As is the mother, so is her daughter.*

Today is my mom's birthday. (It's also Super Bowl Sunday, but I didn't watch a single second of it. Well, that's not true. I taped it, fast forwarded to the National Anthem, saw my husband's regiment being filmed live from Afghanistan, and then deleted it from my DVR. Loved me some RCT-5! Oorah!)

The ultimate multi-taskers: Protecting the country AND watching football.



I miss being home to celebrate these milestones with my family. I've been around to celebrate just about every birthday anyone in my (immediate) family has had for the past thirty-two years. I miss the birthday dinners after church and the opening presents and the cake and ice cream. It's even more difficult now that we have a little one in the family who still gets to have birthday parties and doesn't understand why her Aunt Shoe (adorable nickname, right?) isn't there. It's just one more thing to accept when living the military lifestyle. I know I will never (never say never?) live in Ohio ever again. I also know that my family will probably continue to live in Ohio for the rest of their lives. At some point, though, I will live on the east coast again and that makes the distance now a little easier to bear.

So yes, today is my mom's birthday. My mom has always been my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, and my best friend. Really. I lived with my parents for a long, long time. We always got along so well. I loved our dinners out at whatever restaurant we could all agree on and I loved our nights when we stayed home and had dinner at the kitchen table. My mom would visit me all the time while I worked at my bookstore. She would stop by on my breaks, on my lunches, and just randomly passing through. (Mostly it was for the frappuccino discounts, but I think a little bit was to see me.) We loved going shopping together, and she could even convince me to go into Kohl's on occasion. (Anyone who knows me knows what an accomplishment that is.) Target, Old Navy, and a coffee shop (Starbucks, Caribou, or the local one down the street) was our normal, weekly routine. (I miss that!) My mom will go to the ends of the earth if she knows there's something one of her kids needs. I get my sarcastic sense of humor and my absolute need for a bargain from her. When I was getting married, she was the one beside me through every decision. Seeing her with my niece (her very first grandchild!) has given me a whole new appreciation for my mother. I knew she loved her kids, but you can see that love even clearer when she's with that Sweet Baby. I can't wait to have kids of my own so they can see what an awesome grandma (and grandpa- I never want to exclude my dad from that!) they have. My mom and I have definitely had our disagreements, but I have never for one second doubted she loved me. I know how lucky I am to still have my mom in my life. She's my texting partner, my shopping guru, and my good example. Thanks, mama. Happy Birthday from your littlest girl (the original Sweet Baby)!      

And she always wants to visit me!

(The nearby beaches certainly help.)  

* Ezekiel 16:44