I know everyone thinks THEY have the best mother of all…but on this one, I have to claim the top spot. My mom REALLY IS the very best there is.

I went looking for pics of mom with me when I was little, but alas, what I found were pics of me in college…YIKES. And because we are doing all sorts of fun family stuff today (like a picnic!) I can’t spend the
time it would take to go through the gillions of photos to find the perfect, sentimental ones. Instead, we will look at a few, that remind you mom, that I turned out okay IN SPITE of my best efforts NOT TO.

Check out my sparkly-sparkly eyes and lips…and those vintage earrings that I found in my grandmothers jewelry box (Here’s to you, my Precious Grandmother in heaven,
who I always felt in my heart was also my mom. I was the luckiest kid alive to have not one, but TWO wonderful moms to TRY to teach me right from wrong :)
That’s when paisley was all the rage, and let me tell you sugar, I was INTO those trends.
I’m just sorry I couldn’t find the one of me in the fingerless gloves and lace  (ala Madonna)–actually I did find one, but it isn’t fit for public consumption :)

I also got WAY into Social attire as seen here in my authentic 50’s cardigan
(also pilfered from my grandmother…and no keds for me, honey I was sporting real-deal saddle oxfords!)

Mom always loved these nice tame pictures taken during the DAY when I was acting the way she raised me to act :) So the one on the left is for you mom.
The one on the right however, I am sorry to say is that “other” Kathryn with some poor boy who I am unable to identify :)

This one REALLY is for you mom, because for years you referred back to this photo (which, by the way,  I think is not a very good one) saying “I wish you would wear your hair the way you have it in that photo I liked so much.)

Anyway, both of your kids graduated college and ended up with careers, families, kids, all the things you hoped and prayed we’d have (we even go to church…most of the time)…and it was all because of your love and support (through all of our shenanigans). And while these photos are not of the warm, fuzzy, sentimental journey I was hoping to post, at least they will remind you that I SURVIVED and turned out okay in spite of a few years in there when you probably worried that maybe I wouldn’t :) (This last one is me with John Gaffney, my sophmore year boyfriend and Lawrence “Laurie” Cartledge, my childhood friend who also went to Auburn. Laurie, what the HECK is that on your head, and more importantly, WHY?

Okay, so now I need to brag on my husband and kids a bit, who allowed me to sleep in today. Then I was greeted by original, and beautiful artwork created by both of them (yes, there was also that moment when they both decided it would be a good idea to paint THEMSELVES green, but we won’t go there)…there was my all-time favorite breakfast waiting for me…a pot of hot joe, with warm, wheat bagels from Brugers, cream cheese, capers and lox. MMMMMMMMMMMMM. Precious cards, a gift card to the nursery down the street for buying flowers for the yard, the sound of hubby building shelves in the laundry room and plans for a family stroll on the Boule-bard (as Clara calls it) and a picnic. I have to share this cuteness from Henry who appears to also have been CURSED with the creative gene. Ha.

When I asked him what the thing was, protruding from his head, he said “it’s the generator used to blow it up”. Oh my.

And here is what he wrote in his Class Mother’s Day newsletter…

“Does your Mommy guide you through life? Mine does. (In other words, he means, “does your mommy yell you through your daily chores etc.?”) In fact, last night we had leftovers (yes, this says it ALL)

But my mommy added her own touch. She put the most scrumptious bacon ever on them (also leftovers of course, that I was lucky enough to find, to spruce things up a bit). The cool thing about my mommy is she can make t-shirts, backpacks, water bottles and more. (THAT’s my boy. Ever the marketing wizard I trained him to be. Bless him ):

Henry Gage

And thanks to my precious Clara for the beautiful night light you made me at school. I LOVE IT.
Now mom, would you PLEASE call me already so we can open our gifts to each other over the phone????
I see how it is, you are at ROBERT’s aren’t you? Even though we BOTH know I am your favorite. Ha ha. (Is this bringing back MORE memories you’d rather keep under the rug?)

I love you the most mom. For all you do, all you are…life without you in it is unimaginable. You are truly the best. Me