Happy Birthday Mom!

I consider myself very blessed to have a mom that's almost always been my best friend. More times that I could ever count you have been there for me, physically, emotionally, financially and (dare I say it) even mentally! As mother and daughter we've had our trying times but I have always known that I could come to you and tell you or ask you ANYTHING and you would share your heart.

Thank you for turning up the music and dancing around the house when we would clean when I was a little girl. You truly made cleaning a fun experience.

Thank you for the many hours we spent at the pool when I was growing up...it was the most fun and it didn't cost us alot of money...thank you for continuing to love it so we can lay out together on our days off.

Thank you for always working so hard for your family, you sacrificed so much for us and had to miss out on some of our activities so we could have a house to live in and food on our table.

Thank you for writing me the little note you wrote me when I was 15 the day of my homecoming pep rally at school. You told me how proud of me your were and how you thought I looked beautiful that day, it mean so much to me. I still have that note.

Thank you for sending me roses on Valentine's Day when I was 19 and single...I didn't have a valentine that year so you stepped in and brought a smile to my face that day!

Thank you for your courage and your will to live when you were 38 and diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember it like it was yesterday, the doctor coming in to tell us that it was cancer and how devastated we all were. You fought so hard to live and here you are almost 15 years later, almost like it all never happened except the scars left behind as reminders.

Thank you for being so calm the day you found out I was pregnant with Chayce...I don't remember much about that day, just that you were completely there for me and you never raised your voice or told me what you thought I should do.

Thank you for giving Chayce her first bath because I was too scared I was going to drown her, you did it with a smile on your face and showed me that it wasn't so scary after all.

Thank you for all the diapers you gave me for Chayce, especially the first year of her life when I was getting no child support. You helped me out so much!

Thank you for being the woman behind the camera with the birth of each of my kids. Without you, I wouldn't be able to re-live those memories any time I want on our television.

Thank you for witnessing the birth of all my kids, it meant so much more having you in the room with me.

Thank you for being such a great Mimi, mine and Chris' kids are so blessed to have such a hands-on 'grandma' who takes them to feed the ducks, buys 'poppers' and goes outside to pop them in freezing weather, clothes them on a regular basis, buys coloring books of your own so you can color with them. You are always spending time with them or taking them to do things and that's why the have a bond with you like no other. You give yourself to them so unselfishly, always.

Thank you for being one of many who encouraged me to go to cosmetology school and for sacrificing two years of your life watching my kids so I could follow my dream.

Thanks for all you are, all you do and for always being there.

I love you so much Mom.