50 Reasons Why My Mom Is Great

(in no particular order)

1. She is an amazing calligrapher.
2. She has incredibly good taste in, well, everything.
3. She makes us homemade cards for our birthdays.
4. She makes us homemade cards for Valentine's Day.
5. She wraps presents perfectly.
6. She plays the piano better than she thinks.
7. She is an especially good Primary pianist.
8. She helped me memorize my Primary talks.
9. Even though she probably thought it was silly to have to do this, she prepped me the night before for scheduled fire and earthquake drills at school so I wouldn't freak out when they happened.
10. She goes walking every day.
11. She even feeds the ducks when she goes walking.
12. She is driven and always has a project to work on.
13. She has neat collections -- like the Santa Claus collection, the Large Letter Postcard collection, and the Nesting Doll collection.
    
14. She fixed it so that her flight home from my cousin's wedding would allow her stop to see us in Indiana.
15. She wrote me letters while I was at Ricks.
16. She addressed those letters in beautiful calligraphy.
17. She is funny.
18. She is witty.
19. She has pretty blue eyes.
20. And pretty blonde hair.
21. She will not settle for anything less than the right shade of red geraniums.
22. She misses me.
23. And likes to talk on the phone to me on Sundays.
24. She always has sound advice.
25. She always made sure I never left the house without grooming myself first.
26. She is a wonderful mother-in-law for Blake.
27. She keeps a clean house.
28. She always did my laundry.
29. She was patient with me all those times I've tried to take up sewing.
30. She is intelligent.
31. She is an excellent term-paper editor.
32. She makes a mean quiche lorraine.
33. She is excited to see me this summer.
34. She let me keep taking piano lessons even though I was never good at practicing.
35. She has a healthy love for chocolate.
36. She has good taste in music.
37. She is organized.
38. It is becoming apparent that her children are turning out well, in large part because of her efforts.
39. She likes to read.
40. And has a healthy love for wonderful literature.
41. She read to me often when I was little.
42. She loves me.
    
43. She trusts and supports me.
44. And gives me much-loved and much-needed encouragement.
    
45. She makes home a pleasant place to be.
46. She is a hard worker.
47. She is precise.
    
48. She is happy.
49. She is happy that I'm happy.
50. She ages beautifully.
    

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! I LOVE YOU!