The Big Five - Ohh!

My mom has a big ole birthday to celebrate today! She acts 25 (in a good way), she looks 35 (in a good way as well) but she is turning the big 5-0! Here are the top 50 reasons I am so glad she is my mom:

1. She has set incredibly high standards as a wife, as a mother, as a friend, and as a Christian.

2. She puts her family before anything else in the world.
3. She put me in smocked dresses and huge hairbows until I was 10 :)

4. She loves my brother more than you can imagine (she loves me too) but something about that boy!

5. She took me to Hawaii when I was in the 7th grade.

6. The whole trip was a surprise until we got to the airport ... that's the kind of mom she is!

7. Every birthday party was an elaborate extravaganza.

8. As was my wedding ... I am still in awe!

9. She adds detail and significance to everything ...

10. She had the inside of my wedding gown monogrammed.

11. She does not tolerate materialism but bought me a Vera Wang gown because of its beauty!

12. She never missed a beat when we were growing up.

13. She was the chaperone on every field trip and at every church camp, she was always the "room mom" when we were in elementary school, she was always the "team mom", the Sunday School teacher, the PTO President, I could go on and on.

14. I wasn't allowed to go to Panama City but she took me and my friends to Destin every Spring Break :)

15. She finally let me go as a Senior in high school and it was everything she told me it would be.

16. I will not let my child go either.

17. Everytime I cried to her on the phone as a freshman in college she would tell me that she would come and get me.

18. She did not like me being 5 hours away!

19. She is the first one to tell me if my hair needs to be highlighted, my make-up is too dark, or my pants are too tight :)

20. I appreciate those "criticisms" ... most of the time!

21. She made sure that we had wonderful childhood memories.

22. We always had a scavenger hunt to find our Easter baskets.

23. We always got to open one present on Christmas Eve.

24. Our stocking were always filled with the best stuff imaginable.

25. She helped the Beau plan the perfect proposal!

26. She has the closest, sweetest, most fun group of friends.

27. And I am telling you, they don't act 50 :)

28. They go on roadtrips to GA football games, they take beach trips and ski trips, and they go on sunset "booze cruises" on the lake.

29. Please note that she cannot take down a full glass of wine before she is either silly or asleep!

30. She is super dooper creative.

31. She has a little bit of a hard time with execution ... we are both waayyy ADD :)

32. She has taken me to New York during Christmas multiple times on "girl trips" and I have the best memories from those trips! However, we never saw her face as it was covered by a scarf the entire time ... she hates to be cold.

33. We went on family vacations to Hilton Head for years and I distinctly remember riding bikes, taking pictures, and hanging out in Harbor Town.

34. She let me take friends on vacation at the age of 6 ... that was WAY cool.

35. She sent me all over Europe for 3 weeks the summer before my senior year in high school. This was a big surprise as well!

36. She replenished my overdrawn checking account while in college NUMEROUS (read: way too many) times and I am very apologetic and grateful.

37. She encourages me to be better and to do better each and every day.

38. She teaches me all sorts of tricks to save money. Boy, she has the Publix, Kroger, CVS, Wal-Mart sales down pat.

39. My dad travelled during the week when we were young and I would sometimes sleep in the bed with my mom. She would give me an orange and a peppermint stick and I would suck the juice out of the orange through the peppermint stick. Is that normal? We both loved MASH and I always remember watching it in her bed while sucking that peppermint orange. Keep in mind I was appx. 5 years old ... probably not normal to like MASH :)

40. She instilled good habits and good values in my brother and me.

41. We always sat down at the table together as a family for dinner at least a couple nights a week. Even if it wasn't our table ... restaurant tables serve the same purpose!

42. We share the same love of random, some would say disgusting, junk food ... swiss cake rolls, coke floats, peeps, cheez-its with m&m's mixed in (shut up, its like trail mix), snowballs. I will stop there as you cannot get any more RANDOM than snowballs.

43. She always chose her battles wisely.

44. "Mrs. Perfect Preppy Parent" even let me get a belly button ring when I was 15 {gasp}.

45. She knew I would get tired of it soon enough.

46. She was right. But 9 years later that stupid hole has never closed up.

47. She did say that if I got a tattoo she wouldn't pay for a wedding dress.

48. I believed her!

49. She did the perfect job distinguishing mom and friend ... and I have come to realize as I get older that can be a really fine line.

50. AND ... she gave me really good genes :) She is itty bitty and is as cute as can be!!!

[Note: I am, however, presently not itty bitty but at least I know I have the potential to be after two 10 pound kiddos]

"Her children will rise up and call her blessed"....Proverbs 31:28

Love you, Mom! Here's to fifty more!!!!!

xoxo~