In An Effort To...

...Make up for the fact that I somehow thought my Mom's 60th! birthday was on Saturday, when it was actually on Friday, I now present to all y'all 60 reasons why my Mom is like...the BEST!

1. She gave birth to me. A 10 lb. 4 oz. baby. That could probably be numbers 1 - 20.
2. She then gave birth to my brother (and best friend), at 10 lbs as well. Probably should be numbers 20 - 31.
3. She tucked me in every night. I sometimes held my breath just to freak her out.
4. She gave up working to raise us boys.
5. She and my Dad somehow saved up enough to feed us through our teenage years
6. And still send us to college.
7. I have never seen her yell.
8. She says "I Love You" and "God Be With You" every time we get off the phone, or leave the house. That is awesome.
9. She was always up for camping.
10. She holds onto things from my childhood. She still has Christmas ornaments and Thanksgiving decorations Doug and I made in pre-school!
11. She remembers everything and everybody from my childhood. Even memories I don't even remember.
12. She was Band-Mom of the year from 1991 - 1995.
13. She cleaned my room, because I had to focus on grades? I really wasn't that messy as a kid. I have gotten worse in my adulthood.
14. She and my Dad had concerns about the lyrical content of the music I listened to. I was glad they did, but I still turned out OK.
15. She was supportive of me being in a punk-ska band.
16. She liked all my friends......even Sean.
17. She made it to almost every sporting event I had.
18. She bakes some killer cookies.
19. She is the cleanest person I have ever met. Nobody had a cleaner house than we did. Nobody.
20. She helped raise other children of family and friends while we were young, and up until my Dad retired.
21. She taught me how to eat healthy, even though the Mexicali Chicken has scarred me for life (sorry Ma).
22. Her brothers and sisters are awesome, and so are their kids. As well as my Grandma....I can see where she gets her kindness.
23. She's still got it goin' on, even at 60.
24. I don't think there is anyone on this Planet that dislikes her.
25. She sang cute little songs to us as kids. I just shared "You are My Sunshine" with Leah.
26. She saves extra money to spend on things my parents want. That rubbed off on me...I have a super secret stash as well.
27. She'll shop for Christmas of next year, the day after Christmas.
28. She likes all the different types of music I listened to growing up. Even some of the loud stuff.
29. She decorates for all the major holiday's
30. She doesn't mind our goofiness, like moving the baby Jesus around in the nativity scene.
31. She likes to sing.
32. She is crafty. In the craft store way, not in the shady CEO way.
33. She laughs at all of my jokes.
34. She likes bread and ice cream........just like me.
35. She traveled with me to Europe, and thought me and Jay got swept into a river in Switzerland.
36. She likes to talk, which is good, because I never have much to say.
37. She made Kevin eat meatloaf, even though he put up the protest of a lifetime!
38. She taught me how to be thrifty. Hence the thrift store T-shirts I still wear from high school.
39. She is very very organized. That did not rub off on me.
40. She'll watch sports on TV.....while she might be cleaning.........but she still watches.
41. She is a great list maker, much like my wife.
42. She sends us holiday gift baskets. Cashews at Christmas, marshmallow pumpkins at Halloween.......too bad ponshki's don't stay fresh across country.
43. She liked to go hiking and play in nature. Waterfall Glenn, and now Morton Arboretum.
44. She let me put a blonde streak in my hair and grow it long. I was such a rebel.
45. I love how she always said, "I'd live to be 100".
46. She loves her daughters-n-laws.
47. She loves my Dad.
48. She loves him so much she takes a 2 day train ride to come visit me when they can.
49. She loves pictures. Taking them and saving them.
50. She helped us paint the ugly spare bedroom in our condo!
51. She tries new things, like Hummus and Sushi.
52. She tromped down a river with me to get to my favorite fishing hole, which we couldn't get too because the river was raging that fall.
53. She and my Dad would take us to go look for Reindeer on Christmas Eve after we left our Aunt and Uncle's house.
54. She can dodge flying popcorn bowls...............
55. She introduced me to Leaner Weiners and Noodles. I need to try to make that with Veggie Dogs!
56. Hands down best Broccoli and Cheese Casserole EVER!
57. She always made soup for the Super Bowl.
58. She builds gingerbread houses.
59. She was supportive of me moving to a strange state, with a new job, and a new wife, and no friends or family within 200 miles, which looking back seems crazy, but it was one of the best things I have ever done.
60. She didn't make me feel too bad that I forgot to call her on her 60th birthday!