to the woman who gave birth to me.

my beautiful mother and sister

my mom once told me that my birth was her scariest of all six [!!] of her labor experiences.

you see, the umbilical cord, the very source of my survival as a fetus, was wrapped around my neck a few times and was quickly transforming into a deadly weapon.

luckily, the doctor was able to remove the cord, and i emerged into this world, gasping for air, ready to experience this new journey of life on april fools' day in 1987.

my parents didn't plan on having a sixth child, but they had me anyway.

and i'm forever grateful they brought me into this world [as scary as it was to do so].

throughout the years, my mom has been a constant pillar of strength and support in my life, just as she was more than twenty-four years ago when i was still in the womb.

she has endured millions [no exaggeration] of tearful phone calls from me [most of which have occurred in the last five years. thank you, rexburg, for having the propensity to make me cry on an almost-daily basis] and is always, always patient, supportive, and encouraging.

she has been the ultimate example of a truly Christlike individual by giving her time, energy, and talents to those who are in need of them, oftentimes at a moment's notice.

she is the BEST cook/baker and is never afraid to try new things.

she is an incredible listener and always knows the right thing to say to make me feel better.

she has rock-solid faith in the Lord and is always telling me to turn to the scriptures and pray when i have a problem.

she has stood by my dad and supported him in all his endeavors and even packed up and moved with him [and many small children, by the way] multiple times throughout their marriage.

she is a nurturer and has this innate ability to make any child feel at ease.

she is a strong supporter of gaining a good education and doing your best in all you do.

and she is the strongest woman i know.

mom, i love you so much. thank you for always being patient with me and helping me through my oh-so-difficult-woe-is-me days. you are a saint and i aspire to be like you when i have a family of my own [far, far away in the future].

you are the mom of all moms!

the world's greatest mom!

mother of the year!

and i love you.