A Long Line of Great Moms

MOMS!

I pray all women have a group of other women around them who lift them up, encourage them, strengthen them, hold them accountable, and make them better people.  I am so blessed to say that I have AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, FABULOUS women in my life. Today I want to introduce to you to some of the moms in my life, these women have helped me, loved me, prayed for me, encouraged me, inspired me, and held me accountable to God's call on my life.  I am truly blessed!  So here we go, let me introduce you to a few of the moms who have influenced my life...

• There is a list of women who are not my family but have influenced my life in amazing ways.  Each are amazing moms...they all have taught me invaluable things and my life is changed by them having been a part of my life.  I would not want to miss an opportunity to recognize them and their powerful impact on my life: Nancy Mashburn, Pat Palmer, Dorothy Dillard, Carolyn Huffman, Clara Hayes, and the women of the Daugherty family: Mrs. Iru, Pastor Sharon, Sarah, and Ruthie.

Now...my family...

• My Great-Grandma Wheeler on my mom's side of the family was an amazing woman, she was rustic and industrious, and she put her foot down when her family needed her intervention.  She made jams and jellies and much more.  She ran a business, a cluster of cabins off a beautiful lake in Northern Michigan.  My mom and aunt found comfort in her home, learned how to work hard, and I tell you what...did she teach them how to cook!!  Thank you Grandma Wheeler for your amazing influence on our lives, even though I have never met you, your life is weaved into my own through your granddaughters.
• My Grandma Green, who was my dad's mom, was an incredible woman.  She was a precious, little, Texas woman who my mom says I get my 'coloring' from.  She was a wonderful wife to my Papa, a fantastic mom to her two children, and a spiritual mentor to both my aunt and my mom and I am sure to other women as well.  Both my aunt Lynn and my mom were mentored by her and their tender faiths grew under her watchful care.  This testimony alone has had the greatest impact on my life because my mom and my Aunt Lynn are extraordinary women of God and that influence in my life has made all the difference.  The beautiful, loving, anointed woman who was Wyletta Green is still impacting lives through the godly example she was; what an incredible legacy to leave, that she loved God and she loved her family.  So, thank you Grandma Green for my 'coloring' and for your amazing legacy of faith and love.  Besides Jesus you are the person I am most excited to finally meet in Heaven.



Lucy Kneff

• My Grandma, Lucylle Kneff, was one of the best people I have ever known.  Lucy, Lou, Grandma...it was all the same to her.  She was HILARIOUS!  Through her relationship with God, which happened later in her life, she overcame so much and through Him her life and relationships were redeemed.  My Grandpa studied the Word of God.  My Grandma felt God.  She loved her husband of 60+ years, she loved her children and established godly, beautiful relationships with them, she was a beloved Grandma and Great-Grandma.  She was opinionated, a tiny bit uncouth at times, she was a drama queen, she was up to speed on politics, a whiz at any word game, an avid reader, her memory was amazing, she would sing old songs, loved to go on drives, she really, really loved coffee and Starbucks, she would get cute flowers on her toes when she would get a pedicure, she never got bored watching hours and hours of Law and Order, her lips would move a little with you when you would talk to her, she had an awesome laugh, she made bodily functions a part of everyday   conversation, she collected salt and pepper shakers and angels, she loved cats and dogs and would talk to them like they would talk back to her, she had great skinny legs, she had pretty blue eyes that would disappear when she laughed.  Of course she had faults, all these women did or do, they are human after all but I love Lucy Kneff.  She was a source of joy to my life.  As a child I would spend summers and vacations at her and Grandpa's house; I would spend hours picking blueberries, fishing, swimming, baking, playing, and being taught two extraordinary people.  When I was grown and had my own home, she would come and stay with me and she would bunk with Lauren, my oldest daughter.  I would have to go in and tell them both to go to sleep, they whispered and giggled and carried on like two little school girls.  She would love on both my girls with a special love that was only hers and she established a beautiful relationship with them both, Abby's middle name is Lucylle even.  They were able to experience a meaningful, enriching relationship with their great-grandmother, I am so thankful for that!  She embraced my husband and loved him as her own.  What she taught me most through her life is that it is never too late to allow God do His work in your life.  She was the frailest, most sickly child in her family yet she lived the longest and when she went to Heaven she had a peaceful homegoing to her Redeemer.  Lucy Kneff thank you for all the joy your brought to my life, for teaching me how to make apple pie, cinnamon rolls, and banana pudding, thank you for quilting my childhood blanket, for letting me play in Michigan sand barefoot, for letting me try on all your costume jewelry, for teaching me how to do a word search puzzle.  You are part of who I am, part of the fabric of my family, I love you and miss you and I cannot wait to see you again!



