Ninety-Three Going on 29

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO 

THE BEST MOM IN

THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!

And, oh how I love her so!

TOP TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MY MOM (some of which were news to many of us me):


1.  She went to high school at Madison High in Rexburg, Idaho.


2.  She was married in 1946.


3.  She served a mission at the tender age of 19 in the Northern States Mission.


4.  Her favorite color is blue (you learn something new every day).


5.  Woodrow Wilson was the U.S. Prez the year she was born.


6.  Her least favorite chore as a child was rinsing out her younger siblings' dirty diapers--ew, gross out.


7.  Her father was named Peter Jepson Ricks; her mother was named Emily Elizabeth Arnold Ricks.


8.  The prophet at the time of her birth was Joseph F. Smith.


9.  She walked to school in three feet of snow--uphill both ways.  Kidding!  She walked, rode a horse, rode in a sleigh and sometimes took a bus to school.


10. She was born in the family's old log home in the Lyman/Archer/Rexburg-ish area of Idaho. 


Besides all of this good stuff we found out about revisited about Mom at her recent birthday party, here are a few extra "bet ya didn't know that" facts:  She worked for the original old Mr. Marriott himself when he first started his Hot Shops back east; she graduated from college and went on to teach at both BYU and BYU-I (Ricks College at the time and named for her grandfather);  she sold real estate; she continued to snow ski until she was 81 (didn't want to show up the 30-year-olds so she hung up her boots before she turned 82); she took private-pilot flying lessons; she sewed every single dance dress I wore in high school (well, with the exception of one, and that was only because I thought I was some sort of diva designer and wanted her to perform the impossible.  She tried.  She tried and tried.  She worked like a mad woman on that dress.  On the day of the dance she told me we were going shopping.  That's the day I received my one and only store-bought formal.  I'm praying I wasn't too big of a pill about it all).  And, most importantly, she has always, always, always told me how much she loves me.  Always.  All the other stuff she has done and still does for me is merely icing on the cake.  I always know that I have her unconditional love. 
  
My mom has been the kindest, most patient, noncritical, selfless, enthusiastic, spunky, and most loving mother a girl like me could ever ask to have!!!

II LOVE YOU MOM!!!!

*Oh!  And let's not overlook one last random fact:  Even at 93, Mom always makes sure that anyone and everyone who enters her home is well fed and stuffed to the tippy-top brim.  As you can see, she even talked Jimmer into having a bit of birthday cake and ice cream :D