Happy 86th Birthday, Mom!

Mom with Morgan

We were at General Conference on Mom's birthday so she and I spent a day together a little later in the week! Can I say how much I love her? For the last 5 years she has been trying to simplify and get rid of everything she doesn't need so we can't buy her gifts anymore! She is convinced she doesn't need a thing. So I took her to lunch and gave her my time...the things she loves the most. We had such fun looking through scrapbooks, pictures of the Pond's Lodge over the years, and pictures and cards she has received in the mail of my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. What a wonderful and exemplary person she is in every way. She attends the temple every Tuesday taking several other ladies from her ward,  takes care of Relief Society at the nursing home on Wednesdays every 4 months, still cleans and maintains her condo as well as grows beautiful flowers on her patio and a small little garden as well. She visits the sick and faithfully does her visiting teaching every month without fail! She attends every function of the grandchildren that she can...particularly Cindy and DJ's kids because they live in Idaho Falls. She loves to go to birthday parties of our little ones whenever she can and drove over and back from Rupert this summer by herself to spend part of our family reunion with us. The list just goes on.  She truly is remarkable. Doing all this comes naturally for her, but it is also her way of coping with the loss of my dear Dad who passed away 6 years ago this coming December. Staying busy helps stave off the loneliness she feels for him. Though she has family and friends coming to stay frequently, no one fills that gap that Dad left when he passed on. I am thankful that my Aunt Gloria, Mom's older sister, lives across the street. They go to lunch every Thursday and visit frequently. All of these things are such a blessing. How was I so blessed to be born to such wonderful parents who made sure that I was nurtured in and taught the gospel. They were always so happy together and that helped me know what kind of a marriage I wanted! Thankfully I, too, am so blessed with a wonderful eternal companion. Thanks again, Mom, for your perfect example! Love you with all my heart!