A note of appreciation is in order for a woman whose footsteps I can only hope to follow in one day. Mom, there are only so many ways to say that you are the strongest woman I have ever met. I am so thankful for everything you have done for me, both the big things that cannot go unnoticed, and the small things, that you probably feel go unnoticed.

Thank you for your love of Pitbull, Bruno Mars, Black Eyed Peas and various other artists of the like. I can’t even think of a handful of moms who know the lyrics (especially the non PG-rated ones) to those songs, and aren’t afraid to belt them.

Thank you for allowing me to be in Las Vegas for my 21^st birthday. Without you, the Chippendales show, the Fatburger incident, meeting RedFoo and the late-night French toast breakfasts would not have been possible. Plus, I could not think of better company to have spent that trip with than you and my good friends.

Thank you for the appreciation you have given me for Peter Frampton and an overall tolerance for the length of 70s songs and instrumental breaks.

Thank you for accepting that sometimes I speak animal, mainly cat, and that the meowing urges cannot be fought.

It seems like every year, I think life has reached its limit to what it can throw at us and then it finds another way to get us down — but you don’t let it.

This has truly been the most trying year for you and I in numerous ways. Despite whatever is happening in your life, I always know you are there to back me up.

Thank you for listening to my rants and tears concerning ignorant professors or stupid boys. Thank you for taking my verbal outbursts from the stress when procrastination got the best of me. And thank you, especially, for making me laugh during the times when things seemed like they couldn’t possibly get worse.

I hope I am making you proud and am doing my best to be the caring, selfless type of person you have taught me to be.

On that note, after last year’s interpretive dance to Bohemian Rhapsody, I cannot even begin to imagine what kind of chaos will occur, especially because “Cage Mom” is planning on making an appearance at Stubblefield’s.

I love you more than there are stars in the sky and I cannot wait to wreak havoc on Pullman and Coug it up during Mom’s Weekend 2012!