Big shoes to fill....

~Lem doing the dishes and cleaning up after lunch...i LOVE this man!~ ~my beautiful Mother as we presented her gift...it was filled with pottery that our children had especially decorated and designed for her...~

~Angela, Amberlee and Jordan love on their sweet Momma~

~Momma and her girls~

~Momma and Me (a/k/a her sidekick)~

Wow, where to start with how much I love my Momma...I guess I will just list a few things that I will always cherish in my heart about this lady that God has blessed my life with.

~she is the funniest person you will ever meet. not just "haha" funny, but belly laughing, stomach hurting, mascara running kind of funny.

~my friends have always called her their 2nd momma.

~she is my biggest cheerleader...even if i was terrible at something, she made me feel like i could accomplish anything.

~she believes in me. more than she should.

~she loves my children like they are her very own. i have to tell you, this makes my heart melt more than anything else. when someone loves your children bone-deep...you KNOW they are special.

~the way that she smells...whatever perfume du`jour she is wearing, she always smells so good!

~her discernment. it is scary, but it's a powerful gift from God. i appreciate it much more now that i am older...growing up, it wasn't much fun though.

~her spaghetti. every year for my birthday she makes my own special spaghetti, salad with ranch, and green cake. i need nothing else, just those things. :)

~her giving spirit. my goodness, she would give her very last breath to someone in need. she doesn't know the word selfish. perhaps this is her greatest quality, because it just comes so completely natural to her.

~her protectiveness. yes, she is sweet...but she is also feisty. don't mess with her babies...enough said.

~her peaceful spirit. many a days, i will call to just hear her voice. it is so soothing to me. she always knows what to say and what i need to hear.

~she is the centerpiece of our family. she is always planning trips for us all to be together. her world revolves around her family.

~she thinks that i am her sunshine. Lord knows that SHE is the sunshine, I am just a little weed trying to catch a ray of her.

~she loves my Lem like her very own. i love when she brags on him and tells me how wonderful he is. it makes my heart so happy.

~she loves me just the way i am.

~she is the best cook in the world. she can throw together anything, and it is the best meal you have ever laid your mouth on. seriously.

~she can throw a party...and a good one. nothing momma does is "half-way". if she is going to do something, by golly watch out! it is going to be big and lots of fun!

~i love her hands, they are always warm. i love to hold them at church, or in the car.

~i love how my children think that she hung the moon. presley always says that she wishes maw maw was her mommy. then she quickly says...well, i wish she was my "other" mommy. it doesn't offend me one bit, i wouldn't have it any other way.

~did i say that she believes in me? perhaps not one other person has the faith in me that she does. she knows my strengths, and she encourages me to utilize them.

My list could go on and on and on....I love my Momma. She has made me who I am as a Momma, as a Wife, and as a friend. Thank you. You will never know how your doting words have whispered in my ears. Your prayers and your songs are in my heart that you washed over me when I was a little girl.

"Happy Mother's Day" seems so little to say. How about "Best Mother Everyday". You are some mighty big shoes to fill.

wanting to be like you,

Jilly