Mom-You Taught By Example, I learned By Love

Being a mom, and then a homeschool mom on top of that, has truly been the greatest learning experience in my life.  It has stretched me and shown me how much I need to grow - the areas in my heart that need to be refined, mended and reshaped.   It has been the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever done.  I am blessed to have three short people, soon to be tall, that call me momma.  =0)

Being a mom has taught me so much about my own mom and given me a much deeper understanding and appreciation for her role in my life.   Yes, there were times when I was younger that I was critical of her.....now that I am a mom, I just think, oh my goodness, she had to be a saint!!!  LOL!  There were seven of us kiddos living on a 25 acre ranch.  My dad worked out of town so my mom was in charge of the "funny farm".  My mom did everything from stitch up kids to deliver cows and sheep!  She taught us how to break horses, train dogs, tool leather, garden, can, milk cows (and goats).......the list goes on. 

One of the things I love most about both my parents was their encouragement to us to be whatever we wanted to be.  The girls in the family were told they had the ability to do whatever the boys did - and we did do it!!!  My mom went back to college when I, the youngest, was 5, and became a nurse.  Can you imagine 7 kids, a farm, a husband away from home and being in college?  NOPE, not me!!!  She has always been an example to me to step out and try something new.  She taught herself how to tool leather, paint, sew - I mean really sew - she has a taylor's license..... the list goes on.  So as I approach new challenges in my life, I turn to the example of my mom.  A woman who took the seeds and weeds in her life and made them into a beautiful garden.  I love you mom!

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