Birthday Blessings

Today (June 17) my sweet husband celebrates his 54h birthday, away from home, out of the country no less.
Same place he was last year on his birthday, but in today's economy he has a job and it's been a pretty good one for 36 years, so we are not complaining....too loudly.
We will celebrate when he comes home, along with the Father's Day that we will be missing with him as well.  He's asked for a power-washer, Blue-Ray DVD player....and socks.  That's quite an eclectic mix, but for the man that provides so much for me, I'll get him whatever he wants.
He's a wonderful, hardworking, loving, man and I'm Blessed Beyond Measure to call him mine.
I love you Vance.

Mother Blessings

I miss my mom...9 years ago today she stepped onto Streets of Gold.  Sometimes I miss her so much my heart aches, a deep down physical, bone crushing, take your breath away ache.
Yesterday during worship at our church the Worship Pastor chose 3 people from the congregation to tell what they were thankful for that day.  I could never have managed to get a single word out if he had picked me, but in the still, quiteness of home  I can put into words what I couldn't verbalize.

I'm thankful for a Mom who loved her God
I'm thankful for a Mom who loved her husband.
I'm thankful for a Mom who unconditionally loved her children, the one she bore and the one she adopted into her heart.
I'm thankful that she took me to church every.time.the.doors.were.open.
I'm thankful that she taught me by example to serve her church and by so doing serve others. 
I'm thankful that no matter how poor we were financially, we never knew it because we were Blessed Beyond Measure.
I love you Mom~~