Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A Grammy Award

This post is just for you, birthday girl! Happy Birthday! I won't mention any numbers, but you sure do look fabulous for someone who might be turning, sixty-something!
These are some of my favorite things about you:
Your...
1. Great sense of style! As I looked through these pictures, I was pretty impressed with all the details that go into these wonderfully coordinated ensembles. Even down to the accessories and jewelry!
2. love of art, in all forms
3. passion for projects
4. ability to mend two, 30-year-old quiet books in one night while vacationing in Arizona
5. determination to create individual quilts for each of your 20+ grandchildren
6. creation of "graduation quilts" for each of your 10 children
7. thoroughness in assembling or facilitating the completion of scrapbooks for each of your children.
8. ability to articulate your thoughts
9. willingness to accept change or adapt to new situations
10. your Pollyanna optimism

11. ability to be everyone's favorite cheerleader
12. determination to complete pretty much every task you undertake
13. ability to delegate tasks when necessary
14. diligence in sending birthday, anniversary, and christmas cards to all your children, son-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, and grandchildren
15. unending generosity
16. always wanting to get your dad a new shirt at Christmas time

17. keeping a couple of fold-away tables and chairs at your house for the little people that visit
18. modern and wonderful ways of letting the husband help out with the house work, such as (see next)
19. ironing his own shirts
20. cooking dinners
21. meal planing
22. Training your boys to be able to do these things if they had to.
23. Sending all 5 of your boys on missions
24. and 2 of the girls

25. Willingness to jump in a car or airplane and travel thousands of miles to watch grandkids while their parents are on a cruise
26. Or to be with new grandbabies, or just "wearing them" (picture above)
27. Undertaking gardening beautification projects for family members when visiting them.
28. Teaching early-morning seminary to several of your own children
29. Homeschooling

30. Your extreme flexibility in juggling the many roles your play at work such as:
31. English Teacher
32. Fine Arts Survey Teacher
33. Drama Teacher
34. Speech 1 Teacher
35. Speech 2 Teacher
36. School Play Director
37. and script editor
38. Student Government Advisor
39. Academic Team Advisor
40. Mother of 10 "chiefs" and no indians, (to use Ted's words)
41. Wife of 1
42. Art Curator, especially of family artists
43. problem solver/solution seeker
44. not easily offended (Thank goodness!)
45. forgiving
46. determined
47. faithful
48. honest
49. encouraging
50. able to give individual attention to each of your children, their spouses, and your grandchildren.
51. Waited up for teenage children when they were out on dates
52. Listened to their stories and experiences when they got home
53. Remember and can reenact family stories/memories
54. I love how you sing out at church
55. and how excited you get when good things happen to people
56. of the hundreds of books stored in the many bookshelves in your home, you've probably read them all...
57. more than once
58. and know which ones to recommend to different individuals
59. how you made sure to get family photos each time there was a new child
60. how most of those photos have made the special wall in the hallway outside your bedroom door.
61. how you volunteer to help children move and do not want to stop helping until the last box is unpacked.

62. How you helped create the best husband I could ever ask for.
(I could go on, but I've gotta save some for next year!)

5 comments:

Jana said...

WHEW!! I get exhausted just READING all of that! Isn't she incredible?! Our little Evelyn sure has a lot to live up to!

Great job compiling the life resume, Desirae! I think one of my favorite things about Mom Badger is that, even with all of the people who stake a claim to her time and attention, she still manages to have such a personal interest in everyone. From her school kids to her "real" kids; from her kids-in-law to her grandkids, she somehow manages to not let anyone go unloved. Wow!

Unknown said...

Amen! I have to remind myself that she worked her way up to such greatness--otherwise her accomplishments might leave me discouraged at my own prospects of motherhood :) Thanks for being such a great example, Evelyn! Between you and my mom, I've got a great road map of how to raise a family.

Pip said...

YOU ARE LUCKY DESIRAE! You DO have a great mother-in-law! She's a great happy & loving lady! You scored in the mother-in-law department.

Jess~ca said...

WOW! :) I love it! I think that is so amazing and SO great that you wrote that about my Mom! I know she will love and appreciate every word!

evelyn said...

I married up. BADGER DAD