BabyLove

i recently found some great photos

of my mother when cleaning out

my Grandmother's house...

This was her, during her senior year in 1969.

She was Homecoming Queen.

I also found this dress and many newspaper clippings

my grandmother had saved that announced all of her other achievements

during this time. She was also named

Football Sweetheart, Most Beautiful,

Class Favorite and Miss Future Farmer of America

(which i'm sure made my grandfather proud).

she must have been a very likable lady her whole life.

She always seemed to have lots of great friends, family and fun.
and still has friends to this day that check in on me from time to time.

There's nothing more touching than that

to a daughter.

Having a mother who had people in her life that cared

so much for her, that they still check in on her daughter today... 15 years later.

It's truly an

Honor.

i'm not certain what this picture is all about, but it must have been

for a photo opt for her FFA achievement. My grandfather

was a farm man and I'm sure my mother did her fair share of

work on the farm but i'm fairly certain she would not normally be out in the barn

in a skirt unless her picture was being made. haha.

cute skirt though, hu?! ; )

...And she A.L.W.A.Y.S. had a big GIANT smile on her face.

Out of all the dozens and dozens of pictures i found

I'm not sure i found one that she was not smiling in. : )

What i like most about this picture is:

1.) Her hair is brown.

There's still a funny running joke that none of us in the family will ever know the true color of my mother's hair. It changed colors frequently (always beautiful, but never the same) and Miss Clairol must have been one of her best friends as long as anyone knows. : )

2.) that this picture was taken

at my dad's hardware store back in their younger days.

and i'm fairly certain with at least 1 (or maybe 2) babies already... meaning she was a young tired mama just like me. But, she was still there helping out in some sort of way

with a big pretty smile on her face.

She loved my dad and would have carried a smile around just for him all day

long as long as she got to be there and help him in any kind of way.

They were a great team like that. Always working together

and making things work the best way they could.

3.) ORRR maybe she was just

taking a break and visiting with the employees on this day and just glad to be sitting on that stool, kid-free for even one or two minutes. haha.

(something I could see myself doing)

4.) I don't know if she knew anything about selling guns,

but with a smile on her face,

i'm sure she could have convinced any man to buy one. : )

I don't know all of her stories and I never will.

But, I know, from one mother to another and from one wife to another,

she was a great lady, a great friend, a great wife, a hard worker

and a great example for me to live my life by.

...and 15 years ago today, we lost one of the GREATEST I will ever know.

But, God has her in a better and even happier place now,

and for whatever those reasons are I will never know, but

I am content to know she is being cared for in a perfect world

because I know she deserves nothing LESS. : )

Love, Hugs and Kisses to my dad and brother today too

she would give them both many!!