my mamas

Yeah, my mom, her mother, my dad's mother, and my mother-in-law, the women who taught me how to be a mom--thank goodness for them.

This is my dad's mom beside me, happy on our wedding day.

This is a picture of my mother-in-law, and HER mother, reading stories to the grandkids. Some crackers had spilled in the couch, and they're cleaning up with the hokey. (John loved that device. He's the one controlling the handle.)


See, and this is the thing both my grandma and mother-in-law have in common. Unexcitable. They were the perfect women to raise boys because their main strategy was such a smart one: JUST LOOK AWAY. Trust me, it's best not to even look.

The stories about my dad and his brothers are pretty darn hilarious. Dad's brother was doing something with a little gunpowder and it did a little bang, something got in his eye, so she gave them money to go to town and see the doctor.

By the time they got to town, his eye felt fine, so they played pool with the money and came back home again.

See, as a mom, do you want to know this? I really don't.

Jay tells stories of spending the days running through fields of undeveloped real estate, future housing projects, creeks and woods, and throwing rocks at trains, hiding a bb gun in the weeds, stuff that kind of freaks me out. She didn't ask. They didn't tell.

This is a picture from a few years ago, taken at the lake. It's John with l.c. on his lap, me holding t.c., my grandma and my own mom.


Those are the two who were with me in the adventure the most, providing support and encouragement and laughing when I wasn't sure I found any of it funny at all.

On Saturday I stopped by to see my grandma, and she didn't know I was coming. As soon as she saw me though, her smile burst with that same surge of happiness I feel when MY grandkids are at the door. "Valarie!" Apparently, years don't change that.

It's a good thing to know.

Tonight was a party at Dan and Alicia's, gorgeous meal, sunny evening, lots of kids running around and babies to hug.

Kirsten's new puppy, Payton




Happy Sunday, and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms. love, Val