We went up to Wausau this evening to celebrate my mom’s birthday with a quiet dinner and a yummy cake.  I love my mom.  And I have come to realize that she is pretty dang smart (I doubted this for a bit when I was in high school) and pretty dang funny (also didn’t notice that in high school).  Don’t get me wrong, we never had any knock-down, drag-out screaming matches, but she was a pretty strict mom with high expectations and I was a know–it-all kid that thought I wasn’t having enough fun in life (I was).  But there is something about growing up a bit that helps us appreciate our parents a bit more, and how much time, energy, love, and hope that they pour into us childish children.