Jennifer's Journey: My Super Mom!

Mom and I at a popular Iverson photo spot (2014)

Mom and Dad (2010)

Mom is often seen behind a piano (2011)

I'm posting this blog about my Mom on my birthday because that was a big day for her too! After nine months of carrying me around, she finally got to meet me! The day I arrived, back in 1977 was a record-breaking cold day! Mom hates being cold, but at least she had to stay in the nice, warm hospital for a while after I was born.
Some of my earliest memories are of my Mom reading to me and my sisters while sitting on the warm kitchen floor. She loved to read to us. Mom had been a first grade teacher for three years before my oldest sister, Patty, was born. Her favorite thing about being a teacher was reading to her students. Now that I am a teacher, I love to read to my students too! Mom was also a librarian while in high school and college. Reading is still one of Mom's favorite hobbies. Our conversations often revolve around what we are reading.
Another one of Mom's hobbies is music. She is an excellent piano player and violinist. She has a lovely singing voice too. When I was growing up she was the piano accompanist for the church choir and she played violin in a string quartet. Later, Mom taught violin lessons and played violin in the community orchestra. My siblings and I were extremely blessed to have a mom dedicated to helping us become accomplished musicians. We each took private lessons on piano and on a stringed instrument (violin, cello, or viola). But, Mom was our one-on-one music teacher each day. She sat with us while we practiced. She taught me how to count, what fingerings to use, how to play musically, how to get a good tone, and so much more. She tirelessly pounded out the notes on the piano while I tried to match the tones on the violin. She faithfully clapped the steady beat while I tried to master a tricky rhythm. She skillfully played the piano accompaniment while I perfected a violin solo. I would not be the musician I am today without Mom's help and guidance each day. We have performed for churches, funerals, weddings, and nursing homes together. Mom taught me how to love sharing music with others.
Mom and I still enjoy making music together. We like to play piano duets or play violin/piano pieces together when I come home on visits. In 2013 we created a CD of some of our favorites. Mom played piano and I played violin. It was hard work, but a very rewarding project!

The day we made a CD together in 2013.

Mom loves reading and music...but she also loves sudoku! I consider sudoku to be a mathematical skill, so I stay far away from it! Math and I are not on speaking terms. But, Mom is good at math. She was even a bank teller for a short time. I'm not sure I would have graduated from third grade without Mom's help in math! She was my personal math tutor all through school, actually. Each afternoon, I would come home from school, eat my snack, and then sit at the table and work on math homework. I'm very thankful Mom was there to help me.
Mom is also an excellent typist. She can type faster than anyone I've ever seen. When I was growing up, I often heard the sound of her using the typewriter. She was the secretary of Gopher Music Notes magazine that Dad was editor of for 15 years. Mom moved on from the typewriter, to the computer keyboard, and now she uses an iPad!
Mom is a wonderful homemaker. She and Dad made it a priority for our whole family to sit down together for supper each night. Mom prepared healthy meals that included vegetables. We had fruit for dessert. We talked together around the table each night. I never want to take that for granted. Mom taught me how to eat a balanced diet, but I also think I inherited my love for popcorn from her!
One of the phrases all my siblings and I have learned from Mom is, "You can't change it now!" Mom taught us not to look back on events, but instead to "let it go" and go on with our lives. Good words to live by. She also taught us the importance of being nice to everyone we meet. Mom would often say, "The world would be a better place if people were just nice to each other!" So true.
Mom has taught me so much, but now that I am 38 years old, what I appreciate most about Mom is that she is my friend. She understands me better than anyone in the world. And, I often know what Mom is going to say before she even says it! We can talk about pretty much anything. I'm glad I have her for a friend and a mom! She is always there for me.
Mom was born in Arkansas and grew up in Iowa and then moved to Minnesota when she married Dad. I enjoy hearing stories of her growing up in the 1950s. I wrote a blog post about it. You can read it by clicking on this: http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2012/06/growing-up-in-boone-iowa-in-1950s.html.

Mom and me on my wedding day in 2008

Mom goes walking at the mall with some of her friends every single day. She knows how to take good care of herself. I remember as a kid going for walks with Mom. Before our trip to Disneyworld, we would walk as a family every night

walking me down the aisle...

after supper. We were trying to condition ourselves for all the walking we'd be doing while in Florida. But, the best walk that I've ever taken with my mom (and dad) was on May 3rd, 2008 when they walked me down the aisle to my Mister Wonderful. Mom tells me that I giggled the whole way. Good memory. That was a very special day and I'm thankful Mom and Dad were there to share it with me.
Mom is now a Grandma. She and Dad have six grandchildren (three grandsons and three granddaughters). Mom's favorite thing to do with them? Read to them, of course! We all gather together each Thanksgiving to spend the day together. I'm thankful for family and for the wonderful parents who bring us together.