Feliz Cumpleanos!

Hey ya'll! Its been a while. Again.

I know. I know. I'm a bad blogger. The worst.

Ohhh well. I'm not sorry. School has been crazy town x 12.

And I know you're not sorry either.

Somehow your life has continued even though you haven't been updated on my happenings.

But today is a special day. So here I am!

It's Tax Day! Woohoo. Let's celebrate!

Okay, jk.

Actually not jk.

It really is Tax Day!

But more importantly, it's my momma's birthday!

And she gave birth to me.
And I came into this world so fast,
She didn't have time to get an epidural.
So I figured I should give her a shout out!

Since she was born on the 17th,
Let's look at 17 things that make my momma awesome!

17. She makes chicken spaghetti that calms my soul.

16. She taught me how to make chicken spaghetti so I can calm my own soul.

15. She went back to school when I was a child and got her Master's. Say what?! I'm getting my master's now--without the two children and the husband and home--and I'm barely making it by the skin of my teeth.

14. Do teeth have skin?

14. Just kidding. That has nothing to do with my mom's awesomeness. But this does: She put her nursing career on hold to stay home with me and Stephen so we didn't turn in to hoodlums.

13. She's getting a new puppy.

12. She's naming the puppy after me.

Okay not really. The puppy's name is Ena. But it starts with an E too. soo maybbee.

not.

11. She's 100% Irish. Northern Irish. To be technical. Yes, my mother is a foreigner, born and raised. And thanks to this Irish heritage, she knows how to cook potatoes in a million different, incredible ways.

10. She passed on her potato knowledge to me. At least in mashed form. And now I have another food to make to calm the soul.

9. She has an green thumb. This, however, did not get passed on to me. But she does grow pretty flowers, and I do like to look at them! And I do predict that she will design me pretty flower beds on day when I have my own home!

8. She inspired me to healthcare professional! Granted I won't be a nurse because I refuse to learn pharmacology, but still, our careers are pretty darn similar. And now we can go scrub shopping together!

9. And she tolerates my 37 calls a year in which I try to convince her I'm dying. Many a phone call have started: Mom, I'm dying. No, seriously, I mean it. Sure this bump on my arm looks like a scab, but I'm pretty sure its a death spot. Or I know it sounds like I just pulled a muscle but I'm 67% sure this a femoral hernia. Or sure it might just be heartburn but I got on Webmd and I'm pretty sure I have erosive esophagitis.

8. She also gave birth to my brother. And when I tried to tell her as a child to disown him and kick out , she didn't listen. Not once. Though she did threaten to leave us both a few times and join the navy as nurse. Thanks for not doing that either! Though I'm sure the navy would have appreciated her a lot more than I did sometimes!

7. She went on a zillion of my school field trips. Even all the way to DC. And two years ago, she took me to Chicago. And it was awesome. And we're going back! Yes??

6. She also took me on my very first mission trip. All the way to Ecuador. Even though I was a wee ninth grader. (See, I can say things like "wee" because thanks to my mom, I'm 50% Irish.)

5. She married a keeper!

4. She manages to love and encourage me even though sometimes I'm a crazy, whiny diva.

3. She drove a truck loaded down with more junk than you can imagine through the rain and through the mountains to help me move to Charleston. Then she helped me carry all that junk up two flights of stairs!

2. She's beautiful!!

1. She loves me and prays for me and encourages me all the time!

I am one blessed daughter!

Happy birthday!!!