Someone Who Fascinates You and Why~ Day 27

Blog Challenge - Day 27

 ~Someone Who Fascinates You and Why~

I gave today's challenge a lot of thought.  The world is full of fascinating people and so I had many names go through my head.  Most of them were well known people that contributed in some way to history.  Below is the SHORT LIST that popped in my head.... ;)

• Jackie O
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Benjamin Franklin
• Mother Teresa
• Abraham Lincoln
• Ghandi
• Anne Frank
• Joseph Smith
• Corrie Ten Boom
• Phidippides
• Emma Smith
• Ellis Shipp
• Viktor Frankl
• Helen Keller
• Jesus Christ

Each one of these people are fascinating to me.  The list could be MUCH longer but I tried to limit it to 15... (for you Audrey! hehe)  For the most part, I have studied about each of the above in some way, mainly through reading a book on them (or several as in the case of Emma Smith, Anne Frank and Benjamin Franklin) or taking a class on the study of their life (Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Benjamin Franklin, and Emma Smith).  I learn so much from studying about the incredible lives of others.  I just love to learn about the real-ness, the human-ness of us all. 




But, after seeing this list I decided I really wanted to choose someone that is not famous.  Someone that doesn't have books written about them.  Someone who quietly goes about their life without fanfare or recognition.  Someone that probably doesn't even know I find them fascinating.  I knew that person had to be...

My Mommy!

 

My Mom is the most unselfish, caring, giving, and humble person I know.  She is always doing something for someone else and never does anything for herself.  I am amazed at how many people she has been a constant caregiver to in her life. From my cousin Shelley who suffered with MS for years, to Shelley's children (and now to their children), to her mother-in law and my Dad's Aunt Carmen, to me and my boys whenever a need arose either when Tyson was sick and in the hospital and she came and helped out with my other boys, or when she would go stay with Tyson in the hospital so Dave and I could spend some time with the other boys, to my brother's children, and to pretty much raising my niece (and MANY more!).  She has been a constant caregiver most of her entire life.  And she just did it!  She never complained - ever - and so it seemed totally normal to me.  Little did I know growing up, how rare that really was.  And she did most of it while working a full time job that she had to get up for each morning at 4:30 a.m.  I have no idea where she got the energy, but she somehow did. If someone had even the slightest need, she was there to help.  From helping people move, to cleaning houses, to babysitting, to taking in meals, she is always helping someone.

 I couldn't find too many good pictures of us together and so I had to really scrounge around.  I really wanted to go back through my oldies and pull up some of the ones of her and my boys when they were little, but I ran out of time.  This one ↑ is one of my favorites.

On my 50th birthday.  My walker was for a joke, hers was for real right after her 3rd hip surgery.  Her health isn't the greatest and she is always in a lot of pain, but she keeps on going!

She has always (along with my Pa) been VERY supportive of everything that my boys are involved in.  They rarely have missed a game or event of any of my five boys!  She has also been very supportive of what I am involved in.  Both my parents came to watch me cross the finish line of my first marathon.  That meant a lot to have them there!

The collage above has photos of the Christmas Count Down calendars that she makes each year for all the grand-kids. She is and has always been the most incredible Grandma!  She was always so much fun and got right down on their level and played whatever they wanted.  She spoiled them, but not rotten!  Just enough...  =)  

*Oldies but goodies of when my brother and I were little.  

*Photo of the clogging class that she took from me. She was a great sport when I made her be in the recital!  

*One of her and my Dad many moons ago. (click or tap to enlarge)

My Mom (Mum I called her as a little girl) is very bewitching!

 

Cooking one of her many hundred's of meals for a large family gathering.

My Mom has so many friends of her own, but sometimes she hangs out with mine too. 

One of the MOST fascinating things about my Mom is the fact that EVERYONE loves her!  And I mean EVERYONE!  No matter where we go, she becomes instant friends with strangers!  It's amazing!  You would have thought they were best friends for years.  Complete strangers! She is very likeable and so that's no surprise, but it still is fascinating.  ALL of my friends are always telling me how much they love my Mom and how cute and sweet she is.  It's true. It is impossible to not like my Mom. 

When she was taking care of Chantel a lot, she would go and help in the school.  Everyone loved her there too and everyone called her Mammy because that is what Chantel called her and it stuck.  When we go out in public, almost inevitably someone will yell, "Mammy!" and come running over to her to give her a big hug.  Not just the kids that have grown up now, but their parents and teachers too.  She is a very well loved person.  

The collage above is of her and my Dad with their first grandson, my Skyler.  They are both the best grandparents ever!!!  

*Square dancing group.  

*My Mom and Shelley's girls with Chantel doing each others hair.   

*With Bryce and Chantel. 
*My Mom and Pop.

My cute Mom is in a dancing group.  I tease her because she is about the youngest one in the group and I tell her she should hang out with peeps younger than her, not older, but she loves it.  They perform at various places and it's so fun to watch her still dancing even though she is in so much pain all the time.  I think this helps her to keep going and try and forget the pain for a bit.

With her at one of her performances.

We went to McKay's game last week and look what we both showed up in?  What are the odds?  NO, we didn't call tell each other and plan it!  But I'm glad we did so we had an excuse to take a photo of us together.   

 

Now you can see why I find my Mom so fascinating.  I truly strive to be more like her and hope someday I will have as many amazing qualities as she does.  I failed to even mention that she was Valedictorian for her junior high (which we teased her about for years, because sometimes she pretended to be the dumb blonde- lol) or that she got to meet Elvis Presley when she was a teenager. Or that she was named the "Sweetheart" of IRS one year.  Or that she was a mail lady for about a week.  Or that she worked full time for hundreds of years (it seemed like) at IRS and at HAFB.  Or that she makes the best giant cinnamon rolls on the planet.  Or that....  I could seriously go on and on forever, so I will stop.  

But she is one fascinating woman and I'm proud to call her my Mom!