THIS TIME IT was my turn to bake the cake, using the same recipe she used all those decades of baking birthday cakes for her six children.
While she crafted animal-shaped cakes for me, my three brothers and two sisters, I opted for the simple, pouring the batter for Crazy Cake into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Later, after the homemade chocolate cake cooled, I topped it with homemade chocolate frosting and a rainbow of sprinkles.
Saturday afternoon my husband and I carried the treat and two jugs of lemonade into Parkview Home in Belview to celebrate my Mom’s birthday.
Not wanting to set off the nursing home sprinkler system, Randy lit nine candles rather than 82.
My mom celebrates her birthday with family at Parkview Home in Belview, Minnesota.
And while a small group of us sang “Happy birthday” and Mom blew out her candles, I considered the blessings of having her with us another year. Here she sat, albeit in a nursing home, but much healthier and in less pain than a month prior. She is walking again (slowly and with a walker), rising from chairs without assistance, making the best of this unexpected change in her life.
But one thing remains constant. Mom continues, as she always has, to show us all that she is one strong woman. She handles whatever comes her way with grace. She sees the best in everyone and possesses the kindest of hearts.
Me with my mom in her Parkview Home room.
When a Parkview staff member asked if I was Arlene’s daughter and told me I look like my mother, I accepted that as the highest of compliments. I can only hope that I also emulate Mom’s goodness, kindness, faith, strength and gentleness of spirit.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Best of birthday wishes to your mom. Awesome picture of you and your mom to treasure!
Rare are the photos of us two, which is why I asked Randy to take one of us together. Typically, I’m the one behind the camera lens.
Lovely. All the best.
Thank you, Ruth.
Aw….sweet post and the picture of you and your mom is wonderful. I love it. 🙂 I am so looking forward to having a whole week with my mom in a few weeks at Lakeside. We are both very fortunate to still have these women in our lives.
I agree. I am blessed to have some wonderful women in my life, including you.
Aw, shucks. 🙂 Back at ya.
These special moments bring treasured memories. So glad you stepped out from behind the camera!!! Mum looks wonderful! The move definitely was a “good thing”. Great choice of cakes, too. Reminds me, I haven’t made one of those since the boys were small………………..
I treasure every visit with my mom. And, yes, her move was a good thing. Therapy is working wonders for her health.
It certainly appears so!
I’m sure it meant the world to your mom to have you there…and oh the cake, looks so good 🙂 I’m glad to hear your mom is thriving in the nursing home, beautiful photo of the two of you 🙂
And it was equally important for me to be there. Parkview staff provides the best care in an outstanding facility.
Your Mom looks good! I can believe she feels better with the good care she is
getting at Parkview. They have wonderful people working there.
The picture was an added treat! Thank you for sharing. I do plan on going down
to meet your mom but it hasn’t worked out right now.
I thought of you when we were in Belview, but there was just no time to stop.
Yes, I am beyond impressed by the staff at Parkview.
Oh, how lovely. And it would have been kind of fun to set off those sprinklers with more candles. Just sayin’!
Ha, ha. I once set off a smoke detector system in a Wisconsin Dells time share simply by spraying deodorant. That was early in the morning and my sister-in-law, who had invited us to their time share, was not happy. Not happy at all.
Beautiful – Be Blessed My Friend 🙂 Happy Birthday to Your Mom! By the way she is looking pretty good for 82 – I thought she was more like in her mid to late-70s. Happy Day
Thank you. She definitely looks much better since she moved to Parkview.
Happy Birthday to your Mom. Great post.
Thank you, Missy.
Audrey you favor your Mother so much – great picture; one for the memory books. You are so fortunate to still have your Mother and glad you had the opportunity to celebrate this great day with her.
It was nice to throw a little party for her birthday. She moves into assisted living next week. Yeah!