harking back

Jill called me on my cell phone this morning just to make sure I was really and truly in Denver and that all was well. Oops! I've been so busy having fun that I didn't even check my email until tonight...

I did make my 6:30 a.m. flight on Friday. It was slightly delayed so the airline could make sure that planes were landing here, but we made it. I was disappointed that I missed Denise's birthday on Thursday, but delighted that I could still go on my trip and that I didn't miss my mom's birthday.

(I'm having a wonderful time just being Michelle, not being the mother for a few days. But, as you can see, I'm still blogging at 11:45 p.m., so I guess some things never change.)

So, harking back... two of my favorite women in the world celebrated birthdays last week:

1. Denise

Denise is my aunt, but she is only 8 years older than me. We moved to Denver when I was 4 and lived here until I was 12, and I can remember her making little tea parties for me (real ones! with real food and drink!), dressing me up for family home evening lessons, letting me read her Nancy Drew books, taking me swimming with her and her boyfriend.

She wrote me letters when she was away at BYU, including a card telling me about her engagement with a little drawing of her ring. I felt so special when I got that card! When I turned 16, she sent me a funny package of dating items, including candles and dating ideas and red fuzzy dice for my rearview mirror.

When I was at BYU myself, she was in town with baby Emily and came to visit me in my first apartment (where I was roommates with Jill). She took us grocery shopping because I didn't have a car and Jill was sharing hers with Adam. Everything is fun with Denise, even grocery shopping!

She was the matron of honor at my wedding.

I can't remember a time when I didn't look up to Denise. She is beautiful. She is talented. She has a beautiful singing voice. She studied fashion design and is truly a wizard with fabric -- she sews clothing for herself and her children that you would think were from a fine clothier and she is the costume designer for her former high school's drama productions:


She is hilarious and has the most infectious laugh. She is extremely capable. She is modest. Best of all, she has a deep testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and has always been a fine example of obedience and righteous living.

2. My mother

My mother is the most stylish person I know -- she has impeccable taste. She is also the most generous person I know. Anyone who knows me knows that most anything I have that is cute or covetous was given to me by my mother.

My mother is the hardest working person I know. She is always working, and she loves her work. When she takes a rare day off, she works at home. When she goes on "vacation", she still works, just a different kind of work. When she visited me for Christmas, she cooked and wrapped and helped my dad to transform my entryway. During her trip to Denver this time, she did an extreme makeover on one of Denise's bathrooms. Jill asked me recently if my mom ever wants to just sit and relax. I'm sure she wants to sometimes, she just rarely ever does!

{she never ever wears sensible shoes...}

I got to be here for her 60th birthday dinner. The tradition is to go around the table and have everyone say what they love about the birthday honoree. I only wish I had taken notes so I could reproduce what everyone said about Mom! Instead, I'll have to rely on my pitiful memory:

My uncle Mark (Denise's husband) said that he really appreciated Mom's friendship with Denise and the way she has been a support to his dear wife over the years. He said he was honored to be her brother-in-law. (How many people ever hear that?)

My cousin Sarah said that she loved Mom's cute clothes and jewelry and the fun things she sends in the mail.

Denise expressed gratitude for Mom's friendship, example, and emotional and spiritual support (I know I am forgetting a lot here.)

Grandma appreciated that, even with all of Mom's prodigious talents and abilities, she is remarkably devoid of ego. She shares her ideas and manages to remain humble, even though she receives praise and accolades and admiration from all.

My cousin John said that he loves the way she smells (Angel perfume). (She does always smell divine and somehow manages to look cute and have her hair fixed and makeup perfectly applied and wear cute jewelry, even when she is painting a room or moving. Shannon once asked me if Mom ever just put on a baseball cap and went out. The answer is no. I don't know that she even goes out to check the mail without lipstick on...)

My dad said that she is a classy lady, but that she is not a princess. She doesn't expect to be taken care of. She does what she needs to do and she has real grit underneath her refined exterior.

Grandpa said that she has been a special addition to the family since her birth, and that she never gave them cause to worry about her (said, in true Grandpa fashion, with tears in his eyes and a quivering chin). How many people have never given their parents cause to worry??

I said that I have always admired Mom's autodidacticism. She didn't get a design degree. She didn't study business. She just taught herself what she needed to know. She magnified her talents in a big way. I have also long been grateful that Mom shares her testimony with me. When I was growing up, she prayed for me and with me. She shared her experiences with following the promptings of the Spirit and taught me that the Lord loves us each individually and will help us with even the most seemingly trivial and mundane aspects of our lives.

The birthday honoree then must tell something they like about themselves. Mom said that she is confident, that she knows she can do whatever she needs to do. I loved this and found it to be a real gift.

I was so grateful that I could be here to celebrate these two amazing women who have had such a great influence on my life. I can't even believe I am related to them. Happy birthday, Mom and Denise!