If you are ever lucky enough to meet my mother-in-law, you will understand how I fell head-over-heels in love with her son. Whether through genes, environment, or both, he had developed her sense of humor, optimism, and zest for life. Those qualities, along with his dad’s gift for music and gorgeous singing voice, made him especially attractive to me!
When Rick and I had started dating, I gave him a card to celebrate his recent graduation from college. I don’t know what prompted me to do this, but I wrote, “Congratulations on your graduation, I really look forward to marrying you someday!” When he told his mom about the card she said, “You had better watch out for this one – she is planting seeds in your mind!” When Rick brought me to meet his family later on, I was enamored by their exquisite yard filled with colorful flowers, trees, bushes, and water-fountains. “Wow,” I breathed, “This would be a perfect place for a wedding reception!” I’m sure if his mother would have heard me, she would have silently whispered in his ear, “See what I told you? She is planting seeds…”
I knew she was a fun mom when the three of us sat on a little bench in their backyard and she told us about a recent retreat she had taken with her friends. She laughingly told us about some silly antics they had done such as saran wrapping a friend to the bed – and the fun didn’t stop! Later on I was invited back to their house in the fall for their infamous “scary dinner” at Halloween. Rick’s mom was dressed in a bright yellow curly wig and was serving lemonade from a bed-pan along with all sorts of gross looking food like fresh “fingers” (Vienna sausages with fake fingernails stuck in them). She then led the family in gory stories about where the food came from.
Rick’s dating activities seemed to fit into the “fun” mold of his family. He planned everything from picnics in the park, to dancing in formals underneath the stars in his backyard. Once on a date he had me put together a party for us from the contents of a paper sack and another time we went to the grocery store, where our objective was to purchase a meal for both of us for under $2.00. It wasn’t until later on that I learned that “the party bag” and probably half of these other schemes were actually his mom’s idea! Maybe she was testing my ingenuity to see if I would fit into this family, or maybe she was just helping her son to win my heart!
Whether his own ideas or not, I was definitely attracted to Rick’s resourcefulness. He was so creative (cheap) and fun! How could I help but fall in love? So my lucky husband should be grateful that he has such a wonderful mom, who had come through so many of life’s challenges with a smile on her face. After all, one of the reasons I married him was so that I could have her too!
Now our children get a grandma who is not only the “Queen of Chicken Foot,” but also the “wife of Santa Clause.” As far as Christmas is concerned, the content of that story is so big that it will have to wait for another time to be told. Grandma mails the kids a box of “junk-food” from their annual Valentines Bingo party since we live too far way to attend and makes sure that our family’s winning hard-boiled egg gets to compete in their annual “egg-bashing” contest at Easter. When we can't be there for the annual Halloween Party, she mails our kids all of their goodies.
When my husband came up with our own little family traditions of “Father’s Day Flee” and “Mother’s Day Tea,” I could immediately envision it. I mean look at all of the clever traditions his mom has come up with? I don’t know if our children know how lucky they are to have a grandma like this, but I know. When my husband lights candles around the room and melodramatically begins to weave a story for our children, I look at their entranced faces…and I look at him…and I know.
Happy Birthday Mom -- I love you!
Jenna was blessed by her Father on Sunday, November 30th in the Deaf Branch. We were grateful to have several extended family there including Grandma and Grandpa Westra, Grandma Jensen, Gerilyn, Voy and Donna Daley, Merrill and Lorrie Norman, and Jason and Kiki Norman and their kids. Jenna was fussy right before but quieted down as soon as her blessing started. We are so blessed to have this precious new member of our family! She even rewarded us by sleeping through the night the past two nights!
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