Thanksgiving

So, it has been a while since I posted. My excuse, poor excuse, is that I didn't have pictures to blog with. Well, I still don't have pictures but blogging is why past due.

A lot of things have happened in the Watts household since my last blog. I have become quite the little house wife, except I have a full time job. Being a house wife can be very tiring. Last week I cooked dinner for Eric's wonderful family. So, I had to make sure everything was spic and span, and that I cooked something that even I could pull off. I decided to go with chili, chips, and cheese, baked potatoes, and corn bread. I think I did a pretty good job if I say so myself. Then, this past weekend I had the ladies in my family over for an Arbonne party. So, once again cooking and cleaning. I don't know how women with children and full time jobs do it. My hats off to you all.

I also took time to go see New Moon with a good friend. I won't spend too much time on it but I really enjoyed it. It was so much better than the first movie. This is all I am going to write because my blog will become nothing but vampires and werewolves.

Each Thanksgiving I usually have at least two meals but this year my mom and dad went to Jacksonville to visit my brother and sister-in-law. Eric and I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Mike and Melissa's. Melissa really out did herself this year. It was absolutely delicious.

I was going to to do ALL of my shopping that following Friday but God had other plans for me. I got to a late start - 10am. I usually start around 6 but being by myself it was a lot easier to stay in the bed. I was ready to leave and then my car wouldn't start. My car has not been my best friend the past semester (I am a teacher-my life is in semesters). I had to have it towed once after school on a Friday and recently the turn signal clicker won't turn off. Talk about annoying. The actual blinking light will turn off but not the noise you car makes to let you know that your blinker is off. I have been listening to my radio really loud the past few weeks. This time I think it is once again the fuel pump. Eric's wonderful dad is going to come look at it tomorrow to see if I need to get it towed.

Eric was much more calm about the car not cranking then I thought he would be. I often underestimate him. He told me I should be thankful to have a car to be fixed. I guess he is right. Well, I know he is right. So, here is to carpooling once again.

Fall Break and Friends

Since the U2 concert in Atlanta, Eric and I have been pretty busy. As soon, as we got back that I night I started a new Bible study with my roommate from college. I am very excited to be hanging out with girlfriends again. Then, I got a surprise visit from two old and dear friends - Alayna and Lindsey. They were suppose to go camping in North Carolina but surprise they got rained out.

While Lindsey and Alayna were here we went and saw Couple's Retreat with one of my dear cousins Ashley. The movie wasn't nearly as funny as I hoped. It is definitely a renter. On Sunday, Lindsey and Alayna headed back to Memphis.

The next week was a great week for all teachers - Fall Break. Everybody loves having two extra days off. The Wednesday night before fall break Eric and I joined his family for dinner at Cracker Barrel. But, before we could go eat, I had to clean this pup up. She got lose and ran into a vacant lot next to our house and became very very muddy

The next morning Eric work up late because I didn't tell him to set his alarm and tell him I was on fall break. I went back to sleep while he was informing me of all this.

Eric and I went with some of his co-workers to the Third Day Concert. The concert was great. We had a lot of fun. The next day we left for yet another trip to Notre Dame to watch the Irish take on the Trojans of USC. I didn't get very many pictures - sorry. I did get a picture of Eric eating this huge elephant ear. I helped him eat some of it.

Notre Dame had a tough loss. It came down to the very last second. It was the most exciting and depressing game at the same time.

After a relaxing time off, it was time to head back to work. I ended up getting sick at the end of this past week. I had to leave work early on Thursday and take Friday off. Thankfully it wasn't the flu but a UTI. Fun times. But, my lovely and wonderful husband surprised me Friday night with a brand new vacuum cleaner. I was so excited. I must be getting old to get excited about a vacuum cleaner.

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My new Dyson Animal. It was very disgusting the first time I used it.

A Busy Week

I wanted to blog once a week. This has not happened. I apologize. But, I had an eventful last week and have to blog about it. The week started this past Sunday. My mom and I took Eric down to Atlanta for the U2 concert. I would join him Monday afternoon.

Sunday afternoon we ate at Eric's favorite restaurant - Pappadeaux. They serve Cajun seafood. I am not a huge fish/seafood fan but the service is always so great it is not a bad place to eat a meal. But, because the closest one is in Atlanta, when we are in Atlanta, we eat there every chance we can. So for the U2 trip, we ate there 4 times.

