5 on Friday: My Mom

Why hello Friday, thanks for showing up so quickly.  Part of me is jumping for joy but part of me is sad.  Not because it's Friday but because something horrible happened to someone in my "new" family.  
One of my sister-in-laws lost her mother yesterday.  They found out she was very sick only a few weeks ago and in what seems like the blink of an eye, she is gone.  I have only seen my SIL twice since she found out and it was heartbreaking to see how devastated she already was. The youngest and only daughter of 6 kids, she is... I guess now was... so close to her mom. I can't even imagine the pain she is going through and it sucks knowing I can't do anything to make it even a tiny bit better.  None of us can.  
So today in my link-up with the 5 on Friday ladies, darci, april, christina & natasha, I am going to talk about 5 reasons I am thankful for my mom.  
1) My mom is the strongest person I know. Basically putting her grief aside, she packed up my little sister and what was left of our life after my dad died in Peru and moved home.  Home to where my older sister and I were waiting for her.  And we built a new life.  

2) She makes the best shepherd's pie ever... it's my ultimate comfort food.

 

3) She is always there to help me when I need her.  Always.

4) My mom made my wedding cake.  My mom had never made a wedding cake and she practiced with fondant for two months.

My wedding cake

5) My mom loves me and that hasn’t always been the easiest thing.

And the next time I see her I am going to hug her a little bit harder and a little bit longer.