snowed in

snowed in. slept in. romped around in the snow. after taking forever to get ready, telling my mom that, "the thing about snow boots is that i can never tell if they're on the right foot." she said, "chelsea you always did have that problem, let me see." haha i wish i were joking but it's the truth - i am 22 dancing on eternally 12. sledding was unsuccessful. making snow ice cream was better than every other past attempt. i had to eat it super fast because it was melting, what a crime. also made soft pretzels and chocolate chip cookies for a completely delicious carb overload. and of course homework and studying, but who wants to hear about that?

talked on the phone - unusual for me, not a fan of that ... snow fever? my dad told me how grandma was telling him that sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night and wonders where benny is and gets worried. that's my grandpa (officially ephraim benjamin, but i've never heard her call him anything but benny), and he died eight or so years ago. i told my dad that's the saddest thing i've ever heard, but it still makes me happy that they loved each other so much and got to spend their life together. beautiful love.

"ever thine, ever mine, ever ours."

[ludwig van beethoven]

a working tribute to my mom

i'm calling this a working tribute because my thankfulness for my mom is ongoing. there can't be a beginning or end to my love and appreciation because my mom has done so much for me. she is a one of a kind woman and the more time goes by, the more respect i have for her.
my biggest fear growing up was that i would lose my mom. (seeing julia roberts in "stepmom" did not subdue this fear, but at least mom & i had a great night out crying together, oy.) i literally worried about her dying and wondered what i would do without her. she was the most kickass single mom you can imagine, and i still don't know how she did it. we lived in the boondocks of holtwood and she worked as a nurse in the city - about a 45+ minute drive. and she'd drive that in the snow too, without four-wheel drive. (after she shoveled her own driveway.) whenever she needed to take her car to the garage she'd walk the 30 hilly minutes home. we ate delicious homemade meals (her food is a-ma-zing!) & never had a dishwasher. she read us books, played games, helped with homework, took us on fun outings and beach vacations. our house was warm because of the woodstove she kept burning. she mowed our enormous yard with a pushmower. (p.s. her work ethic is extraordinary if that hasn't become clear yet.) we wore name-brand clothes and were never the dorky kids in school - our mom maintained style on a budget.

she still has great style and taste. even though she doesn't always buy things i tell her to, like hooker boots and leggings for her tiny hott body that looks more like 30 than what she is. God forbid i tell her age and ruin this whole tribute. my grandma shank asked if she was my sister once!! i don't even have a sister, but my grandma is also dementia-ed up, so what are ya gonna do. my grandma kreider has dementia too, and my mom is the person who takes care of her. (and it's a lot lot lot of work!) she has four siblings but she still takes care of everything almost all by herself, because that's just who she is. she cares. to her very core, she is a caring woman.

a lot of people say their moms are selfless, but my mom truly is. others ALWAYS come first. whether it's family, friends, or the people she works with or for. she has been a nurse for 30 years and treats her patients like family members. she doesn't get a lucrative paycheck or recognition, and she continues to work hard and love on people everyday.

i used to take my mom's friendship for granted, but now i realize just how special our relationship is. i don't lie to my mom. i can tell her about everything and can't imagine hiding things from my parents the way some people do. she is the best listener and shoulder to cry on. she has the best laugh and we have the craziest fits of laughter together, where we're both in tears and holding our stomachs. (my favorite was one time the phone rang and my mom tried to pull it together and said, "Um ...hi?" which caused me to lose it even more and so did she.)

my mom made church a priority and prayed with us, and her life as a prayer warrior blesses me to no end. her faith in God was never a duty or drudgery. it wasn't about putting on the dog for church or certain people. everything about her was genuine and that's why her faith in God still inspires me. she knows the word of God and i can't thank Him enough for a mom who has passed her wisdom and passion along.

someone told me the story of a man taken into heaven in a vision, where God showed him the levels of reward people could reach, and the man was surprised to see who achieved the highest levels of heavenly "success." the people seated in the highest places weren't famous - they were mostly mothers. mothers who had prayed for their children out of selfless love. as soon as i heard it i thought: "susan will be there." (susan is my nickname for my mom, not even close to her real name, haha.) my mom has never been given the earthly recognition that someone like her deserves, and probably never will be. her life has been spent on others and i believe that is the ultimate way to glorify God. God bless my mama, bless her indeed; and thank you times infinite for my susan.

i love you forever mom! xoxo

that's me as a two month old chunker & one of our few pics together until i got my own camera. sidenote: my mom had two babies over 10lbs and LOST weight after ... the words superwoman come to mind?!