Eric's favorite appetizer (I like it a lot too) is the fried alligator. You can see it in the forefront of the picture above. It is very tasty and spicy. It isn't very fishy, which is a plus for me.

Every meal Eric ordered the fried crabfingers. I have personally witnessed Eric eat two plates of these in one meal.

This is the chopped salad that I ate twice of the four times we were there. It has fried chicken and avocado. I also had a steak sandwich one night and hazelnut crusted tilapia the other.

The highlight of the trip had to be the U2 concert. Eric loves U2. I enjoy their music a lot but Eric is the true die-hard fan. This is a picture of the stage before the opening act Muse preformed. The people standing around the stage paid general admission and waited all day long to be the first people in so they could get as close to the stage as possible. While it seems like a lot of fun, the possibility of not being able to go to the bathroom scares me.

The stage for the 360 Tour is the most expensive in history topping out at $3 million. As the stage was prepared for U2, I noticed that each of the lights were controlled by individual people. It may be hard to see in this picture but if you look closely you can see a person seated behind each light. The lights were brought to the ground, the light technicians were loaded and belted in, and then suspended into the air. For someone who is as scared of heights as I am, I was very impressed by this.


There was a 360 degree screen above the stage so you couldn't miss anything. Overall the band sang at least 23 songs. I told Eric the night would be perfect if they sand Sunday, Bloody Sunday. Bono must of heard me.
The screen also extended all the way to the stage during parts of the show. As you can see, the Georgia Dome was packed.

Another shot of the stage. The bridge in the forefront moved throughout the concert allowing for the band members to come out to the outer circle and run around.

It was a great concert. Eric and I had a great mid-week-get-away. Eric has already mentioned to me that U2 is going on tour again in 2010 and wants to see them again. Even though the trip was over, we got to come home to these two cuties.

A Win, A Loss, and A Birthday

Two weeks later and I finally have a post. A little over a week ago, the family traveled 8.5 hours to South Bend, IN. Not many good things can be said about Indiana. But, one very good thing is that it is the home state of the great University of Notre Dame. I only wish that I had $42,000/year to go there when I was 18. But, I digress. This year's trip did not disappoint. The weather was beautiful. The whole family arrived safely. Eric and I rented an SUV so my parents could ride up with us. Dustin (my brother for those who don't read regularly) and his wife Sarah flew up from Jacksonville, FL.

Friday we took a stroll around campus and spent too much money in the book store. We learned the hard way to not go near the bookstore on game day it is complete chaos.

The campus is amazing. South Bend isn't that pretty of a city but when you walk onto campus it all changes. This is the famous golden dome. It serves as their administrative building.

One of the new attempts of Notre Dame to make game-day weekend fan friendlier is to open up the famous tunnel for fans to come take pictures on Friday. If you are not familiar with the famous tunnel, it is the tunnel in which the players run out of before every game. If you need further clarification, check out the movie Rudy. This was an emotional moment for my family. I am not sure if the emotions came from the surrounding environment or the horrible memories of last season.

This is looking up the tunnel. All the National Championship banners hang there in all their glory. ND has the most National Championships of any college football team. They are third in college football history for most wins just behind Michigan in first then Texas. ND decided to help Michigan widen that gap this past weekend.

There are a few sites that have to be seen every time we go. The Grotto is a replica of Grotto of Massabielle in France. In 1878, St. Bernadette claimed to have a vision of Mary. St. Bernadette reported that Mary directed her to an unheard-of spring in the grotto. The site in France is popular for Pilgrims because it is believed that the water has special healing powers. In the upper-right-hand corner of the photo you will see the bottom of a statue. This is a statue Lady of Lourdes (Mary). This is always the quietest place on campus. When we go to the USC game, I will try to get a better picture of the grotto and of the lake it faces.

This is my brother and wonderful sister-in-law. Sarah is a huge UT fan but is always great when we head up to ND. She stays in good mood even when Dustin and Eric give her a hard time about being a UT fan. Sometimes they are ruthless. Let's just remind Eric he went to UT.

We take one of these pictures every year in front of Touchdown Jesus. The actual name for this 1964 mural/mosaic by Millard Sheets is "The Word of Life" a reference to the scripture John 1:1-5. The art is located on the side of the university's library.

About 3 hours before kickoff, the players all attend mass. They attend mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart seen in the background of this picture. This is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been in. It also houses that largest pool of holy water I have ever seen in my life. The fans are waiting for the players to walk from mass to the stadium. We always wait for about an hour for a good spot along the walk. It is over in less than two minutes. Hey, when you are a fan you are a fan. I will try to get pics of the inside of the church next time.

