Salmon Fish & Chips, Eggplant Parmesan, Cafe Rio Pork Salad 

Favorite Desserts: Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling from Schmidts Bakery, Chocolate Lasagna from Olive Garden (discontinued, but if you order a birthday cake, you get a smaller version that tastes almost as fabulous)

Favorite Movies: Hook, O Brother Where Art Thou, Young Frankenstein, The Great Race

Favorite Vacation Spot: Hawaii

Favorite Childhood Memories: 
  • One year, they saved their money in quart jars all Winter long (they cut a hole in the lid and taped the lid down so they couldn't open it) and went to Disneyland with that money.
  • When she was 12 her Dad rented a boat and they went to Flaming Gorge.  This was the first time that she skied, and it has been a life-long passion ever since.
  • She loved camping at Lake Powell.
  • When she was really young, Aunt Helen always had breakfast on Christmas morning and it seemed like there were tons of people.
  • They went to Escalante every Thanksgiving.  They would make their beds in the station wagon (Ah, the days before seatbelt laws), and they would leave around 3 in the morning.  She remembers waking up watching the sunrise from their station wagon beds.  One year, they ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere.  She remembers her dad walking around the corner and walking back about 20 minutes later.  I guess someone saw them on the side of the road, stopped, and they just happened to have a gas can full of gas in their car.  They gave it to her dad and it was enough to make it to the next gas station.  
  • She remembers picnics at Aunt Vivian's house in the summer.
Favorite Places to Shop: Gardner Village (especially the quilt shop), bookstores

Favorite Thing in the World: Having her family over for Sunday Dinner.  Having her grandchildren run around the house and hear their happy screams and laughter.  (She assures me that one day I will cherish the chaos as well.)

Least Favorite Thing To Do:  Dishes and clean the baseboards

One Item on Her List of "Things To Do Before I Die": Sky Dive

Big Birthday Wish: A new bedroom set

If She Had a Million Dollars (with inflation, it's probably more like 5 Million): She would go to Lake Powell (on a decked-out houseboat) every summer and Hawaii every winter.  She said she would take us with her.  Thanks, Mom.  One day, I hope you win the lottery!  I can think of nothing I would like better than to spend the summer on a Utah beach and the winter on a Kauai beach - with you!

I sure do love you!  And my kids would erect a statue to you in the front yard if we would let them.  It would probably be pink (Macy's favorite color) with every child packed tightly on your lap.  You would most likely be reading them a story and sneaking them chocolate milk in baby bottles.  Happy Birthday!

6 comments:

andrea said...

this is so cute :) and she is gorgeous! i hope i look that good when I am 53! goodness! tell her happy birthday!!! (even though i don't know her lol)

Elizabeth said...

Happy Birthday to your mom! You know that I adore her. She is one of the best people I know. Always calm and pleasant and smiling. She has always made me feel so welcome and loved.

Allyson said...

I hope your mom has a fabulous birthday. How could she not with such a heartwarming tribute like you just gave her! You're so thoughtful. I loved reading this!

Greg said...

She really is the greatest. I lucked out having such a wonderful mother-in-law.

Linda said...

Well, you did it again!!
You made me cry!
I love you all so very much! It touches me so deeply to hear you all say such sweet things about me. I just keep trying to live up to who you think I am. I also love all of your blogging friends that I get to know through your blog. Thank you all for making this birthday something I will always hold dear!! (whenever I have a down day, I know I can just come back and read this to lift my spirits.) Thanks!

Kristy said...

What a tribute. She sounds like a great lady. There's nothing better than a woman who treasures time with her family, like your mother sounds like she does. Happy b-day to her!