Happy Birthday Mom, Grandma, Mary

Today is the birthday of my mother-in-law. I don't have to tell anyone how lucky I am to have such a great MIL. Seriously. All the MIL jokes on the planet ... none are applicable to mine. She and I clicked immediately. Most of the family wasn't so eager to embrace the older woman/divorcee mother. But, she welcomed me with open arms, a check for the honeymoon and a bottle of champagne. Why was she ok with me? I remember vividly her telling me that she knew I was going to be ok when I took care of her son when he had surgery and she couldn't get to Fort Hood to care for him. I called her to keep her updated and gave her my number, too. She said anyone who loved her son enough to take care of him and keep her apprised of the situation - well, she knew that I'd take good care of her boy. I have done my best.

Happy Birthday Mary. I count you among my blessings.

Oh yeah, this is us making homemade pie crust for key lime pie for AoD and the Minnesota relatives in July 2006 at a family get-together in St. Cloud, Minnesota.