Melissa said, "Happy Mother's Day!

I have the best mama in the world.  I am sure (and hope) that most sons and daughters would say that about their mothers, but I really do. I do not know how I would have gotten through these past two years without my mother.  By this time in our lives I should be the one taking more care of her, not the other way around, but she has, and still is caring for me, and for Danny, and for anyone else who needs it for that matter.

My parents were born to be parents.  I have never met two people who are more in love with children than my mom and dad.  No doubt when the below picture was taken on their wedding day, they already had dreams of the family they would have.

Mom and Dad on their wedding Day

I will not go into details, but Mama did NOT have the best childhood at all.  Her mother married her stepfather when she was 8 years old.  They had 3 children very close together and my mom really was more of a mother to them as they grew up than their mother was a lot of the time.  Her stepfather was not a nice man and made my mother's childhood one that she does not like to remember.  I think because her childhood was so bad, she was that much more determined to make sure that her kids' childhoods would be loving, fun, and we would always feel safe.

Mama and her younger sister Theresa

Sadly, like myself, motherhood did not come easy for my mom.  She too struggled with infertility, but they decided to adopt instead, which is how my brother, David Lynn Hopkins Jr. came to be my mother's son.

Mom and David at 7 months old

Mom and David Now

Mom and Dad loved finally being parents, but as I said, they have an absolute love of children, and were not satisfied with just one child.  They waited awhile and thought that adoption would be the way they would again add to their family, however God had something else in mind and almost 9 years after they adopted David my mother found out she was pregnant with me, and BOY was she pregnant!  For such a little woman she got huge with me, I was an 8 pound, 9 ounce baby to boot.

Mom pregnant with me

It was when she was pregnant with me that my mother gained her nickname "Grumpy" because someone commented that to be that big and pregnant she MUST be Grumpy...but actually the opposite was true.  Mom tells me she loved being pregnant, she had little to no morning sickness and other than an intense craving for chocolate, she had a wonderful pregnancy.  My mother always told me that both her children were lucky.  David because when they could have no children, they got to PICK him to be their son. Me because when she thought she could never get pregnant, she got pregnant with me.  Because of our age difference both of us really got to be "only" children.  My brother got my mom all to himself for 9 years.  Once I was born he was starting to get to the age when having mom around all the time was not "cool" so then I got to have her mostly to myself for my younger years, and boy was I a Mama's girl.  My dad swears that my first words were "Mama do it!"  All run together like one word.  I always wanted my mom to hold me and do everything for me.

Mom holding me, a very frequent position for us to be in.

My Mama was and is awesome.  I was blessed to have her stay home with me, so anytime I was sick and needed to come home from school she was there.  She was there all summer.  She was there to go on every field trip, and be a room mom, and any other thing that would allow her to spend time with me.  I am SO grateful that I got to have this kind of childhood where my mom was there for everything.  My parents were always there for us and she was always available for a snuggle when I was scared, nothing ever said about having to get up for work the next day.

Snuggling in bed was always a fun activity.

As I grew up we remained close.  In fact, when Danny and I got married we lived with Mom and Dad for a few months.  We got along fine though, and I was grateful for Mom's company because Danny started our marriage working second shift.

My wedding, April 25, 1998.

As adults the close relationship we had when I was a child blossomed into a wonderful friendship.  I really do love spending time with my mom, and when I started breeding and showing cats she was my frequent traveling partner.  Danny would stay at home to care for the other cats and Mama would go with me to the cat shows and help me by marking the book or even chatting with spectators.  

Mama, me, and Smokey at On Safari in Portland, Oregon.

As much as she loves me, she adores her grandchildren.  My brother has given her two awesome grandkids, that are hardly kids anymore.  Keith and Kamryn were both born premature and she was on a plane to see them as soon as they were born.  Sadly, my brother lives in Oregon so as Keith and Kami have grown up (Keith is 20 and Kami is 17) she has missed so much more than she would like, but she lives to see pictures and stories on facebook and visits when she can.  I know one of her greatest sadnesses is that she missed so much with them as they grew up because we lived so far apart.  She was definitely born to be a mom, but her definite calling is being a grandma, no grandmother could adore their grandchildren like my mom does Keith and Kami.

Mom, Keith, and Kamryn.

Kamryn, Mom, and Keith.

Since I have been sick and have been living with Mom and Dad I do not know what I would have done without her.  She came everyday to the hospital to see me, did the work the nurses needed to be doing most of the time, never complained, hugged me when I cried, and is ALWAYS. here for me when I need her.  She is my best friend and I never tire of spending time with her.  I hope that one day I will overcome my own infertility so that I can give her grandchildren that she will be able to really watch grow up.  I want her to see first steps, hear first words, and be there for all the other firsts that will come along.  I pray everyday I will be able to give her this gift because NO children could have a better grandma, because no daughter could have a better mom.

Happy Mother's Day Mama!  I love you so much, thank you for everything you have done for me.  God could not have given me a better mother or a better friend.