I'm fortunate.... in many ways... but one of my blessings in life that I take for granted often and don't thank enough... my mother-in-law.... Tomorrow morning she wakes up and will turn I can't tell anyone.... I'm sure that her birth certificate is wrong... she says it is...
Her story.....
1. I met Betty Carrot for the first time at an LCA ballgame... she had a red bandana tied around her head... she was yelling loudly....and spoke quickly to get right back to the ballgame...
2. Mark and I dated for five years... I learned so much about her in that time... I was intrigued by her stories... and loved hearing her talk about her life!
3. The thing about her that impresses me most is that she is a perfect example for struggling children who have no parents. Her story of growing up at John de la Howe with her sisters and brother is one that I have heard many times... It was sad the first time I heard it, but I'm so thankful for her attitude of not giving in to what most people think about children without parents... she was a "good girl", a "hard-worker", and from stories I hear... she was loved by many.... she has worked hard to be successful and believes that everyone has potential....
4. It's funny how the world is so small... I'm sure when she was checking out of John de la Howe on the weekends to stay with my grandparents she never dreamed that one day their granddaughter would be her daughter-in-law.... It's funny that she went to high school with my daddy.... and years later we met... our family moved away from Lincolnton before I was born so she never knew I existed...
5. As I sit and think about the many conversations we have had... I hope I don't forget a single one of them... They will be out of order, but they are her.... and the order they come in will model our conversations...we jump from one thing to the next all the time and we know exactly where we are...
6. I think my all-time favorite conversation with her was heading across the Georgia/Carolina bridge on the way to Lincolnton right before Bobby died... we cried together... we decided we would make Bobby live on for the grandchildren and children even though he wouldn't be with us much longer....
7. When I had my hysterectomy, she stayed with me at the hospital... she watched me like a hawk... and she knew that I was getting sicker and sicker... I'll never forget her telling the doctor when he came in that the pain medicine he was giving me was making me sick... he looked at her like she was crazy, but she told him that she had timed it... and every time they would give me the medicine that I was sick 30 minutes later... she told him to quit giving it to me... to give me something to sleep for a little bit and I would be better by the afternoon... she was so right.... that night as I was finally coming back to reality after two days of being knocked out on meds... she told me I needed to eat something... I told her I couldn't think of a thing I wanted...she grabbed her purse... walked out and came back with a pack of Toast Cheese Crackers and a Diet Coke... It was wonderful! I was perfectly fine after that...
8. Speaking of meds... she is my walking pharmacist... I don't want to get either of us in trouble, but if I am throwing up... she hooks me up with a little something to stop the nausea... She has also been known to help other family members of mine out too... the funniest is when we thought we had suppositories for nausea and they were for something else... and Mama was passing them out... thank goodness we have family who can read!
9. We have done some crazy things... she taught me how to "play shop"... many a Saturday have we spent all over Georgia and South Carolina... I remember running into her in a store and she had a buggy full... I asked her was she getting all that... and she replied, "No, I just put everything I want in a buggy... and then I'll decide later what I'm buying"... the thing I haven't learned from her yet... I don't ever put anything back....
10. She also taught me how to try on clothes without ever going in a dressing room... I know how to tell if pants are going to fit... and if dresses are long enough... It's amazing the little tricks she knows....
11. When I was put in the hospital for the third time while I was prego with KB... she showed up at the hospital and told me that she felt like she needed to be there... she was right... KB was on the way and we needed all the help we could get...
12. When Mark first graduated from college, he had a job at Milliken... he was working third shift and called me one morning to tell me that the man who was training him had shot another man in the parking lot... I could hear the fear in Mark's voice... I told him to quit immediately and don't worry about it... he would find another job.... He didn't listen to me... I called her... and we rode to Clemson... to follow him to work and make sure he got in the plant safely... she finally talked him into quitting... while some told him he would regret that and never make it... he has done just fine...
13. For my wedding showers... she never gave me what she was supposed to give me... my kitchen shower... she gave me a pocketbook I had been eyeing forever with three dollars in it...she told me I could go to Hardees and buy a kids meal.... for my lingerie shower... she gave me a big long t-shirt with a black spider on it....she said I had trapped Mark and that would be the perfect shirt to represent that...
