Mother's Day: A Cyber-Space Scrapbook

Whoever came up with Mother's Day has a terrible sense of timing.  In 2007, Mother's Day fell on a graduation day: namely, Kyle's graduation day, my mother's first-born.

Talk about your throw-back Thursdays!  And no, I did not attend my big brother's High School graduation dressed as a Bulgarian Colonel: the band plays for commencement ceremonies, and that year we wore our marching uniforms.

Two years later, I graduated on Mother's Day!

Along with my best friend and one of Mom's many Rent-a-Kids, because my mom has more than enough love to go around!  And clearly, we weren't proficient at selfies quite yet back in 2009.

What do you think, Ken?  Are you going to keep up the tradition?

Since I'm not in this picture, I feel no need to defend it.  Personally, I'd say it speaks for itself!  Besides, what are big sisters for?

This year, Mother's Day falls on the day before Finals Week.  Maybe that's more the University of Iowa's bad than the founder of Mother's Day's, but either way, the timing is less than ideal.  Throw in there two more necessary trips home this month, and I just wasn't going to make it out to Nebraska for Mother's Day.

The Pancake Family had a similar issue in 2012.  So what's the most rational way to handle such a problem?

Kidnap, of course!!!

My dad, brothers, and sister-in-law got her out of the state and all the way to the first rest-stop on I-80 before she figured out that she was indeed headed for Iowa City to see me instead of Wahoo to go camping!

Last year, Mother's Day's timing turned out pretty cool though:

This year, my Mamma's first grandchild looks more like this:

Here's to hoping for more grandchildren to come, right Grandma Cakes?

But there's no new baby this year, and unfortunately there could be no kidnapping plot either, because now that Mom only has one more kid to kick out of the house (a fact that Dad might be slightly more excited about than Mom), she's still taking care of people.  Only now, instead of taking care of the generation that will follow her, she's taking care of the generation that came before her.

Happy Mother's Day to you too, Mema!

So this weekend, we have a slight problem: while Mom is in Nebraska taking care of people, I'm in Iowa City...

... Doing this.

Therefore, I must send my shout-out to my Mommy in this cyber-space scrap-book from four hours away, because she raised a bird that had to stretch her wings and fly.  But don't worry Mamma, you still have one little birdie left in your nest:

Well... okay, let's be honest: I'd worry if I were you!

So this is just to say that Mamma Bear: You Rock!  First you had this guy, who thought that he was just too cool for school (or hugs from his obnoxious little sister):

But look where he is now!

Maybe he can't quite figure out what a razor is actually for yet, but man does he make cute babies, right?!

And then you've brought this kid from here:

 To here:

 And we all know he's headed places!  (And don't worry if he disappears towards the end of his college career: he's just tied up in my closet to ensure that I get my Bachelor's first!)

You've also gained a second daughter:

 And may I say one more time: she and your son make REALLY CUTE BABIES!!!

My Mamma's Mamma!  Happy Mother's Day to you too, Grandma!

And here you are (or there you are... I'm typing this in Iowa, but you're reading it in Nebraska, so is it here or there?  I love technology!), still being a Super Woman, taking care of people, because your heart is big enough to handle more than most mere mortals!

And hey, I haven't turned out half-bad either, if I do say so myself!

I love you, Mamma!  Thank you for raising me, and for showing me what the nurturing heart of a woman is supposed to look like.  I'm proud of you!  I wish I could be in the same state as you for Mother's Day.  I hope you have a great day with our guys!  Make sure to snuggle with your Grandson, and I will see you next week!

Love,
Your Dolly