Happy Mother's Day

Last night Jeff and I were at the grocery store getting a few ingredients for our family get together today. He asked if we had sweetened condensed milk at home, and I knew we had at least one can. "Are you sure enough to bake on that?" He asked. Although I was positive, I suggested we get another can. Then I grabbed two. Last night as I was putting away the groceries I found the other can. See, I knew I had one can in the pantry because the last time I needed to use some, I bought two. I know it's Mother's Day and I am talking about condensed milk, but hold on. I'm getting somewhere.

There is a point to this.

When I am making something, particularly cookies or other treats, I always hear my Mom coaching me in the background. Since we were little, she let us be at home in her kitchen and we were allowed to make a mess. My sisters and I were always in the kitchen baking treats, and because our Mom let us sit on the counter and help every time she made some, we were confident in our baking skills at a young age. Not only did she take the time to let us help bake, she taught us what she was doing while she did it. When we were just barely old enough to read simple words, we starting baking by ourselves. Looking back I wonder how big of a mess we left her to clean up, but she never said an angry word, just praised our cookies. Now that I am an adult, I find myself hearing her voice when I am at the store shopping for ingredients, "You always want to have an extra one to replace the one you use." "You clean up the baking mess while the cookies are in the oven." "You have two cookie trays going to be more efficient..." just little tips she'd share all the time growing up that have helped me in my life. And it wasn't just in the baking department, either. It was all areas of life, church, school, you name it. I realize how important those little voices are now that I am an adult. I feel for the kids who didn't have someone in their lives to help them learn little things, to help them learn how to be a better person, or just to learn how to bake cookies. I have been blessed in my life to not only have a mother, but grandmothers, an amazing older sister, sister in laws, more sisters, and many other women in my life who have influenced me for good through their mothering. So today I'd like to say thank you, and wish all y'all a

Happy Mother's Day!