Happy Birthday Linda Rae!

Yesterday was my Mom, Linda Rae's 68th birthday. There was a party for her wherein my three siblings and their families who live in Michigan attended. My Dad organized it for her - very hip - through EVITE. The instructions for the out of state children were to call in and send well wishes sometime during the get together.

I called in at the beginning of the party to join in on the festivities via telephone. No doubt about it, the telephone is a wonderful invention, but it's not the same. I heard everybody as they arrived; loudly wishing a happy birthday from the back door. I heard Amy first, then Jeff. Each person would cross the kitchen in order to get to where Mom sat so they could give her a hug and a kiss, their voices audible to me via telephone as they leaned in for their hug.

I hate missing parties, especially ones that include family AND cake.

If I'd have been there, I would have:

1. Given you a hug
2. Wished you happy birthday in person
3. Given the following speech in tribute, not eulogy:

Good evening everyone.

Our Mom is cool and fun and very talented. Like did you know she was wild and crazy when she went to BYU-Hawaii? I know where some pictures are to prove it. She was always laughing in every picture with her crazy moomoos and cat-eye glasses.
I know you know how good she is at telling stories, but did you know that she can also write cool ones too? She can also write poetry and has written many award winning scripted plays. In the olden days, we used to call these road shows. She helped put the Livonia Ward on the map in the road show competition. Nobody ever thought they could beat Julie Locke from the Westland ward, until a little lady named Linda Rae came from out of nowhere.

Our Mom is a fantastic teacher. She is the only seminary teacher I know of who, in order to get her students to wake up and participate would make a "Wheel" for scripture wheel of fortune. Who does that? All the teenagers loved her. She was always "Thanked" from the pulpit during Sacrament meetings for her willingness to bring life and interest to the scriptures for them.

Our Mom is creative. She would never leave anything she touched without her creative touch. Long before there was a computer, people had to draw things if you wanted to decorate. I remember a cookbook Mom made for Michelle Bodily's wedding shower. She and Sister Kuhns hand wrote all the recipes they recieved into an 8 1/2 x 11 inch book. Mom's penmanship was the best. Hers had the little curly ques and italicized font created from her very own creative hand. She also designed the cover based on a Suzy Zoo cartoon. She enlarged the cartoon on the overhead projector and traced the entire thing, adding her little creative finishing touches. Listen people, graphic design was work back then. I still have the cookbook if you don't believe me.

Our Mom is a fantastic cook. I just made her homemade broccoli and cheese soup yesterday for lunch and once again went away satisfied.

Our Mom is the originator of Day family traditions. How many pair of Christmas p.j.'s do we all own now? And just ask her how the Christmas lasagna came to be . . .

Our Mom is a keen collector. It was never my intention to collect Avon owl decantors, but darnit, that was the theme for my bedroom and I had every single one. Collin has every single government issued state quarter from here to the Mississippi thanks to Grandma. That was a ten year gig - ya gotta hand it to her for perservering.

Our Mom is intelligent, learned and smart. Did you know she has a minor in library science?

Our Mom is a leader. Just ask Dad.

Our Mom is very sensitive. In the good way. Whenever I tell her a story of one of my kids that gets me choked up, she cries right along with me.

Our Mom has a firm testimony of the Gospel. She always has, even when she was younger. Mom joined the Church when she was 13. She had been invited to Primary by a friend and attended for a whole year. When it was time to advance to M.I.A, she was asked by the Bishop if she would consider being the Beehive president, to which she replied, sure Bishop, but don't you think I should be baptised first? As a result of her activity in the church, her sister, her mother and her father were all sealed in the temple. Not to mention, the legacy she is now a part of which include all the chitlins in the photo at the beginning of this post.

We are all better because of you Linda Rae! We love you and celebrate you!

Happy Birthday!!!

Yup, I'm pretty sure it would've been a great speech had I been there.
Then I would've closed my speech and eaten cake.