Happy Birthday Mom!

My Mom, Cindy

Yesterday, Mom took Ali ice-skating for the first time in her life! Ali had so much fun!

Today is my mom's birthday! Still a couple of years from 50, she is full of life and energy! I am so thankful to have the mom that I do. She has taught me so many things in life that have made life easier and richer for me. Even though she didn't have a lot of money to work with when we were growing up due to being a stay-at-home mom and that my Dad was self-employed, she was the ultimate frugal creative. She worked diligently at gardening (organically of course!) and canning and sewing and bringing in a little income on the side when she could. She always made Jesus a priority for us and made sure we were in Sunday School and Children's Church and AWANAS and was an active part of teaching our classes in all of these things and teaching us godly values at home. She always emphasized to me that God was faithful to provide and would take care of us and always emphasized the priority of staying home with your kids. Because she was there for us all the time, we grew up with home-cooked meals and lots of books and very little TV and endless art and craft projects. She didn't let a tight budget keep us from getting "culture" as she called it. She made sure to take me to things like the Nutcracker ballet, allow me to have piano and classical guitar lessons, and my brother to have violin lessons. She always exposed us to as much art, history, and music as she could. One summer she loaded up the boys (I was on a summer missions trip) and took them camping around WY, stopping at all the historical places and learning about and experiencing what life must have been like at Fort Laramie, Independence Rock, Devil's Tower, museums, etc.

She wouldn't let us get away with anything and she always made us work hard and take responsibility. She drilled common sense and caution into our heads too! Yet she also knew how to teach us to have fun and party heartily, hosting family picnics and dinners and events even though she really doesn't enjoy cooking. She made family dinner time a priority. She always took time to listen to our stories and endless chatter after school. She saddled my horse countless times so my friends and I could ride after school (we had a Horse Club in 5th Grade and of course all the girls loved coming to our house!)

She always threw very fun birthday parties for us, like my backwards birthday party when I was about 10 or 11. When I was 11 she taught a Christian Girl's Charm Course for me and a couple of my friends and let us have tea and fancy snacks while we studied the lessons on etiquette, beauty tips, and having godly character. When I was a Junior and I begged to be homeschooled, she jumped in and started homeschooling all 3 of us without any prior experience and did a wonderful job.



Being avid outdoor enthusiasts, she and my Dad taught us about the outdoors and camping in the outback wilderness and being careful and responsible campers. I have always known she is way tougher than I will ever be. After all, who else would take 2 small kids and a 5-month old infant horse-pack camping about 30 miles into the wilderness in the cool month of May? Who else would volunteer to backpack in the Moab desert in their early 40s, being the only one in the group not male and not in their 20s? Who else would go back to school in their mid-forties and work tirelessly on endless reports and tests to get a teaching degree so she could fulfill her dream of teaching at a Christian School once her kids were grown?


My mom's gift from Dad this year is to go on a dogsledding trek for her birthday. She is always one for adventure! Happy Birthday Mom!