I love my mother-in-law, and I’m not ashamed to say it. The Complete Package and I have been married for almost 29 years, and I have never had a cross word with her. In fact, we actually enjoy each other’s company. Maybe it’s because we both love TCP so dearly, or maybe it’s because we live 10 hours away from each other, or maybe it’s because we just appreciate each other and the friendship we’ve developed over the years. TCP likes to say that if forced to choose, his parents would pick me over him. I’m not sure that’s true, but I like to think it is. Here is just a sampling of what I love about my mother-in-law:
1. She’s tenacious; her nickname is “Toughie”
2. She’s famous for her chili “3-way” with spaghetti, chopped onions & cheese
3. She loves her kids, grandkids & great-grandkids fiercely
4. She makes pecan tassies; if you don’t know what those are, you’re missing out
5. She’ll share a 2-lb Whitman’s Sampler box, but not the 5-lb box we got her
6. She was in love with Max from Dancing With the Stars until “he got cocky”
7. She now hopes Troy Aikman will call, since he’s about to be single again
8. She cares deeply for her two sisters, who are her best friends
9. She cared for my beloved father-in-law until he passed away 2 years ago
10. She still refers to him as the love of her life; some love stories are eternal
11. She has our 2 nieces over for sleepovers, just like when My Baby was little
12. She makes me laugh; she’s funny and feisty and sassy, and I love that
She came to visit just before Christmas, and we took her to Austin to visit My Baby, Bama Boy and the great-grandkids, Jonah Bear & Lilly Bug. She had the best time. At four and one, the kids are fun and exhausting, but she never complained. She just soaked it all up like a sponge. We also took her to restaurants she doesn’t have at home so we could spoil her and fatten her up. She loved it – from Mexican to seafood to steaks, she enjoyed eating out in one of America’s greatest restaurant cities. I even put a Whitman’s Sampler box on the nightstand in the guest room for her. She threatened to send for her things and stay forever, but I wouldn’t mind. She’s not leaving Tulsa, though. Her sisters are there, as well as TCP’s sister, her husband and their 2 daughters. She’s a Tulsa girl. Always has been; always will be. She’s deeply rooted there, but we’ll still try to get her to come visit as often as she’s willing. One last thing. While she was here, we helped her create a custom Christmas card to send to family and a few close friends. It has since gone viral in her little circle. It was a hoot. It featured two photos of her – past and present, with a caption of “Just rolling in to wish you a Merry Christmas.” It captures her personality perfectly, and makes me love her even more. As if that’s possible. This one’s for you, Toughie.
Inside NanaBread's Head 