As you enter the stadium, there are statues honoring the great coaches and players of ND's history. My family's favorite is Lou Holtz. Holtz was the head coach of ND from 1986-1996. Interesting fact about Holtz, he had the names removed off the back of the jerseys to promote team unity. The names have not been on the back of the jerseys since. I love him even if he makes crazy claims like ND is going to play Florida in the National Championship this year. Dustin and Eric were excited to get their pic with Lou.

This is our view during the game. The stadium is very small so there isn't a bad seat in the house. There isn't even a jumbo tron. See the sea of gold in the left? That is the famous student section. Watching them makes me miss college.

The whole family after the Nevada game. It was great we won 35-0. Maybe Lou is right. But wait, Michigan beat us this past Saturday. Ughh.

Eric and I after the game. He is always happy around sporting venues. Just a note, Eric doesn't have a white circle on his neck in real life. He is white circle free.

It was a great long weekend. As noted earlier in the blog, ND lost the following weekend to Michigan. I was really hoping to see Rich Rodriguez cry again. It was also my 27th birthday this weekend. No big celebrations just stayed at home with the hubby. So, not a bad couple of weeks if I say so myself.

It is Almost Time for Football

Eric, Me, Dustin, and Sarah

Three years ago Eric's boss graciously bought us 50-yard-line tickets to watch Notre Dame play football against UNC. I have always been an ND fan but Eric has always cheered for UNC. I am lucky because one of Eric's co-workers is also a huge ND fan. So, the boss decided to buy the tickets - UNC for Eric and ND for Chris. Ever since that faithful day, Eric has been in love with ND football.

Eric, Me, Dustin, and SarahNotice how small the stadium is. Also how bundled up we are. It was cold to say the least.

Most people absolutely hate ND, mainly because they are ND. But I challenge anyone to go to a game in South Bend and not fall in love. The following year Eric and I took my brother and his wife up to Notre Dame for their birthdays. This was more for Dustin than Sarah. She is such a good sport.

Eric and I. Again, it was very cold.

We had so much fun that the next year Dustin and I bought Mom and Dad (he is the reason Dustin and I are even fans) tickets to a game and made it a family trip. We had a blast. So now it is a Kosak (my maiden name) tradition. This coming weekend we will be heading up to northern Indian again to watch the Irish open the season against Nevada. Hopefully I will have some great pics to share. But, before I blog about the big trip, I would like to share some things that I look forward to each year we go to ND.

Yes, that is me about to run a route.

1. Little kids in jerseys playing football on campus.
2. Watching the players walk from pre-game Mass to the stadium.
3. Throwing football with my husband. I know this is a shock for some of you.
4. Watching the Irish marching band.
5. Seeing the gold helmets through the tunnel and out onto the field.
6. The food - I always enjoy a good grilled hamburger.
7. If it is cold, they have the best hot chocolate.
8. Cheering so loud that I lose my voice.
9. Spending too much money in the bookstore.
10. Spending the weekend with my entire family.

Not a Good Friday Afternon

I just completed my first full week with the students for the 09-10 school year. I was ready to come home Friday and get my weekend started. Well, God has a way of letting you know that you are not in control of your life. I got in my car to go get Eric. I was looking forward to a nice dinner with my husband. Then, the car didn't crank.

I handled this pretty well. I texted Eric to let him know that the car wouldn't crank then called AAA to have them come jump the car. No problem. My evening would just have to be postponed for about an hour.

Maybe not. The car had to be towed. At this point, I am starting to get nervous and on the verge of tears especially since I am going to have to ride with a stranger to the repair shop. Once the car was dropped off, I walked over to McDonald's to wait for my very amazing in-laws to pick me up. See, Eric's battery in his car is dead. So, we had no car.

Eric's wonderful parents picked me up then took Eric and me to Wal-Mart to get the necessary parts for Eric's car to be fixed. After a dinner, a battery change, and a tire change, Eric's car was good to go. I can't thank Eric's parents enough.

My car is still in the shop. We were lucky that the damage is only around $100.00. I get to pick her up Monday.

Let's get week number two started.

Apologizes, School Days, and Zombies

I have truly been neglecting my blogging duties. So, I apologize to my millions of readers who have been dying for me to post something about my oh so interesting life. The past couple weeks have just been hectic with school starting and getting back into a routine. Today was the first full day with students. I have to admit, I am starting my 6th year teaching, and I still get nervous for that first day of class. For those not in education, here is a list that will describe what it is like for me (and I think other teachers as well) each fall...

