“Good moms let you lick the beaters…Great moms turn them off first.”

I remember hearing it said that a wise person knows that there is something to be learned from everyone. That certainly was the case for me with an old friend I haven’t seen for a few years– Wendy Wardell. Wendy is pictured above with her beautiful family, including her husband Tom, daughter Abbey, and sons Jake and Matt. Her baby girl is about to graduate from high school, and I kind of can’t even believe it! I know I sound like my grandmother but time definitely does fly!

Before they moved home to Sullivan, Indiana a few years ago, they spent several years in our neck of the woods and their two younger kiddos went through St. Louis de Montfort school with my boys. In fact, my husband recalls his time coaching Matt in basketball VERY fondly. Matt and my son, Drew, were 4th graders the year Coach Thieme discovered Matt and his “magic shoes”. You see, Matt had been struggling with confidence and his sassy mama bought him a new pair of kicks to solve the problem. Coach Thieme and WW decided to share with young Matt that the shoes were definitely MAGIC because when Matt wore them, the kid was a new man on the court!! My Tom so enjoyed that year with those cute boys. That little incident just totally defined Wendy as a mom in my eyes– no one is a more positive supporter of their children!

Life is full of surprises, and we don’t know exactly where the journey is taking us, but with a mom and wife like Wendy in their lives, the Wardell clan is incredibly blessed. She’s sparkly, and like yours truly, she’s got issues with her volume control system…in the BEST POSSIBLE WAY. She’s real, and she’s crazy, and her heart is golden.

Today as Wendy celebrates her birthday, I just wanted to give her a shout out and tell her that Hamilton County is not the same without her! We sure do miss you up here. Thank you, Wendy, for all the times your presence was a beautiful reminder to me that life is a joyful gift that should be lived loudly, even better if there’s a feather boa around your neck…am I right?! You are a great mom and a beautiful human being who makes the world a more “smiley” place! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WENDY!!