Guest Post - 54 Things about Mom/Joy

This is Ashley writing on Mom's blog - I posted this on my blog, but since it's all about Mom/Joy on her birthday I thought I'd post it on her blog too. 

Enjoy:

Today is Mom's birthday! And if you follow her blog you'll know that for her kids birthdays lately she's been writing as many things about them as the age they are turning. So, Leah & I decided that this year, we'd do the same for our wonderful Mom. Right now she's enjoying a day full of surprises and things we planned to celebrate her and who she is and how much we love her.

Here are some things you may or may not know about our wonderful Mom...

54 Things about Mom

1.Mom is the best mom - to all 4 of her kids, Josh, Leah, Ashley & Michael. She loves her kids and her 'in law" kids equally!
 

2.Mom has been married to her high school sweetheart for 34 years this fall. She can still remember meeting Dad at MBCI.

3. Mom is a faithful friend. She has so many friends from all different times in her life, and she loves to catch up with them over coffee. She has had her same best friend Josie since they were teenagers.
 

4.Mom and Josie lived together in a house beside MBCI when they were only in Grade 11. This spot was a popular hangout especially for Dad and Uncle Al.
 

5. Mom loves both sets of her parents and had friendships with them. When Mom lost both of her parents in her 30's it was much too soon. She carries a lot of the same endearing qualities and characteristics as Granny and Poppa.
 

6. Mom puts others before herself. She is always willing to give a ride, buy a meal, bake for someone, give money to those in need, give up her time to help out etc.

7. Mom founded a daycare - Sugar-n-Spice and was the Director of the daycare for 25 years. While working there she worked along side many family members - Poppa co-founded & directed with her, Auntie Ruth was the assistant director, Granny & Grandma cooked in the kitchen, as did Auntie Gail. Dad and Grandpa were always there to help fix things and build things, and Uncle Rick worked in one of the rooms as a daycare worker. It was quite the family effort!
 

8. Mom left the daycare when she felt called very clearly by God to pursue a vision he had given her - to start a retreat for women. It was a hard choice to leave a career of 25 years, but Mom trusts God and followed what he was calling her too.
 

9. After leaving the daycare, God surprised Mom by opening up a calling for her to serve at McIvor church. She started helping first with reception, then was an interim Pastor of Church Ministries, and was then given a permanent position as the Pastor of Church Ministries. She served there for 7 years, and built many valuable relationships. She was effective in her areas of ministry, and was even able to preach a few times!
 

10. In 2008 Mom decided to get the ball rolling on the retreat house vision. Since then, it has taken a lot of trust in God, time and effort, finances and flexibility to work on this project!
 

11. When God gave Mom the vision for the retreat house, he gave her the specifics as well, the name - Women Refreshed at the Well; the number of bedrooms - 5, and other specifics.
 

12. Mom heard God speak audibly one day in our house in Anola. Talking about it still makes her arm hair stand on it's end!
 

13. Mom and Dad moved to Anola, into a house that Dad built when she was pregnant with Ashley. They lived there for 26 years, where they farmed and built relationships with their neighbours.
 

14. Mom loves going for walks. Her favorite places to walk were on Springfield Road in Anola, in the back 40 in Anola, and at the lake. Mom & Dad have started going for walks along Henderson now as well.
 

15. Mom relearned how to ride a bike last year, and showed her perseverance when she got right back up after a couple of falls the first time we rode bikes together at the lake last year. We got her a bike for Mother's Day this year, complete with a basket!
 

16. Mom LOVES being a granny to all 3 grandsons, and is already faithfully praying and loving on the grandbaby that's on the way!
 

17. Mom is a woman after God's heart. She loves spending time in prayer and reading her bible. She loves to learn and study under people like Beth Moore and Larry Crabb, and she is constantly seeking to know more about God.
 

18. Mom loves to sing and worship. She is not afraid to raise her hands in worship and to weep. She loves to sing!
 

19.Mom loves singing to Everett and Roger. She is known for her song "The birdies in the treetop sing their song, the angels chant their chorus all day long. The flowers in the garden blend their hue. So why  shouldn't I, why shouldn't you, praise him too!" Everett loves when Mom sings that song to him.
 

20. Mom was in a band when she was a teenager. She played the triangle! The band was called "God's Children" but they changed it to, "Some of God's Children" because they didn't want anyone assuming they thought they were the only children of God's!
 

21. Mom also plays the organ, and as a kid I (Ashley) remember her playing once and awhile on Saturdays.
 

22. Mom almost died once. When she was in the hospital with a very bad infection. Auntie Heather worked at the same hospital, and had a feeling from God that she should go visit mom. When she got here, Mom's lips were blue and she was extremely, dangerously low on Oxygen levels. Auntie Heather alerted the nurses and they were able to resolve the issue. We are so glad Auntie Heather followed that nudging!

23.Mom is the middle child - she has two older sisters, Maryann & Heather, and two younger adopted brothers, Bryan and Tim. When Mom is with her sisters, there is a lot of laughter!
 

