MOTHERS' DAY

Here's a shout out to moms everywhere...*insert loud WHOOP here*

A brief note to Wendy: Mom, thanks for everything...for being strong when you wanted to fall apart...for the 6,195 warm meals every night while I was growing up...for accepting by boyfriends...and for believing that the pot that fell on your foot when you borrowed my car (all those years ago) really belonged to my brother...love you mom.

A note to my daughter Jette: Thank you for your compassionate spirit and unconditional love...the entire family has always marveled at your ability to see past the package and love the contents...your sensitivity has been your biggest challenge and your greatest gift...thank you for giving us Alex and the lessons he has taught-they are also lessons of unconditional love,isn't that interesting?...and for Emma Jane, that sweet, loving, sensitive young girl I want to snatch away and put in my luggage each time I visit...thanks also for the Jettisms "You know, in France, snails are considered a delicatessen" and upon turning 15 you gushed excitedly (before thinking) "Wow, I'm halfway to 25!"...your beauty continues to unfold as you mature into womanhood and I love it when we get to be together and do things as friends and partners...oh Jette, I miss you so much sometimes my arms ache...you're my little bird and I want you back in my nest so badly...but I don't want to chew your food and regurgitate it back into your mouth so I feel better already...I love you my sweet first born...

A note to my daughter Emmy: Thank you...I almost don't have words for the gratitude I feel for you...I must first tell you how beautiful you are...I get lost in those blue eyes...I have from the very beginning, the same eyes that Clarkie has...and that dimple, again, the same one that Clarkie has...I wish you could see your beauty from my eyes honey...you would stand all amazed. I love to watch you mother your children...I could sit in your GROOVY NEW FAMILY ROOM CHAIR (JACOB)and watch you interact with your beautiful children hour after hour...there is nothing cuter than listening to Mae gush about her newest princess dress or hearing Clarkie's fat feet slap across the wood floors as he runs towards his mommy laughing all the way...I love the way you care for your family, which always includes me...I love you my sweet fair-haired girl...

A note to my sister Stephanie: What can I say? Thanks for making dinner fun from the very beginning...making airplanes sounds as the spoonfuls of peas or carrots "landed" in my mouth...but I'm an adult now so it's just kind of embarrassing when we go out, okay? You are my sister/mom and I will always love you. Thank you for all you do with and for Mom. I know it can't be easy and I stand in awe of you seemingly never ending energy when it comes to driving, schlepping, cleaning, and running errands for and with Mom...you are earning valuable good-daughter points which can be redeemed later in heaven for lovely prizes...one day, we'll all want to do it over and over...love you sis.

A note to my TT: Yikes! You're not even supposed to be Mommy yet you little squirt! You're my slumber party buddy...one day we'll tell the kids how I used to put make-up on you, stick a floppy hat on your head, make you sit on telephone books, put a cigarette in your hand and drive slowly up and down campus with your window down...yea, you were cool...but for crying out loud, don't tell Katherine yet, she'll hate me!!! I marvel at you honey...you juggle so many things at once and your children are beautiful and kind and talented...Thanks especially for tackling, quite ably I might add, mother's estate...no easy task I'm certain...love you TT xoxo

And finally, a note to my girls my home, my daughters-in-law: Abby, thank you for loving Eli. Thank you for accepting the Gospel. Thank you for making it possible for him to serve a mission. I'm not sure if you understand how powerful an influence you have been in my sweet baby boy's life...I shudder to think what his life would have been like without his mission...thank you Ab-ba-dab...you are wonderful honey and you will be a wonderful mother..

Holly-hey girl, are we in love with you or what?...I couldn't have hand-picked a better person for Bub...we are crazy in love with you...and the family connections are blowing me away...your grandfather was Eric's dad's scout leader growing up...isn't that a stitch?...and you're from Jackson with a family name which leads up to believe we're "connected" in genealogy...but we'll let that go until the kids are born with recessed chins and stick out ears...Holly, we love you madly and look forward to a lifetime of laughter and love with you.

Momma Hebdon: I don't think your mothering ever ends!!!! We have raised babies together and then, you just kept going!!!! I have always marveled at how you did things...your ability to function on no sleep, to hold shoes together with duct tape, to look beautiful at any time, these gifts of your always amazed me...well, your children are beautiful, as is your life...well done my old friend...well done...

Moms are great...to quote someone (other than me) half the world is mothers and the other half came from mothers...nice....