So awhile ago I said I'd post about my Mama (it's pronounced Mamaw just FYI, like I said before ...) and so here we go. This may be a long one, she's a pretty cool lady. Like I said, the other night we were at my Mama's house for our big family White Elephant Gift Exchange. And I mean BIG family. Let's just run through the names of people that were there. Me, my mister, my mom, Rich (stepdad), little twin brother and sister, biggest (not oldest cause I'M the oldest) brother Clay, his wife Erin (silly), my Mama, my aunt Belinda, her daughters, Natalie and Britney, their significant others, Nat's boyfriend Jared, Brit's husband Adam, my aunt Charlotte and her husband Alan, Charlotte's daughter Amy and her husband (seriously just forgot his name, but he's a new one, cut me some slack) and her son Jacob. My aunt Michelle and uncle Russ, their kiddos (my cousins) Riley and Joanna, my aunt Tammy and her husband Sean, their kiddos Chance and Shelby, my Great Aunts Joann and Norma Lou and their husbands (my great uncles) Tommy and Charlie, my cousins Mikey and Erica who sadly lost their mom, my aunt and my mom's oldest sister 2 years ago to cancer on Matt and I's anniversary. Mikey's wife (who's preggo w/ their 2nd little girl!) Joanna and Maddyn, their precious 2 year old blonde-haired, blue-eyed cherub of a daughter. Seriously. You can't understand the cuteness. I'm going to steal her. My uncle Kim and his wife, Judy and then there are always some stragglers/tag-alongs of friends of family that are sometimes included. So there you have it. Didn't that sound like the "begot" part of the Bible? Where they say "so and so begot so and so begot so and so" and so on and so forth ... Well, that's my "immediate" family. The one that gets together for Easter, Thanksgiving and a Christmas White Elephant. And there were even some missing. Like my cousin Shannon, her husband Mike and their 3 kids, Kaylie, Kyle and Kinley. And Erica's kiddos weren't there. And this is JUST my mom's side of the family. And let me tell you I love it. It's normal to me. My poor husband has one uncle, one aunt, their spouses and kiddos and thats. it. And they live in different states. And he came into this craziness. Um, intimidating much? Like I always say, he's a trooper. AND on top of that, ALL these people I just mentioned live within 20 minutes of me. And I have a whole SLEW of them on my dad's side. And like I said, I love it. All this was to point out that my Mama is the glue that holds it all together. She has EVERYTHING at her house. Since I can remember Christmas Eve, it has always been spent at my Mama's house, sleeping on palettes or couches or recliner chairs with my cousins and all our parents. We arrive around 8ish after going to the candle light service at church, Mama and her daughters stay up until all hours of the night wrapping presents when the kids USED to go to bed around 11ish. Now the grandkids help and hit the hay about the same time as their Mama (we can't get the woman to go to sleep and let us do it, she's a stubborn little thing!). We usually try and break off for about an hour and do a drive through of Christmas lights in a neighborhood up in Allen. And then come home and wake up bright and early the next morning to open presents together. When we were little, the oldest (Britney) would ring a bell to wake all the grown ups up and signal that it was time to wake up, but more IMPORTANTLY, OPEN PRESENTS!!! Mama always graciously has her whole family over. For everything. As much as she can. And she loves it. Because she is a selfless person. There is nothing my Mama loves more than to see the face of her grandchild, sister, daughter, etc., really anyone in her family, opening something that she got for them. She loves to give. Of herself. Of her home. Of her heart. And she does it WHOLE heartedly. If there's anything I will take from my Mama as I get older and pass on to my family, is the IMPORTANCE of family. Above all others. She is a complete example of what it means to be the glue of a family. 75% of my memories would not be as fond, or possibly wouldn't exist if it weren't for my Mama. She has taught me tradition, she has taught me love, and she has taught me sincerity. And she has made my mom into the mother that she was for me and I can only HOPE I can follow in her incredible footsteps and be that kind of mother to my daughter (if the Lord blesses me with one). Here are a few pictures of my sweet Mama. I love you Mama, you will always be an example and portrait of what selfless love means.
My Mama and my momma ...
Mama and me (is she the cutest, look at her peace sign shirt!)
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