1. Worry about what to wear the first day of school

2. Can't sleep the night before the first day of class because I wonder what my new students will be like or praying what they won't be like

3. Get excited about new school supplies (this one may just be me)

4. Nervous about meeting new people (at my school, there were over 20 new people)

5. Look on the calendar to see when fall break is

6. Endless lines at the copy machine to make copies of letters to parents and my syllabus

7. A sore throat from talking so much the first few days

I am sure there are more. And, if you are a teacher, please feel free to add to this list by posting a comment.

I do want to mention one last thing. I recently purchased the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. It starts out as follows,

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in

want of more brains."

No, I am not making this up. It is actually a New York Times bestseller. I just couldn't leave it on the shelf. I am currently about 100 pages into the book. So, keep your eye open for a

future blog about Elizabeth Bennet saving Mr. Darcy from the flesh eating zombies.

Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea?

My cousin Nic celebrated his 4th birthday this past week. I have not missed one of his party's yet. I just can't say no to cake and family. This year was especially exciting because his party theme was Spongebob Squarepants.

I love buying presents for little kids. Before the party, I stopped by Toys r Us and ended up with a bag full of Spongebob toys...

• Ants in the Pants game - Spongebob theme
• Spongebob book
• Krusty Crab play set
• Spongebob Candy
• Spongebob Memory Card game

As you can see, I am a person who likes to stick to the theme.

I am going to admit on of my secrets right now...are you ready? I love Spongebob Squarepants. Now, don't start thinking I am crazy (Amy). I do not own anything with Spongebob print on it. I just really enjoy the show. It is actually my favorite show to go to sleep to at night. If you haven't seen it, try it. If you don't like it, I don't blame you. It can be annoying at times, but I have fallen in love with the characters. Squidward wants to be miserable and cynical but Spongebob won't allow it. Patrick isn't smart and he is fine with it. Spongebob loves life. Simple characters, simple stories.

My favorite quote from the show is said by Squidward to SpongeBob, "in case you've forgotten, here's how things work. I order the food, you cook the food, the customer gets the food. We do that for forty years and then we die."

You now know one of my deepest, darkest secrets.

Pictures of Mamaw and Papaw

I just found some pics of my Mamaw and Papaw enjoy!

Edwin Dennis
I am not sure what year this pic was taken. I do know that he is at least 90 years old in this picture, no more than 94.

Margaret Dennis

Mamaw is in her late 80s in this picture.

Friends

I have never been one to have lots of girlfriends and to the girlfriends I did have through high school I probably wasn't the best friend. It isn't that I talked about them behind their backs or played tricks on them, I just started dating Eric at a very young age, and he has been my best friend ever since.


Through college to the present, I believe I have improved on my friend abilities. This is not because of some great effort on my part. I have just had the privilege to meet some of the greatest women in the world.


Alayna Adams

If you could pick two people more different (personality wise) and put them in the room together, it would be Alayna and me. Alayna and I were pot-luck roommates our freshman year at UT. I went into the arrangement knowing I was going to be living with a stranger. Alayna on the other hand had been hoping to live with her best friend (a very sweet girl that Ms Woodward is). Well, she was very upset that it didn't work out, and assumed I was going to be some hillbilly that didn't wear shoes. To set the record strait, it isn't like Alayna is from Manhattan. She is from Memphis. I on the other hand thought she was going to be stuck up and rude. Because that is how all rich people in Germantown are.


Well, God knew we needed each other. I was a perfectionist to the point of being unhealthy. And, well, Alayna was not. Her motto in college was, "D is for degree." I thought this was blasphemy. She use to storm into the dorm room and yell, "Are you studying again?" But as the weeks went by, we rubbed off on each other. I didn't stress as much. She studied more (a little more).


I credit Alayna with saving me that semester and semesters to come. She taught me to relax, have fun, and that worrying will do no good. She is a true friend. She is my best friend. I will always love her as if she were my sister. Love you, Alayna.

You should check her blog out SassyMcSmartyPants. There is a link to the left.


Amy Williams

First, I want to point out that I am blogging about this particular subject because of Amy. She has been begging me, "when are you going to blog about how great I am?" I hope I do you justice Amy.