My Aunt Linda and my cousin Hannah

•  My Aunt Linda Dillon, my dad's sister, is an amazing woman and an incredible mom.  She is a woman  of beautiful faith.  She home-schooled her 3 youngest children, has taken care of Kiki, my  beautiful, special needs cousin, been a loving wife and helpmate, and worked in the ministry.  She is kind, loving, sincere, funny, beautiful, patient, steadfast, and anointed.  She is a wonderful friend, encouragement virtually pours out of her.  I have learned much from my Aunt Linda, even when we lived far away from one another, she has always been a wonderful reflection on God's love.  I admire, respect, and love her dearly and thank God for the privilege of calling her my family and my friend.  



Aunt Lynn with Shana and Lisa

•  My Aunt Lynn Popenhagen, my mom's sister, is one of the most influential women in my life.  She is an amazing mom, a beautiful wife to my Uncle Jerry, a wonderful sister and a fantastic aunt.  My Aunt Lynn has been a steady influence in my life for as long as I can remember but particularly I feel her presence in my life in my tween-early teen years and beyond.  My brother and I would come and visit her and Uncle Jerry for the summers, sometimes my mom would come with us, other times, the older we got, we would come on our own.  Those summers were reprieves from what was going on at home.  We were sheltered from the turmoil of our parents moving on with their divorce.  It would be a reprieve from the hard years after that as well.    Aunt Lynn would play games with us...and she wouldn't let us win...she wanted to win and put the scores up on the fridge:)!  She would take us to church, she helped me get my first job in the nursery during Word Explosion.  She would take us to work with her so we could be with her.  She would take me shopping and Uncle Jerry would play video games with my brother.  She would take to baseball games, water parks, amusement parks, and watch movies with us.  She would pray for us and have her daughters cart us around to various places.  Those summers were special.  Her influence continued in my life as I grew up and moved to Tulsa, we became closer.  She was there to help direct me when I was wondering what to do with my life after I graduated high school.  She was there to counsel me when my marriage was under attack.  She has been my boss, my friend, my spiritual covering in ministry, my aunt, my scrapbook buddy, my impromptu lunch date, and so much more.  I have learned so much from her, things I am still discovering I've learned.  She is honest, organized, loving, funny, purposed, and precious to me.  I think it is important to have women in your lives who speak into you, who love you, and are honest with you even if you don't want hear it, this is Aunt Lynn for me, my source of good council, godly wisdom, family love, and friendship.
• My cousins, Shana Dow and Lisa Goforth, my Aunt Lynn's daughters.  It is safe to assume that the two daughters of my Aunt Lynn would be amazing...and they are.  Each of them is a role model for me, they are 5 and 4 years older than I am so I glean from their wisdom, I try to learn from where they have been and what they have walked through.  They are both amazing moms to each of their three kiddos.  They are fantastic wives to their husbands and they are two of my best girlfriends in the entire world.  They are both unique and I benefit from both of them in such specific ways.  


Me and Shana:)

• Shana is bold and honest, she cuts through the small talk and gets straight to the point.  She is organized, funny, purposed, and beautiful.  I love to talk to her about ways to save money and get healthy.  She makes the most beautiful knitted scarves...they are the hot item at all our birthday parties and Christmas collectibles.  She is an avid reader, an amazing support to her     husband and their business, a computer whiz, and has a precious relationship with Jesus which her entire life flows through.  I am so often inspired by her dedication to her family.  She home-schools her boys, cooks dinner every night for a family of men and young men (so you know she is doing some serious cooking!), she keeps her home running peacefully and happily through her dedication to them and to the Lord.  She is one of my very best friends in the world  and I love her.



Me and Lisa:)

• Lisa is kind, generous, organized, and beautiful.  She is so creative...she has ideas about her ideas:).  One of the many things I love and admire about Lisa is her ability to get things done.  She always has a project going, something beautiful, talented, and fabulous.  She is the hostess   with the mostess; she has a gift of hospitality, a knack of making people feel welcomed and bring people together for fellowship.  Lisa's love for her family is so inspiring to me.  She is   dedicated and purposeful towards them.  She home-schools her three kids, is the director of Classical Conversations in Tulsa, and she does it all with style and grace.  I am always inspired by Lisa's dedication to the Lord, everything she does flows through her desire to serve Him well and I love that about her.  She is teachable, anointed, obedient, and loving.  We have great conversations about all sorts of things, I simply love hanging out with her.  I love that her daughter Kate and my daughter Abby are so very close and that our families love to spend time together.  She is one of my very best friends in the world and I love her.



