Happy Birthday to my favorite planet....

Happy Birthday to Marz! 

So, it's not quite her birthday; I'm gonna be out of town on her special day.  She assures me that this will be okay....

....as long as I make up for it in the birthday-gift-department. 

She's good.

It's the big one-five.

There is so much that I want to say about this girl. 
I want to talk about 
How sweet she is
How smart she is
How hard working she is

How responsible she is
How caring she is
How conscientious she is
How funny she is

I want to mention
How her faith and her courage inspire me.
How  I know that I can count on her.
How she has a natural bent towards taking care and responsibility when she sees a need.

 And oh my stars....she is beautiful.
Inside and out.

She is everything I would want in a friend, only better.
Because she is my daughter. 
She makes me want to be a better person, a better mom.



Dear Marz,
You are more than just my favorite planet;
you are my world.
Happy Birthday, sweet girl.
Mama loves you.

Turkey & Cheese Love

Nothing says "I love you" like a turkey & cheese sandwich with mayo and mustard.

Or so I'm told.

The Wildcat has been putting in 40 hours a week at his summer job.  He leaves there and heads off to baseball every night.  He dresses for three teams. 

I'm sorta proud of this kid.

Earlier this month, I told him I would pack him a cooler and drop it off to him.  I did exactly that.  When I approached the dugout he looked at me like "what are you doing here?"  

Not the reaction I had hoped for.  I handed him his lunch and walked away.  And held back my tears.

The next game I did the same thing.

And the next game.

And the next.

His reaction quickly changed over the course of the month.  And I actually got a "Oh mama, I love you."

Did you read that?

He said it.  In the dugout.  With team and coaches present.  

I handed him his cooler and walked away.  And held back my tears. 

Yesterday the Wildcat told me that in between games, one of his teammates said "Nathan, your mom must love you."

"Why's that," he wondered.

"She always makes you a big lunch for your games."

"Ya.  She does."

Be still my heart....I do.

I'm adding this to my "Mama Bible":   
And this is how you will know thy mama's love for you:
 by the contents of thy lunchbox
Which overfloweth with Turkey and Cheese
PB & J
Fruit Snacks, Gatoraide 
All of that
and a bag of chips