Happy Sweet 61, Mom!

This is a serious tribute to my mom, Mary Ella...from her favorite (only) daughter, Amanda Kathryn...

Isn't she a DISH???  This was actually probably around age 16.  She would definitely be a "hottie" by today's standards.

Dear Mom,

How do I love thee, let me count the ways....



I love that you let me have rockin' bangs when I was little.



I love that you wore short shorts and let Davey wear trucker hats to family reunions.

I love that you let us have an annoying blow up pool in the backyard and let me wear a 2 piece at an early age. ;)

I love that you taught me the importance of cleaning at an early age.  It kind of stuck...kind of.

I love that when I said I was "running away"...you packed my cooler for me and made sure I had my purse.

I love that when I made a huge mess, instead of getting mad, you got your camera.  PS...I do the same thing with Noah. :)

I love that you let me take time to "smell the roses"...

I love that Christmas was always a big deal in our house. ( Side Note: I wore that dress A LOT.) ;)

I love that we wore hideous matching dresses to the Mother's Day Banquets every year.

I love that you encouraged my flair for drama and attended EVERY play and game I was in.

I love that you dreaded my high school graduation...but smiled at it anyways.

I love that I know you are probably saying "I can't believe my baby girl graduated college" in this picture.

I love that you "shook your tail-feather" at my wedding.  I was a proud daughter.

I love that you are the best Nana in the world to Noah (and Peyton) :)

But most importantly, I love that I learned to be a good mother from watching you.

Happy Birthday to the Best Mom/Nana in the World!

We Love You!