Nancy with Abby and Lauren

• My mother in law Nancy Davis is a wonderful woman.  She is a wonderful Nanny to my girls, a great mom to Michael, and an awesome friend to me.  We enjoy spending time together and have both learned and grown so much together.  She is a purposeful woman, she loves her family, is an amazing   money manager, she is funny, and generous.  Nancy is a wonderful example of how God works in our lives.  He is far more patient with us than we are with ourselves and He is doing and has done such a good work in Nancy.  I love the way she is willing to learn and change, I love to garage sale with her, I love to walk around the block with her, I love to laugh with her, we have a great time shopping, talking, and just hanging out.  I am thankful for her and I love her!



Davida and my Dad

• My step-mom Davida Green is a wonderful woman.  She is industrious, organized, and has an adorable southern drawl.  She is a faithful, patient, supportive wife to my Dad.  Davida always has a little craft to do with the girls...it is a tradition, something that they look forward to every time we get   together.  She loves to fellowship, and friends and family are of the utmost importance to her.  She is fabulous cook...I mean literally her stuffing at Thanksgiving will be on the banquet table in Heaven, it is that good!  She cooks with the girls, letting them help her stir things in, cut stuff up, and assemble dishes.  She loves to entertain, she is never one to pass up a good tea, and she is the only person I have experienced high tea with (which was so fun by the way).  I am so thankful for her loving my dad and for being in our lives and I love her.



Me and my Mom:)



Love you Mama!!

• And then last but absolutely not least is my mom, Laurie Ann Argue.  I can't even express to you the amazing woman my mom is.  When I was a child my mom taught me something that now that I am a mom myself I fully understand.  She was fully comfortable not being popular with me, she knew that if she wasn't my best friend as a child, we were going to be friends as adults.  She let me blame things on her and her shoulders were big enough to carry me being mad at her for supposed injustices.  Today I see that as a mom, or a parent at all, you can't be friends with your kids.  You can love them, protect them, have fun with them, drive them all around, spend money on them, pray for them, make sure they are fed, pray for them some more, teach them, speak the Word over them, be loving with them, mentor them, counsel them, discipline them, encourage them, hold them, minister to them, pray for them so more, and speak into them but you can't be their friend, they have enough friends and only you as parents.  My mom understood that and because of it we are incredible friends today.  She never let me push her around, she was always the firm boundary I ran   into when I was navigating through my young life.  She was fair but firm, loving, loyal, fiercely protective, fun, generous, honest, real, patient, forgiving, and amazing.  She never hesitated to answer any question we asked, she made sure my brother and I had a wonderful relationship, she was a spiritual force to be reckoned with, she spoke into my life, and prayed for me at every turn.  She was funny, and real, she was the mom all my friends wished their moms were like.  She shielded us from things that could have hurt us, was protective of who we spent time with (thank you mom!), and was highly protective about what we read and watched.  She told me I was beautiful in my awkward phases, sewed me Easter dresses, encouraged my imagination, never lied to me, and spoke and prayed reassurance during all the scary times.  Now my mom made mistakes...plenty of them and some big ones at that, things I know she wishes she hadn't done or put us through.  But those things are under the blood of Jesus, we have talked about them and God has healed.  But the glorious part is that no matter what has happened, we are together and nothing can replace the relationship I have with my mom, it is invaluable to me.  

  

  MeMaw and my girls

  
  She is a fantastic MeMaw to my two girls and my brother's 6   children.  She exposes my girls to parts of life that they won't see in Tulsa...she takes them out to the country and lets them play in dirt, run around on 4 wheelers, and fish.  She teaches them how to cook and clean (and they don't complain like they do at home), she takes them at 10:00 in the morning to get ice cream, and at 10:00 at night to get a movie.  She is the place they want to be when they want to chill out, have fun, be spoiled a little bit or a lot, and to just feel the love only MeMaw can give.  My mom has a way of just making me feel better.  We sometimes don't talk about anything important but just to talk is enough.  She has more than helped with my births and babies, she has counseled and supported me through the hard spots with my little ones, held me when I cried over Michael, spoke the Word over my life and my situations, she loves my husband and has never spoke a negative word about him or our marriage, and she has reinforced things I am working on with my girls; she is a pillar, a support, a strength in my life that I cherish.  I really don't have enough time, space, or words to express how extraordinary she is to me.  She is one of my very best friends, it is my honor and privilege to be one of only two people on the planet to call her Mom, I thank God for her, for her influence in my life, for her guidance, example, and direction.  God blesses me continually through her and I rise up and call her blessed (Proverbs 31:28). 

So there you have it...some of the wonderful moms in my life.  Don't even get me started on the some of the amazing women in my life who aren't mothers yet but are incredible women who have spoken into my life...yeah that is another blog:).