I met Amy 3 years ago at Powell High School. Amy and I had similar clientele so I would often go to her to seek advice. Over time, these mentor sessions turned into true friendship. Any time I need anything, Amy is just one phone call away. She is a beautiful woman with a sweet spirit and great sense of humor (which can be rather crude sometimes...Please consult Eric for clarification). My day is always better when it has involved her. I am a better person for knowing her. I adore you, Amy.

Kandi Seals MacMahan

Kandi has by far the sweetest heart of anyone I know. Kandi and I have known each other since high school but didn't become good friends until college. We became roomies our sophomore year and lived together until the end with Alayna. We were in each other's weddings, cried and laughed for each other during hard times, and never got on each other's nerves, at least she never got on mine.

I just had dinner with Kandi the other night to catch up. It was an extremly over due get-together. Nothing about Kandi has changed and that is what I love about her. Love you, Kandi.

Beth Whitlock Brown

I have known Beth since 1st grade, longer than I have known anyone. We have been the dearest of friends ever since. I moved away at the end of 6th grade, and with the help of our wonderful parents, we managed to stay in touch. Although, I wish I spoke to her more. Beth and I have shared some of the most precious moments together. The most important is the fact we got baptised on the same day and have grown in our faiths together ever since. Even though time and distance have separated us, I know with out a doubt we will remain friends forever. Thank you for always being there, Beth.

Dinner Divas

This is a group of young women that makes me smile every time I see them. I have been blessed to have monthly visits with them. The Divas (aka female version of a hustler) are: Amy Williams, Kacey Wright, Melinda Lentz, Logan Thress, Leah Thress, Hannah Thress, Sarah McAffry, Steph Sherrod, Johanna Bullard, and Allison Mcgregor. I am happy they invited me into their group. They hold me accountable and make me be a better person. But, I do like to think they would fall apart without me though. Until next month, Divas.

2009 Dennis Family Reunion Pics

The cooks - the most important people.

The men in my life - my husband Eric, my dad David, and my brother Dustin.

My 1st cousin Marlee playing right field and worrying about her tan.

My 2nd cousin Nick and I decided to trade sunglasses.

The 3rd generation of the Dennis family. A generation that my mom and aunts would like me to contribute. Also, notice all the blonde hair. This is somewhat of a trademark of the Dennis family so when I showed up with red hair I got a lot of stares.

My second cousin Henry Hance. He was so excited about his new t-shirt that his Aunt Sherry had got him. He is currently batteling cancer and enduring some tough chemo treatments.

No, you are not seeing things. That is me playing 3rd base. I also made a cake and cookies for the day, very out of the ordinary.

My aunt Janice and her grandson Henry. Janice is somewhat of a local celebrity. Not only was she validictorian but she is the reigning Ms. Dandridge.

Dustin having a good time at short.

Eric and I in between innings.

Dustin and Sarah hanging out in the dug out.

Jake, my 2nd cousin, is ready to hit a homerun.

Yes, that is me batting. For the record, I got a single.

Eric having fun. Shh! Don't tell anyone.

My 2nd cousin Ashley was our team's pitcher.

The Rest of the Family

This past Saturday I spent the day with my extended family, mother's side. My mom is one of eight children so I have a very large family. We still get together at least once during the summer in order to make sure we stay in touch. Like all families ours has experinced the lose of some of its most important members. In 2004 and 2005 we lost my mamaw and papaw, the true foundation of our family.

I was talking to someone the other day about how I use to spend weeks at a time at my mamaw and papaw's house in the summer. She asked, "Oh, did they live at the beach?" This question really got me thinking about just how special my grandparents were and still are to me.

The answer is no. My grandparents didn't live in the beach but far from it. They lived in a doublewide (which you wouldn't know if you drove by b/c my papaw had bricked the entire house) in Dandridge and had no money to their name. Just recently I have started to think about this. I never knew they were poor or struggled. All I knew was that every time we drove in from NC, SC, or IN they were there with unconditional love. I still remember Mamaw's home-made biscuits (that she made every morning of her married life), papaw sitting in his chair into the wee hours of the morning reading Louis L'amour, Mamaw rubbing my back helping me to go to sleep, Papaw telling a story that he had already told a hundred times, Mamaw telling Papaw to shut-up, "we've already heard that one Ed," Papaw playing soccer with us in the yard at the young age of 80, Mamaw taking care of me when my brother and I had the Chicken Pox, Papaw worrying that a democract would be elected or worse that I would marry one, Mamaw worrying that I wasn't eating enough, Papaw fussing at us for leaving lights on or going to sleep with the TV on, Mamaw's bear-like hugs, Papaw' overalls, and I remember their unconditional love for one another and their entire family.

