By Rachel Hoeing
Happy Mother's Day to all! We hope this day is a wonderful one that you can each spend with those you love. Today we want to especially honor ten incredible women. These women were the Top Ten finalists in our TMoM Mother of the Year contest. They captured all of our hearts, and we say thank you today for inspiring others with the hard work, perseverance and optimism that your loved ones told us about in their nomination entries. You truly are fabulous!
We felt that all ten finalists were inspirational and did not want any of them to walk away empty handed. We are happy to announce that Brenner Children's Hospital and The Village Tavern have graciously donated gift cards to the nine mothers who will not take home the winning "Mother Load" of gifts. So to the nine who did not win, please watch for an email, and we will be sending you a $20 gift card for CBL shopping centers, donated by Brenner Children's Hospital, and a $25 gift card to enjoy a lunch or dinner with your family at The Village Tavern.
Drum roll please! The winner of the first ever TMoM Mother of the Year is ....
Patrice Williams!!!
$400 gift certificate from Uppercase Photography
Two Winston-Salem Symphony Kicked-Back Classics subscriptions (up to a $240 value)
Family subscription for the Winston-Salem Symphony Discovery concerts for kids ($75 value)
One night's stay plus dinner at the River House Country Inn - ($300 value)
$100 gift certificate from Village Tavern
$79 gift certificate from Hand & Stone Massage & Facial
$50 gift certificate from Lowe’s Foods
$50 gift certificate from Dinners on the Porch
$30 gift certificate from The Bee's Nest
Plus an additional gift bag with gift cards and tickets to the following:
Thirty-One Gifts, Feeney’s Frozen Yogurt Bar, Hip Chics Boutique, Itsy Bitsy Paper, the Winston-Salem
Junior League's Boo-tique Holiday Shopping Event, and GoosiePie Monograms
Patrice Williams
I wanted to nominate my nephew's wife, Patrice Williams of Kernersville, for your Mother of the Year award. After their first son, Gabe, was stillborn in April of 2008, Patrice and her husband Matt welcomed son Jonah in February of 2009. Jonah was diagnosed shortly after birth with (EB), a rare,genetic that necessitates that he be "dressed" in full bandages daily. Patrice gave up her job to stay at home with Jonah, now 2, full time, and under her care he has blossomed into a happy, otherwise healthy, typical toddler. There isn't a single facet of Matt and Patrice's life that hasn't changed following Jonah's arrival. During many months of the year, they are house-bound because heat and humidity cause faster breakdown of Jonah's skin. Simple outings in public are often the source of unintentional distress for them, because people don't understand Jonah's condition and say or ask insensitive things. Dressing changes and baths take hours each day to complete, and they are painful for Jonah, but through it all, Patrice keeps a smile on her face and in her heart.
Patrice's blog has been a tremendous outlet for her as well as a ministry to people around the world. Her faith and general sunny outlook on life have been an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people through the blog and also through articles in the local paper. I can think of absolutely no one who is more deserving of a Mother of the Year designation than Patrice. You can read a summary of their story here.
Nominated by her aunt-in-law, Katherine
CONGRATS, PATRICE!
Comments
win!
as you learn about epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and the power of prayer, faith, humility, and love....