Happy Birthday Mom/Gaga!!!

My Mother, my friend, 

it is your 

BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Aren't we cute!

  My Mom has moves.  And she gave me the love of shaking it too!!  We both love to dance, just in different ways.  My Mom is frequently heard saying that if she could do it all over again she'd be a ballroom dancer.  Anytime there's music playing she is singing and her hips are moving.  As a child I remember her being the one that filled our home with music.  Elvis, first and foremost and then groups like Credence Clearwater, Fats Domino and all kinds of Rock and Roll Oldies, particularly the southern variety.  Anything with a beat.  She's really fun.

Today is my Mom's birthday.  And I'm so bad at birthdays (and time in general) that I completely forgot My excuse is that one time I had a bad bike accident (haha) and because of that, most days I don't even know what day it is (yada, yada...I was kind of like that already but I'll go ahead and milk it...it's nice to have an excuse for being oblivious;).  

Mom, I hope you know how much I love you and think of you.  And how much I wish that I could be with you today.  I wish we could go get a frozen yogurt for breakfast, and then go shopping at TJ Maxx and then Nordstroms.  The older I get, the more I wish we lived close, and oddly, the further I seem to move away.  I wish I could take you and Dad with us to Italy, travel the world together, and then come home together.  I truly mean that.  If I could make it so, I would.   I wish I could buy you those Channel sunglasses that you've always wanted, the food processor that you've never had and the shopping spree at your store of choice.  You're hot enough to sport the greatest of fashions and if you don't believe me, just ask Brandon, my teacher at the wood shop;)  

I love you, Mom.  I hope your day today made you happy, made you feel loved and thought of by all of us (there are 100's I'm sure) that love you.  Hopefully some pulled through more than I...Happiest wishes to the Mom that I am grateful to call mine.  

xoxxo

Ashley

p.s.  More from the littles tonight!!

Love Notes

While I was on my big trip across the world I got some really sweet love notes from my kids.  I think they're worth saving so I'll do that here.  I wrote Isaac a cheesy little rhyming poem (he loves rhymes) so he wrote me a couple in return:

I love you so much I can't 

Give a buch (buck;)

so let's have 

some fun 

and run funny

I miss you 

why did you leave

you missed all the fun 

so why did you leave, Lovey?

fr:  Isaac

From Georgie I received an email:

i love you and i miss you and i want you to know that i want to sing a song for you and i miss you and i'll always like you.  i wish i could come to singapore with you and i love you and i didn't want you to go.  i want you to come see me and i wish i could see you too....and i wish i could see juliet and i love you and i wanna see you and i know it's night time in singapore and i want you to know that i'm doing fine.  i really want to see you forever.

 

i love you.

gigi

I think I'm going to embroider those on a pillow...

For my Mom

Happy Birthday my Angel Mother!

What would my life be without my mother?   I thought it might be fun to consider it, to try and capture a tiny morsel of what MY mother really has done for me.  I won't do her justice...I haven't the time nor the capacity to understand her sacrifice.  I know I will never know even a 100th of the thoughts, worries, prayers and concerns that have gone swimming through her compassionate mind in my behalf.  But here is a small sampling of "What ifs" that come to my mind today on my Angel Mothers' birthday.  

What would it have been like if my mother didn't tell me she loved me at least once a day.  What if I had a mother that never said she loved me?  What if I didn't wholeheartedly believe that it was true?  What if her actions told me that I didn't come first in her life?  What would I be like today?  What would I have done in High School without a mother who's sincerity, sense of humor and interest in my life and the life of those I loved made my home "the hangout" anytime, day or night?  Without a Mother who allowed sleepovers with wild raucous, obnoxious high school girls that disturbed her from nights already poisoned by insomnia.  

What would I do without a mother who I needed so much that I ached with homesickness for her my entire first semester of college... who wrote me letters, sent me packages and answered my phone calls at 2 am to get me through my hardest times.  What would my wedding have been like with any other mother to plan it for me in it's entirety?   Not nearly the smashing party of the century that I still remember:

What would I be without a mother who taught me to LOVE to dance and to love music with a good, hip shakin'  beat?  I know my college years wouldn't have been nearly as fun! 

And what would child birth have been like without my Mother there to hold a leg;)  Without my mom after the births would I have been making meals by day 3 (you can always count on 2 days of mormon meal delivery;) and living on 3 hours of sleep each night?

Who would have taught me how to give Isaac a bath and encouraged me through nursing?  And who would have brought me trays of fruit and cheese while I lazed about watching feel good movies?  Could I love my children enough if I didn't have my Mom to carry half the load?  She is the softer, spoiling side that as a mother I can not be.   And this side of her is something they need in their life, this made obvious by simply watching them adore her.   

There isn't a doubt in my mind that someone in this world treasures me.  What greater happiness is there in life than this.  I am so grateful for a Mother that has always given my that confidence...100%.  I love you, Mom!  Happy Birthday...I am sending thoughts, prayers, hugs, kisses, apologies, laughter, love and all the goodness that I have in me your way today!  I miss being with you day in and day out and I always will.  XOXOX