Happy 90th, Mom!

by Terri

Today is my mother’s 90^th birthday and, believe me, I know how blessed I am to still have her in my life. She was only 19 when I was born and we have always been very close. Even as a teenager, I could talk to her about anything. When I was raising my kids, she was an endless source of information and support and was (and still is) an amazing grandma. 

There are so many special memories in my heart that I will never forget, but for this post I want to focus on the trips we took together over the years. The first one was in 1991.  It was shortly before my 45^th birthday and I wanted more than anything to go on a cruise.  My husband isn’t fond of boats, so I asked my youngest sister if she would like to go with me. My other sister and mom said, “Well, if you’re going, then we’re going!” and that was the first of many trips together. 

We went to the Western Caribbean and this shot taken climbing the falls in Jamaica shows what a great time we were having!  Being away from our everyday lives and spending all that time together was the best!

In 1996, we decided to go to Hawaii.  One of my sisters had been there many times and knew all the sights we should see. We spent five days on Maui and five more on the Big Island and had the time of our lives. So many stories I could tell you about that trip!

In 1999, my mother and I took a trip together to the Pacific Northwest. We flew into Seattle and then took the ferry to Victoria. Here we are having tea at the Empress Hotel.

We spent 12 days together, driving down the coast of Oregon and the time with just the two of us was wonderful. We still sit and look through the photo album from this trip and wish we could go back and do it all over again.

In 2005, we lost my sister Rae to breast cancer and so the memories of these times spent together are all the more precious. In 2006, we took our first “girls’ trip” without her to San Francisco. This photo was taken in Golden Gate State Park and I have it framed in my family room. It brings a smile whenever I see it.

In 2010, my mom moved into a house that my sister and her husband had built for her on their property and since then she has lived next door to them. I am grateful to my sister every day for the loving care she provides to our mother. I try to get up to visit as often as I can. This is a photo taken on one of my weekend visits in 2012. It’s always a treat to spend time up in the mountains with them and sometimes I even get to see snow!

When the day comes that I have to learn to live on this earth without my mother, these are the things I will cling to – the memories of all the wonderful times we had together. She is healthy and happy now and I hope she will remain that way for many more years to come. But I am so thankful to have made all these special memories with her. They will be a comfort to me someday, I know.