Mamaw died Sept 4, 2004. If you know me well, you know this was the day of my wedding. In the early hours of the morning my mother woke me up. She didn't have to say anything because I could tell just by looking at her that Mamaw was gone. My mom and her brothers and sisters were my heroes that day. It could have possibly been the worst wedding ever but they all came to the wedding with smiles on their faces wanting to make sure my day was everything my mamaw would have wanted it to be. Not only did my aunts and uncles not miss this special event but my papaw was on the front row. After the wedding, I saw my papaw and gave him a big hug and cried for the first time over my mamaw's death.

In August of 2005, not a year after my mamaw's death, my papaw passed away. A pattern was starting to develop because on that day I was in the wedding of one of my best friends. People were starting to not want me to be associated with them at all on wedding days. They saw me as collateral damage.

My grandparents were married for 71 years. My papaw said after my mamaw died that he never realized how much he would miss his Margaret, and my entire family believes this loneliness is what brought him home to the lord.

My Parents

I have had a wonderful life. It hasn't been a life full of money and expensive things but a life built on a foundation of love by my parents. There are a lot of great parents out there, and I am proud to say that my parents are some of the best.

My parents, Donna and Dave, met on a blind date in 1980. In a mere six months they were married and ready to start a family. After years of being told that she wouldn't be able to have children, my mom became pregnant right away. Whoops! and Yeah!! all at the same time.

From day one, my parents have shown me unconditional love.

My Daddy
Top Five


1)Gave me my love for history and an attempt at science
From the time I can remember, my dad was telling me stories about Columbus, Washington, Franklin, and Newton. He also taught me about the planets. The history stuck.


2) Use to sing this horrible song to my brother and me to wake us up in the morning. A song no doubt that I will sing to my children one day.
It's time to get up, it's time to get up in the morning.
Oh, how I hate to get up in the morning.
But, the worst of it all is to hear the bugle call.
I gotta get up. I gotta get up in the morning.

3)Taught me the value of hard work and to aim high. My dad never let me perform below expectations. I use to be annoyed by this fact, especially during high school. Now I embrace it and am thankful for my dad's push. I truly began to understand this on the day of my wedding when he read me a letter he wrote to me. I often find myself quoting my dad when speaking to my students. "Aim high miss high."

4) Taught me to love travel. We never had a lot of money when I was growing up. But, when ever the opportunity to show my brother and I a new part of the world he did it. I still remember the 3-day road trip to Utah and the numerous trips to Cincy to watch the Reds.

5) Taught me that Sex is a scared act between a husband and a wife. I never told my dad this but his talks highly influenced me on the importance of sex. During middle school, anytime my brother and I were alone in the car with him we go the sex talk. I hated these trips. Nothing is more uncomfortable to a 12 year old than hearing her dad talk to her about not having sex until she is married. Once I entered high school, he never mentioned it again. Well, it worked. One of the greatest gifts from parents is the influence to wait until I was married to have sex.

Sorry if that last story was too personal.

My Mommy Top 5

1) Number one influence on my faith My mother had one goal - to raise a Christian family. Because of her I am the Christian I am today. There couldn't be a greater gift.

2) Took care of me when I was sick (emotionally and physically). I truly feel that when I was in pain my mother was in pain. She wanted nothing more in the world to get rid of that pain. If it took staying up all night with me or holding my hair back for me when I got sick she did it. To this day whenever I get sick, all I want is my mom.

3) Taught me to be a good wife. My mom was and is a wonderful wife. At times when I was little/adolescent, I use to get upset by the things my mom would let my dad do (like have control of the TV). I was so petty then. Now, while I can't put it into words, I understand.

4) Taught me to be thankful There have often been times in my life when I wanted something or thought I needed something. But, the times in my life that I remember to be the happiest as a child is when we had nothing. When I was in kindergarten, we didn't even have enough money for gas so we walked everywhere. I didn't know we were poor mainly because of my mom. Because of her love, I had no idea. She taught me to be thankful to God for everything in life because it can be taken away at any time.

5) Never a day goes by that she doesn't think about me My mom thinks about me each day. She worries about me and wonders if I am doing okay. Usually she calls me each day at 5:00 on her way home to see how my day went. There is something special about knowing that someone loves you that much.