Birthday Wishes to My Mom - Sunday, March 15, 2015

My mom is an amazing woman. She has seen and done a lot in her life.

In high school, she was the captain of the girl's basketball team, and won the championship. President of the girls athletic club, president of her homeroom, chairman of the senior cruise.

Mom is on the right; her cousin, Jean, is second to right.

Mom is front and center

Mom is in the front in the center

After she graduated from high school, she and my aunt opened a beauty parlor together. However, Mom always wanted to go to college to become a Phys Ed teacher. Life doesn't always go as planned.

She married her beau, my dad, when she was 21. Together they had three children. We moved cross country from Michigan to California. At the time, I was three, my sister was 18 months, and Mom was pregnant with my brother. Dad drove the U-haul from Michigan to California with his mother. Mom took the three of us on a propeller plane. Can you imagine being a mom, traveling with two small children, and being pregnant? She is a strong woman.

We had a great life in California. Mom modeled for Hinshaw's Department Store and made life-long friends. Dad worked as a bookkeeper for Chrysler Company. Mom and her friend, our next-door neighbor, volunteered to work with disabled people. They took them bowling. Many interesting stories came from those bowling field trips.

Mom introduced us to the Public Library, arts and crafts classes in the summertime, exploration of local parks and swimming pools, hikes in the mountains, days at the beach, and wonderful German baking. I also remember Mom going on a big roller coaster with me when I was about four or five years old. I have loved roller coasters ever since!

Mom loved animals...cats were always in our lives. In addition, we had dogs, fish, turtles, rats, and mice as pets. I'm sure there were other animals at our home in Southern California, but I don't remember them all.

We helped Mom make cookies and cakes. One of our family traditions was to make Christmas sugar cookies in all sorts of holiday shapes, then paint on frosting with paint brushes. Of course we had loads of different sprinkles to decorate our frosted cookies. They were hung on the Christmas tree with love and care. Mom knitted us sweaters, and made our clothes. So many wonderful memories.

From Southern California, we moved to Oregon. There, both Mom and Dad worked. We lived on a five-acre farm where we had chickens, turkeys and sheep. Mom and Dad planted a huge garden on part of the property where we grew our own vegetables. Mom spent a lot of time every summer canning fruit, vegetables and applesauce.

Dad worked for the paper company in Oregon City, and Mom worked for a company that made medical cables.  She went from line worker to manager. She worked until she was 76 years old.

Through the years, Mom is there for us as we move through our lives, celebrating the good times and helping us through the struggles.

She has exercised almost every day of her life and is in excellent shape. Walking and hiking in nature, along with trips to the beach, keep her young at heart.

Walking in Sherwood, Oregon

Hiking at Silver Falls State Park

Silver Falls, Oregon

Bob and I love and respect Mom. We wish her a wonderful birthday and many more years.