Happy birthday, mama!

Today this beautiful lady turns 28...

 or is it 58? Who knows? :)

me, mama and my sister Alice on the day I was baptized. May 1985

me & mama

finishing touches to my wedding dress that SHE MADE, so proud!

  

my mama with my baby = LOVE

My mama is one of the most beautiful, strongest, and loving women I know. 

At the age of nineteen she left all she knew behind in Holland and followed my dad to Canada.

She became a mother of three boys and four girls.

She made sure that all of us were happy, healthy and, even though money was tight, nicely dressed.

She and my dad set a beautiful example for us in their love for each other and their love for God.

While growing a family with my dad she emigrated not only once, from Holland to Canada, but three times, moving back and forth between Canada and Australia and finally ending up back in Holland.

And all the while she held our family together and made sure that every place we lived felt like home.

And it did, because she was there.

^ ^ ^ ^

She taught me how to make something out of nothing and be creative with what I have.

She taught me to see the bright side of life.

She taught me that it's never to late to make life changes.

She taught me what it means to love unconditionally.

^ ^ ^ ^

I hope that I'll be a mama to Micha like she is to me.

I'm so proud of her. And I love her so much!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Love, Maria