Lovely Lady Leona

I'm so grateful today for my beautiful mom. She made this world a brighter place when she entered it 60 years ago today. I have recently been reflecting on mothers and grandmothers and the vast impact they have on our lives. I would like to share just a few things that make my mom an outstanding lady.
My mom grew up on a farm in a family of ten kids and was driving tractors and tossin' hay bales practically before she was out of diapers. What does this mean? She has an amazing work ethic. I've known few people that work as hard as my mom does whether she's cooking, cleaning, gardening, or serving others she is always working hard.

Mom is a fantastic cook. She can (and often does) feed an army. Her home is often the center of the family hubub for extended family gatherings and everyone loves her food. She can make a wheat bread lover out of any Wonder Bread fan with her homemade wheat bread, and her neighbors look forward to a warm loaf of bread and homemade grape jelly (from my dad's grape vines) for Christmas every year. Way better than your average Christmas cookies!

Mom is also a great gardener. She has a gorgeous yard that she has cultivated and tended for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, we had a huge vegetable garden, too. I remember many summer mornings spent weeding the garden. I know I did this begrudgingly then, I didn't realize that mom was actually giving me a wonderful gift. I have inherited my mom's gardening bug and now love to plant and weed my own garden every year. I am grateful for my mom's desire to pass on her love of gardening and the wonders of the natural world to me.

When I was a teenager, Mom was my Young Women's softball coach. I don't know many women who could whip a bunch of silly, giggly teenage girls into a good softball team, but my mom certainly did just that. She was serious about early morning practices and taught all of us so many skills - many of them life skills that would benefit us both on the field and in real life. Anytime girls were goofing around or wouldn't run the bases, she would start chasing them around the bases. That really lit a fire under them! (She could often beat them, too, which shocked the pants off all of us.) She's a mean batter, too. We had a ton of fielding practice with her just whaling that softball out to us over and over again. She often ended practices back at our house with a breakfast of hot scones and honey butter. Although all of us girls knew she meant business when we were on that field, we all loved her for it, and we turned out to be a pretty decent team.

I have a great love of music and I credit that to both of my parents, but especially to my mom. She spent so much time with me and my brothers and sister teaching us songs and singing with us. I was often surprised (and still am) to find that many of the other kids in Primary didn't know certain songs until I realized that the only reason I knew them was that my mom had taken the time to teach them to me. I still sing many of those songs today and have fond memories of sitting or standing around the piano with my mom.

Service could be my mom's middle name. She is a whiz at spotting the weary and downtrodden around her and strives to lift them up. She has done this in so many ways that I have witnessed. I often went visiting teaching with her when I was young. I wondered why we didn't ever see the ladies she visited at church. I learned later that most of these ladies were completely inactive, but they loved my mom and she loved them, and so they would let her in month after month. Many of them wouldn't let anyone else come visit them. Some of the other girls my age thought that one of these women in particular was "scary". The lady was a little bit of a hermit, and I probably would have been scared of her, too, except that I had been to visit her many times with my mom and I know that she was actually an incredibly sweet (and rather lonely) lady. I always felt happy and a little proud when she would drive by our house and smile and wave at me.

My mom and dad have been serving in a branch at a youth correctional facility for the last couple of years. I have been so touched to hear their stories of teaching and sharing the gospel with these young kids who have been through so much already in their lives. Mom has wept for the kids who have never had a birthday cake until she made one for them

My mom's home has always been open to anyone. Her home is a safe haven for many, including myself. I always know I'm "home" when I walk in her door even though I've been gone for17 years, and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. My kids have made that same comment to me. She has housed many different family members for many different reasons without complaint. My own little family was able to spend a summer with her and my dad a couple of years ago and I will always treasure that time. We had many late night talks, much laughter, and some tears. The tears were always accompanied with hugs of love and support.

I have recently been so touched to watch her welcome her mother and father into her home for much of the past two years while my grandma battled cancer. Mom has lovingly cared for Grandma as well as all the people who have been in and out of her home to visit with Grandma. Because I live so far away, she would also keep me updated on Grandma's condition and share sweet stories about Grandma with me as the cancer slowly took Grandma away from us.

Her love and devotion are an inspiration to me. My mom has never hesitated to say "I love you" to me or anyone else. I know I took that for granted when I was younger. I thought everyone's parents told them that they loved them several times a day. I have come to know that that is sadly not true. I am truly grateful for her willingness to tell me that, and then to show me that she meant it.
I hope that I can in some way measure up to her. I truly couldn't have asked for a better mom because she is the best! Mom, you will always be a shining star for me. Thank you for illuminating my life!

I love you, Mom! Happy birthday!