Happy Birthday, Peggy Joyce!

This is my cute mom as a baby. Hard to believe she is turning 70 today. 

This is my mom (little girl) with her older sister, Kathleen. She died of cancer when I was five.

If anyone deserves a tribute, it's my mom. She is truly the greatest:

1. My mom brings dove chocolate squares everywhere. 
2. My mom was born  in Lyndon, Alabama. It's a teeny town...just imagine Forrest Gump's town...it's right next door. She still has "kin" there, and they are colorful. It's a great and beautiful place to visit.
3. She's a great cook. Thanksgiving at her house is legendary! Cornbread stuffing!
4. She taught elementary school(partly in San Francisco) until she had kids. She went back to teaching when I was in 1st grade. She taught pre-school, 2nd grade, and 4th grade until she retired.
5. She taught me to love and respect caffeinated soda. It's a big part of our lives.
6. She took up Pilates at 65. She is in great shape! She ABSOLUTELY does not look 70. She has never looked her age. My sister and I just took her river rafting down the snake....she's gutsy!
7. She drives a 1997 red Honda Prelude, which she considers her cool grandma car.
8. She takes a lot of heat from Bill over her redneck ancestry. (Yes, as if coming from Bakersfield makes my husband so classy).
9. You've never seen a woman shop like her....it's unreal. She knows many salespeople by their first names AND, she shares her Gymbucks with me.
10. She has babysat for me on Thursdays (while I teach) for 8 years. AMAZING! Most my friends want her for  their mom. This service means more to me than anything in the world. Not only does she babysit, she often brings dinner, a new outfit or book for a child, and then raves on about how great your kids are.                                                                                                                                     ( Emi, right after she was born)

11. She has many true and loyal friends. They get together often, have fun gift traditions, and are very involved in each others lives. She is a social butterfly to say the least. 

12. My dad is not a skier. She is. She took all four of us kids skiing on Saturdays. Now that I'm a mom starting my kids skiing, I find this amazing. It's hard work!

13. She takes care of her older brother. If you are related to me, you know what I mean when I say that she will go to the celestial kingdom for this service.

14. She's a talker....there is no denying this. She gabs and gabs, but we love her for it.

15. She has many pseudo-grandkids that she's kind-of adopted. As if 14 of her own weren't enough. I think it's just an excuse to shop.

16. She still sleeps cuddled up with my dad. It's pretty cute.

17. My mom loves to splurge on things. She totally makes things special, and she's not afraid to throw down the dough to have a great time with her family.

18. She is the grandmother of your dreams! Cookie making, yearly pass to the Children's Museum, gifts galore, sleepovers, you name it. She tries to send us all on vacations so that she can have the grandkids all to herself. Her toy closet is out of this world. She takes it seriously.

19. My greatest memories of her is of our trips to New York and DC. We would shop So-ho, steal paper towels from J-Crew, get tea at The Plaza, see Broadway shows, and just enjoy girl time. I'm itchn' for one of those trips right now!

20. I did not get my dancing ability from her, but despite her lack of talent, she has a pretty great dance that she does to "The Jefferson's" theme song.

21. She sat at countless BYU football and basketball games to watch me cheer. This is all the more meaningful since she is a die-hard UTE. She would wear the red sweatshirt as a silent protest. 

(mom at Disneyland in 2008...love the Goofy hat)

22. The best thing about my mom is....I'm her favorite. O.K, not really. But we are most alike of anyone in our family, so that is nice. I hope Emi and I will be as close as I am with my mom. I truly consider her my closest friend. She is constantly rescuing me when I'm overwhelmed. I love you, Mom! Have a wonderful day!