Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you so much and I am so thankful that God in his great providence allowed me to be your daughter.  Thank you for the way you love us and the way you serve God with everything you have.  Thank you for being a woman of God and for seeking God in everything.  Thank you for your humility in confessing sin or sharing with me what God has been speaking to you.  Thank you for helping me to see that the sins that come out of my mouth are really part of a bigger problem in my heart and helping me, through correction and encouragement, to defeat sin and love God more.  Thank you for the way you have willingly and lovingly laid down your life for us four kids time and time again,  for driving us to volleyball, ballet, piano, basketball, soccer, friends houses, church things and the many other things.   Thank you for letting us be the crazy kids we are, for letting us build enormous tents in the family room that stayed up for weeks, for letting us roller skate in the garage and even occasionally in the house, for taking a special trip with each of us to Williamsburg to explore and of course eat at the Kings Arms Tavern, for starting pancake fights(oh yes...you definitely started it!), for letting us have friends over for sleepovers, for letting us have crazy amounts of friends over to just hang, for always opening your house for Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, and the many other holidays we celebrate. 

 Mom, thank you for loving Dad and for being an amazing example of a faithful, loving, submissive, serving wife.  I am provoked by your example time and time again and my prayer is that one day I can be just like you.  You are running the race well, you are keeping the faith, hear God's "Well done."  I could go on and on about how amazing you are, but then I might start crying...the tears are already starting to trickle out.  I just wanted you to know that I love you and that I am so grateful to call you not only my mom but my dear friend.  I praise God that our relationship has grown to where it is now and I can't wait to see how it will continue to grow.  I miss you so much and look forward to next year, when we will be closer.  Happy Birthday Mom!  I love you!

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindess is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and call her blessed."    

Proverbs 31:26-28