Happy Birthday to Mom!

Today, my Mom is celebrating her Birthday. The great thing is that Mom is celebrating it on a plane. I am sure that Mom is just glad to be coming home. For the past week Mom has been in Mexico on a mission trip. She felt led to go to Mexico and help be the house parents to a lot of children. This meant cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, everything for over 50 children. She wasn't alone, but she spent her vacation helping others. Her other vacation will be spent in Nashville, celebrating Three's arrival, but also helping Ansley. This is something that I have always admired in my Mom. She is selfless. Probably one of the most selfless people I know. I hope to one day be like her, but they are some big shoes to fill.

Growing up Ansley will tell you that I had it so much easier because I was the younger child and everything I wanted I got. Well, Ansley may have a better memory of our childhood and require more therapy, but I am here to tell you that I didn't always get off the hook. Ansley was the driven child and I was the more mischievous one. So, Mom and Dad knew what I was doing, but they just chose their battles with me.

One of my favorite stories the Mom tells all the time is about her eyebrows. Those who know my Mom know that all it takes is that eyebrow being raised and a room full of screaming middle schoolers fall silent. Well, that eyebrow also had a way of getting Ansley and I to be quiet, until one day when I decided I had had enough. We were eating dinner and my Mom looked at me and that eyebrow shot up and in her stern voice she said, "Sara Elizabeth McRee, get your elbows OFF the table." I looked back at her, put my finger to my eyebrow, raised it the best way I knew and said, "Melody Jennings McRee, no". Well, I got in a heap load of trouble, but it was the most blatent indicator to my Mom that I was going to be her match. Ansley and I quickly mastered the eyebrow. The point of all this being that Mom has this amazing characteristic of being a firm, yet loving Mom. Most of her students will tell you the same.

It has been so amazing watching Mom as a grandparent. Parenting takes on an entirely different meaning once you become a Mom. Our family has been through a lot (like many families) but we have always stayed together and strong, this I attribute to my Mom. I hope to be able to do this through Trenton's life, be his strength and his safe place. Every time I think about how I want to raise Trenton I naturally gravitate towards my childhood. Not only because it is all I know, but because I have not seen anything better. Fair, firm, loving, constant, and Godly are all characteristics that one day Trenton will say I posses.

So Mom, Happy Birthday. Although you are also victim of our smart mouths, we love you and we appreciate everything you do for us, others, and I am hopeful to be half the Mom to Trenton that you are to me. Even though you don't always feel included, you are a PC grad by association, so we love you! This little man can't wait for you to get home, so be careful, but hurry up!

Photo compliments of Adam Boatman. :)