Shirley Vanderhoff - Happy Lilac Day

My mom - what can I say? She is amazing. The cutest little thing ever when she was little.
All she wanted to do is grow up and be a mother.
Her wishes and dreams came true. She married the same man that she is still with!

My mom taught me how to eat, spoonful by spoonful. Now, I still struggle with that dang spoon, it doesn't know how to stop. I kind of miss the airplane sounds. Today, mom struggles to eat, has to work harder to swallow and keep the food in her mouth. I will eat for you.


My mom taught me to speak. Sometimes I wonder if she worked a little too hard at that. Now, my mom can barely speak - no volume, and the words don't come out right all the time. It doesn't matter to me - I really care about what she wants to say and will work extra hard to listen. I will keep speaking as long as I can.

My mom taught me how to walk. I love walking. In fact, I am going to walk 200 miles in Spain come October. Now, she is unable to walk like she taught me how. I will walk for you.

My mom potty trained me, only to realize that we wet our pants together so many many times because we could not stop laughing. Now, my mom has to take extra measures to not have accidents. I will keep wetting my pants for you from laughter. I promise.

My mom taught me how to drive - now I drive people crazy sometimes. It is my mom's fault.

Mom - we have shared so many wonderful events together! Maui many times, Palm Springs a zillion times, Brown's Bay, Leavenworth, BUDAPEST, California to Jordan's Opera, I could go on and on.

Today,as I prepare for our annual church BBQ on Mothers Day - I remember that our very first one was in honor of you! The lilacs bloom on this day - for you! I want to call today Lilac Day - your and mine favorite flower.

I love you to death and fully in life.

The most precious gift you gave me is introducing me to your best friend Jesus.

21!

A sweet friend is turning 21 tomorrow. I asked her what it means to her - and asked her to write it to me. This will serve to document her momentous occasion. I was telling her that when I turned 21, drinking was not even on my mind at all! For me, it just felt like I was really on my own now and need to be adult.......(I promise to go wine tasting with you...instead of me tasting while you take pictures - haha) Love you Kelly!

She said, "Turning 21 means more than just being able to drink legally. It's not all about drinking, it's a starting point of a new responsibility. It's also a way to learn how to control yourself.

A lot of people depend on alcohol for coping reasons. Now that I will be able to buy alcohol at anytime, I'm going to try to remain strong and put my trust in the Lord and to never turn to alcohol for the wrong reasons.

I look forward to being able to sip on a beer with my dad, mom, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends whenever I want to. It's a way to bond, and to feel closer with them.

Turning 21 is a privilege and alcohol should not be taken advantage of. I've already gone down that path, and it didn't make me happy at all. It helped nothing, and created memories and rumors that I am not proud of.

I will also be able to rent a car from Enterprise without being charged for being under the age of 21 haha.

Becoming 21 is a whole new responsibility that I believe I am ready to tackle.

I look forward to buying my first bottle of wine all by myself. I love drinking a small glass of wine after dinner or before bed. It's good for you, it's delicious, and it's just a way to wind down from the day and get ready for the next one. I can't wait to go wine tasting and go to breweries! Learning about what you consume is important, and I feel like if you learn about it, you will have more respect for it."