A lot of people tell my mom and I that we look alike. There are days and pictures I seriously disagree. Then there are other days I can't fathom how genetics work and replicated so closely. Let us examine exhibits A and B.
More often than I want to admit I find myself saying things out loud and immediately following up with a look of shock and saying, "I sounded just like my mother there." It makes me panic a little that even though we no longer live together we share the same tone of voice and mindset. While the following facts are mostly about my mom, the world needs to prepare for this to be me in a few decades too.
Fun Facts About My Mom
1. She is the youngest of 6 siblings, with 5 older brothers (see them below.) Look at that rainbow! And they didn't even call each other! They are in order my age and by rainbow. How cool!
2. Mom grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota, quite successfully showing lots of Holsteins at the state fair.
2b. She was also a dairy princess for her county. She once said, "I knew I was going to win when the other girl didn't know what the Real Seal was for cheese!" Know your dairy facts, folks. They come in handy.
3. Like many kids who grew up on a farm Mom was also involved in 4-H. (My grandparents helped with it for years and had the plaques to honor their level of dedication.) One time she made a meal that had too many foods all the same color. The judges docked her points for it. We still make fun of it if she ever makes a meal like that now. However, keep in mind some of the best meals of the year (read: Thanksgiving) are all one color and we all seem to enjoy them.
4. Mom is in the Luther Athletic Hall of Fame. She had multiple top place finishes at state cross country and track meets during middle school and high school. Some of her high school records still stand to this day ;) (The high school she went to doesn't exist anymore after consolidating with another school, so she will be the record holder forever!) Mom also has an All-American honor from college in the 1500 meter run.
5. The vast majority of my childhood Halloween costumes (among other random outfits, like some matching dresses we had and I pioneer outfit) were made by my mom. She was (and still is) pretty handy with a sewing machine. I have been a witch multiple times, Hershey's Kiss, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, fairy, and many more. Mom made them all. There were a few store-bought costumes over the years but not many; and even those usually ended up with some sort of alteration.
6. Mother has an affinity for purchasing themed/party/holiday napkins. We have an entire shelf at home devoted to napkins that are not just for regular dinner. Pretty sure she has every holiday covered. All the time. Glad I can count on the napkins come the holidays though. They are a nice constant in a time typically filled with chaos.
7. Mom is a big fan of giving Christmas decorations to people. Not that she thinks your decorations are bad but because she knows people don't buy them for themselves. Several of my cousins have received Christmas decorations as wedding gifts because she wants them to have something special and they are often not the first thing people think to ask for. (Sidenote: I recently purchased Christmas decorations for an upcoming wedding gift. We all know where I'm headed.)
8. Like I mentioned earlier Mom is 52. She looks pretty dang good for 5 plus decades on this planet. God bless the Kietzer/Schwanke/Phipps women for their lovely skin and being wrinkle-free into their elder years. Grandma Linda looks pretty dang good for a woman into her 90s. Bring on those genetics! They've served Mom well so far and I can only hope to get them too.
9. I miss her daily. Being an adult is hard and you can never have too much encouragement and support from your mom. I would be lying if I said I didn't cry when I left home (and I definitely didn't tear up seeing my old bedroom turned into her sewing room) because I knew I would miss her (and my dad and brother but this post is for my mom, not them). And I was right. You never know what life is going to throw you or the next time you will see your parents/family. I talk to my mom more now that I don't live a few blocks from than when I was at Luther. She has done a lot for me–I'm positive there is stuff she has done that I'll never know. So, thank you Grandma Linda for your wonderful daughter and thank you Mom for being mine (and Bryce's too I guess).
Enjoy every minute of your day and I'm sad I'm not there to celebrate with you. Happy Birthday!
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