Dear Mamma

Dear Mom,

The days and hours are coming to an end, and I am going to miss you. I am going to miss texting you multiple times a week, the phone calls, the emails, the advice, the pep talks, oh I could go on and on.  You used to check this blog everyday, and if I went too long without updating it, you were quick to remind me. I have decided to still write you letters on the blog and keep you in the loop. I want to tell you when I am struggling, happy, sad, or when I use one of your go to fixes in life. A warm wash cloth cures 40% of the problems I think though, right?  Vicks vapor rub covers about 30% of the other problems, and the rest...well that takes a glass of wine. Wait, I forgot about the heating pad. That solves a lot of issues, too.

Cancer is taking you too soon, but I think you had me about 98% trained and molded to the perfect woman/mom, so that is good.  I will never forget the hundreds of life lessons you taught me over the years. Although sometime you had to raise your voice to get them through my thick skull, I still took it all in. The past year took a toll on all of us, but it also shaped us and taught us how precious life is.

I am sad about the things you will miss in the years to come, but I am grateful for all the memories we made together. I plan to spew them all over the blog for the next decade or so. As I look back, I would wonder what was pushing me towards the love of photography over the past couple years, and I think it is pretty much contributed to the Twins being born and your battle with cancer.  Both of these events in my life made me realize how I should love life, and try to capture the beauty in life each and every day. As you know, kids grow up way too fast, and life goes just as fast.

When I posted this picture below, my mom sent me an email.  "Mandy, did you take that picture to make fun of my stumpy thumbs?" 

It was hard to see you struggle the past year, and I just wanted to take some of your pain away so you didn't have to carry it all. Knowing that you will soon be at peace gives me a sense of ease as well.

Even though we are going to miss you like crazy, we will still remember all the wonderful times we had. 

Love you mamma, and I will keep you posted with more letters on the blog.  This was our "term".. Keep me posted. If the twins were sick mom always text... Keep me posted. If I went 12 hours without an update, my phone would ding with a message from mom. She would be looking for an update on the twins.