24. Mom loves to laugh! She laughs a lot with her family and her friends. Sometimes her and Dad get going about a joke and they both end up crying since they are laughing so hard!!
 

25. Mom loves to shorten words, which we tease her for. We tease her when she says "I'm a DSR at CBS" even though that is what she is! She is a good sport with our teasing!
 

26. Mom loves her job at Canadian Blood Services. She has already made some great friends there that she loves to work with. She is a friendly face for those who come to donate.

27. Mom is a generous gift-giver. She loves to buy special things for those she loves and tends to go all out on holidays! Mom's care-packages are over the top and she loves to show up with a surprise treat or  bunch of flowers. The stockings at Christmas are the sizes of big garbage bags...seriously!

28. Traditions are very important to Mom. Every Christmas she likes to try to make rice pudding and every New Years Day she makes New Years cookies.

29. Mom is very nostalgic. She tends to keep special little things tucked away...like a tin of ginger that was her Mom's!

30. Mom LOVES the beach. She loves feeling the sand in between her toes, loves the warmth of the wind, loves the sound of the waves, and loves looking at palm trees. Vacations to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Cuba, and Thailand have been real highlights for Mom. She says that when she thinks of paradise, she thinks of tropical beaches. Mom believes that heaven will be full of palm trees!

31. Mom holds possessions loosely, figuratively and literally. We kids tease Mom about losing things (especially in her car!)...but in all honesty, it is a beautiful thing that she doesn't hold on too tightly to her possessions. She is always willing to give and to share and tends to forget if she's loaned things out.

32. Mom has a fear of deep water. She almost drowned when she was a child at Faith Bible Camp. Even though she loves the beach and likes being in the boat, you won't ever catch her water-skiing behind the boat!

33. Mom isn't afraid to try new things and isn't afraid to embrace new ideas. She is always willing to grow and be teachable. She has a very open mind and tends jump right in to new things. She's quite an  artistic, free-spirited woman!

34. Mom likes to "fly by the seat of her pants" as she puts it. She likes to improvise and think on the spot. Leaving things to the last minute doesn't seem to bother her too much. That being said, deep down  with the important stuff, she likes to "have all her ducks in a row." :)

35. Mom loves to travel, especially with her family. Last year she travelled to Alaska with Dad and some friends. She'd also love to go to Europe and Israel one day.

36. Mom spent her early years, teen years, and adult years being involved at Faith Bible Camp. Her Mom and Dad were instrumental in starting it up and running it. Mom was the secretary for the camp for a number of years.

37. Mom loves to read. She loves fiction and non-fiction. Often she has a bunch of books on the go, with lots underlined and written in the margins!

38. Mom is a writer. She writes on her blog, she journals, she wants to write an autobiography, I think she's even written some fiction stuff!

39. Mom loves to get pedicures and massages. One quality that we loves about her is that she knows how to kick back and relax.

40. Although Mom loves people, she is an introvert. She likes to have peace and quiet and needs her space sometimes.

41. Mom likes to have baths!

42. Mom used to be a cheerleader! She also used to run track and play baseball!

43. Mom is a fearless cook and welcoming host. Mom can whip up something out of nothing, bake without proper ingredients, invite people in spur of the moment, and make everyone feel happy and relaxed. Mom lives her life with such warmth; people are drawn to her because of her gentle and peaceful spirit.

44. Mom doesn't sweat the small stuff. She cares about people, not things. When she has people over, she is focused on THEM not herself.

45. Mom is a hard worker...sometimes she works a little too hard!

46. Mom is still VERY much in love with the man of her dreams. Mom loves Dad and Dad loves Mom. It is very clear to see that they are best friends.

47. Mom hates going to the dentist!

48. Mom has compassion and love for those that others would consider unlovable. When Mom was working at McIvor church she befriended a homeless man that often came to the church during the week. His name is Barry, and she would go out of her way to show him love and kindness.

49. Mom LOVES coffee! There is always a full pot of coffee on at her place.

50. Mom has a signature smell - her perfume "Karma" from Lush. 

51. Mom has had the privilege of performing the marriages of a few couples that she loves! The most recent one was for Kara, the daughter of two of Mom & Dad's best friends, Al & Janet. 

52. Heard of a new gum? Chances are Mom has it in her purse! We like to tease her about the fact that she is so quick to try the new kinds, but us kids have been known to help ourselves to a piece or 2 of that gum.. :)

53. When Mom was a kid she was helping her Mom bake, and she leaned over the bowl while the hand mixer was going. Mom had long brown hair, and her hair got caught up in the beaters, and the mixer went right up to her head. But Granny was very patient, and took the time to untangle all of Mom's hair. Mom has that same patience that Granny has!

54. Mom is so loved. By Dad, her husband of almost 34 years (in September), her 4 kids: Josh, Leah, Ashley & Michael, her grandsons: Jay, Everett, & Roger and even her grand baby on the way. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! WE LOVE YOU!!