EXCLUSIVE!! The softer side of Adri

For those who are just tuning in, I have decided on a theme for my blogspot--Top Ten Lists. (For a lengthy explanation as to why, please refer to last week's post). Of course, the topic for this week seems obvious--Mothers. And for once, I am not going to try to put a twisted twist on my lists; instead I will offer a heartfelt list about my own mother. So here it goes....

Top 10 things I love about my Mom

#10 Her "Onionhead." Although many things have changed about my mom over the years--taste buds, size, sense of humor--one thing has remained constant--her hairstyle. For those unfamiliar with the Polynesian culture, the "onionhead" is the signature do of all islanders both young and old. I think the description is fairly self explanatory so I won't go into any depth about it. However, I would like to say that as a teenager I BEGGED my mom to get rid of the onionhead look and opt for something more trendy, but now I realize this is just a part of my mom and I would rather have a mom "underly"-obsessive about her look than overly-obsessive.

How many onionheads can you count in this picture?

#9 Her incredible strength--and not just physical but emotional, mental, and spiritual strength as well. My mom is the toughest woman I know. She once single-handedly broke up an inner-city fight where two teenage boys (they were really the size of huge men) were fighting and there was a crowd of about 100 cheering the fight on. She kills cockroaches with her bare hands (ahhh!!! I am still not this tough!) which she told me was a skill she picked up living in Hawaii. She could write a Master's Thesis from start to finish in one night and pull off an A+. Lastly, she goes to the temple faithfully every month (even though it is 4 hrs. one way, she is a single parent of 5 kids left at home, relatively poor, and works 40 hours a week at night). My mom exemplifies the term "Super Woman" and I could only hope to be half as tough as her.

Think this is scary?! Well not for my mom!

#8 Her sense of humor. My mom creates the best names for people. Perhaps, I shouldn't name any examples, but let's just say it's all done in good fun. Besides, it is hilarious...I think even her victims would have to give in on the humor.

#7 Her cooking. My mom is the best cook...period. She can make anything out of anything. Her talent reminds me of Iron Chef where the cooks can make the craziest foods out of a single main ingredient. The best part about my mom is that she can make the best food FAST. Growing up with 8 kids there was little time to fuss over cooking. So my mom would skip looking at a recipe, skip using measuring tools, and just throw a dozen ingredients together and 20 minutes later...Umm, ummm, good!

"Hi-Ya!"

#6 Her temper. I know this may seem like an odd choice, but really my mom is hilarious when she is mad...actually I think they are one in the same!

#5 Her beauty. I really think my mom is gorgeous--she has beautiful skin, hair, teeth, no wrinkles AND it's ALL natural baby! For all the stress and hard work my mom has been through, she looks great. I know she doesn't think so because she is too humble, but the truth is she looks fab (especially for someone turning 52...sorry mom, please forgive me for telling your age!). I wish I had a picture to show her off, but the funny thing is, I can't find a picture of her! Once I started thinking about it, I realized my mom stopped allowing herself to be in photos after about the age of 40...oh well, one of these days I will catch her!

#4 Her artistic ability. Although my mom has never really been trained in painting (she took one community college class for fun last summer), she is such a great artist. I love her artwork because it is realistic yet it conveys such emotion. Recently, my mom painted little scenes she remembered as a child in New Zealand--scenes by the sea, picking berries with her "mum," and the general landscape of Aotearoa; these were sooo beautiful...simple, but beautiful. It's funny how nostalgic looking at someone else's past is...I have never been to New Zealand but I really felt the power of my mom's memories through her artwork...I felt like I had once known its blue, grey sea and its emerald-green hillsides. Anyways, before I get too sappy, moving on...

#3 Her caricature sketches. I separate this one from #4 because mom's caricature sketches are like in a class all their own. All I can say is it's amazing how interesting church meetings become when you sit next to mom and hand her a pen and paper...oh the possibilities!

Not mom's drawing...hers are better. But something like this may appear out of mom's hand under one of the following labels: "Mormon Tab Tenor," "LDS Single Males over 40," or "Buff the Tuff (of hair that is)"

#2 Her thriftiness. My mom is so resourceful. She has made Christmas decorations out of spray-painted weeds (which they looked fantastic!), she uses Aldi's boxes for cake stands (for those who know about the Aldi's store you know what I am talking about...for those who don't, you are missing out on some great grocery shopping!), and she has found a number of odd uses for socks (inside joke for the fam here...sorry but it's too embarrassing to truthfully reveal!).

#1 Her answer for everything. You know I think the most important part of motherhood isn't necessarily the DOING but the KNOWING HOW TO DO. I love that I can ask my mom anything and she always has an answer (whether she is right...I don't know), but there is something so comforting about this. I love that I can randomly ask my mom: "How do I make Samoan pancakes cook all the way through?" or "What topic can I write about for a "definition" argument?" or "Mom, why is life so unfair?!"

Thank you mom for always supporting me. For praying for me. For loving me unconditionally. For setting the best example a daughter could ask for. Happy Mother's Day and I LOVE YOU!

Since this is Mother's Day I also want to recognize the three other moms I have--one step mom, one mother in-law, and one step-mom-in-law. Here are the things I love about each of them:

Julie--I love your attention to detail like when you make root beer floats or create a vegetable platter...you make family "get-to-togethers" fun, cozy, and nostalgic! I also love your never ending kindness...I have yet to hear you truly speak ill of someone...thank you for that example.

Patty--I love your cornbread...I have yet to make it like you! I also love your generosity and your always forgiving nature...I have the most sensitive and forgiving husband and I thank you for that.

JoAnn--I love your stews and Thanksgiving dinners--AWESOME! I also love the sincerity in which you offer your love and support. I am so happy to be a part of a family with you.

--A