14. I have played so many games of Difficult Rummy with her that I can't even count that high....
15. She has taught me to cook Salmon Patties and Potato Soup....
16. She loves to steal shoes.... my shoes... I can think of two times that she would say let me try those on... and then tell me she needed them....
17. She taught me how to bargain shop... she never pays full price for anything....
18. When I would call her to come to Greenville because I was bored while Mark was traveling... she would come and shop for the afternoon to keep me company...
19. She has a lazy eye.... we try to help her out when we take pictures... but sometimes it doesn't work in her favor! She makes us laugh trying to hide it in the pictures!
20. She introduced both my children to sweet tea... at a much younger age than they should have known about it!
21. She taught me to stay in my jamas all day and get lots of work done...
24. She has taught me that spending time with my children is precious.... digging in the sand, reading a book, or riding in the car....
She loves the little sheep in the picture... and the Little Bo Peep... I was so glad she was there that night... Ben's outfit sure was cute... but to hold him in that hot outfit... wow... thank goodness for grandmas!
27. She has taught me that even though I married into the "McKinney Luck" of nothing going right the first time... always stand by your man....
28. She never carries a purse very long... I think I'm secretly hers in that regard...
29. I don't have in-laws to love yet, but when my children get married... she has shown me how to love their "choices" just like mine!
30. I think she passed her lazy eye on to JMac in this picture! This was the night she got engaged!
31. She comes to games.... and runs the taxi to get them both to where they need to be when Mark and I can't do it....
32. This was taken today... at her party.... Ben had a fabulous time riding the four wheeler... driving a truck... and spending time with his Mimi....
51. A white soft blanket that was made while Bobby was sick that Ben still sleeps with every night...
52. A black and white soft blanket that KB uses on her bed to sleep with at night...
53. A boiling pot that was given to me that has cooked more grits than I can even imagine...
54. A gravy ladle that I use for my potato soup
55. A tomato knife that is used for lots more than tomatoes...
56. She taught me to play ladies' golf... the kind where we look over missed shots and call them practice swings... to only carry a 3 wood, a putter, and a 7 iron...
57. I have lots of her books from where she helped teach Pre-K / K-5 at LCA... her dedication to whatever she is focused on is apparent in those books... I'm so glad to have her handwriting in them to look back at....
58. I love to listen to stories of Mamaw and Papaw and how they talked... and how much they loved her and took her in as their own.... she took care of them, their parents, and lots of other "stragglers" who happened to stop by....
59. I'm grateful she let me stop by her house and stay awhile... and be a part of her life...
60. She has always supported me... in good and bad... she is the person I call when I'm worried about things that "don't really matter" or things that "I can't control"... and for some reason... I think she takes all my worry away... I'm betting she prays for the situation and it all goes away... and the best part...she never asks me again about what I tell her... she knows I will tell her how it all works out in my own time... I respect that about her...
61. Betty Carol, Betty Carrot, BC, Mimi.... her many names... I'm lucky to call her mother-in-law... and for welcoming me into her family... I can't imagine being able to love KB and Ben's spouses as much as them... but she has shown me that I can...
62. Having known her almost 25 years... she couldn't help but rub off on me... so that is why.... I buy things and hide them from myself... I put things in odd places trying to hide them from the children and find them months later...
63. I love to use her terms like "fluffing the hosue" and "taking a showver"....
64. I'm thankful for her relationship with JMac... Words can't express how lucky I feel for us to have him in our lives... and she is a huge part to that... she is sassy, she is bossy, and I love following in her footsteps and letting Mark do for me like JMac does for her!
65. Katie Britt and Ben don't realize the love she has for them right now, but one day they are going to look back and realize how lucky they are...
66. And her smile... there is nothing like it... her laugh... her giggles... and her snickering.... it's music to my ears....
67. What a "grand" picture this is for memories... KB and Ben's grands... who will watch them in pageants, play ball, and walk aisles for special events.... the love they have for them is unconditional and may they never forget that...
68. BC also taught me not to use "hisself"... and how to properly use who and that.... We have had quite a few grammar lessons in our car rides...
69. I'm hoping the memories made today and those to come are just as special to her as they are to my children and to me....
70. Happy Birthday BC.... I never said how old you were.... Love you!
No comments:
Post a Comment