Joyce

My mom, Joyce, is one of the most selfless people I know. She is always there for her kids and grandkids, constantly going out of her way to make others feel welcome, cared for, and at home. Her kindness runs deep, she once invited a complete stranger to spend Thanksgiving with our family because they were away from loved ones while serving in the military. She also gives her time generously through volunteering at her church, always ready to lend a helping hand wherever it’s needed. Serving others isn’t just something she does, it’s part of who she is.

Whether it’s a special mother daughter trip or a simple coffee date, time with her is always meaningful. She has a deep love for camping and cherishes sharing that passion with her grandkids, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Making those moments together is one of her greatest priorities, and she never falls short. Recently, she has gone through the difficult experience of having multiple cancer spots removed from her face, and she could really use a lift in spirits. Through it all, her strength, quick wit, and warmth continue to shine. Her advice, her recipes, her humor, and most importantly, her love, are gifts that will stay with us forever. She deserves all the celebration in the world, truly one of the best!

Breanna

I would like to nominate my daughter, Breanna, for this Mother’s Day giveaway. Breanna is a strong, intelligent, and deeply compassionate mother who has overcome profound loss with grace and determination. A few years ago, she unexpectedly lost her great aunt—someone who had been like a mother to her. Despite this heartbreaking loss during her senior year of college, Breanna chose to persevere. She stayed focused, pushed through her grief, and proudly earned her bachelor’s degree. Her strength doesn’t stop there. Since she was a little girl, Breanna has dedicated her time to volunteering with the DAV Auxiliary and supporting youth centers and community organizations. No matter how busy life gets, she continues to give back—always balancing her commitment to others with the full-time role of being a devoted mother. Breanna has a truly kind heart and soul. She puts her children first in everything she does, raising them with strong, traditional values and a sense of curiosity, respect, and adventure. Her three beautiful children reflect her love, intelligence, and spirit. She has also shown incredible dedication and selflessness through over 29 months of exclusive breastfeeding—an achievement that speaks volumes about her commitment and care as a mother. Breanna deserves nothing but the very best. While life hasn’t always given her the opportunities she deserves, she continues to rise above every challenge with strength, love, and resilience. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to nominate her and celebrate the amazing mother she is.

She also received a 2^nd nomination.

I’d like to nominate my girlfriend, Breanna, for the Mother’s Day giveaway. Breanna is an unwavering, present parent who has exclusively breastfed our two boys for a combined 29 months. She consistently models and instills strong values in our children—kindness, responsibility, and perseverance—and her steady love and daily involvement shape who they are becoming. Beyond our family, Breanna volunteers regularly with youth organizations and supports local veterans, giving her time and energy to strengthen our community. She’s also completed significant schooling, yet has always chosen to put motherhood first when our family needed her. She has overcome great loss and persevered through extreme trials all while growing to be the better example for her children. Breanna is a positive leader—calm under pressure, encouraging to others, and quick to offer help without expecting anything in return. We truly wouldn’t have what we have without her. She gives so much of herself to our family and community, and we love and appreciate her deeply. She deserves recognition and a special Mother’s Day surprise.

Emilee

I feel silly for nominating myself, but I have been challenging myself to celebrate my wins more. I’m a great mom and friend, and even if I don’t win, it is worth it to me to write down all I’ve done for my family and friends recently. My second child was born last year (he just turned one!) and it has been such a challenge to adapt. I have a toddler, and I stay home with my kids. Their needs are ever changing, including the extra challenge of my son having cow milk and soy protein intolerance issues, which has led me to completely overhauling my diet so that we can continue breastfeeding. I have done every single night wake up with him for over a year, removing 100% of dairy and soy from my diet to make sure he is ok. I make separate meals for everyone in my home- toddler approved, dairy and soy free, and onion and garlic free for another.

I host friends (some with kids) to our house multiple nights a week for dinner every week, and I try hard to make a space where everyone feels welcome. I try to be a good friend and bring meals when others are sick or have babies (I’ve done 7 in the last month alone), clean up friends’ houses without being asked, be the first to text and ask how people are actually holding up, offer to grab groceries for others when they’ve had a rough week, and I contribute to our school’s rent fund and diaper drives.

I gave up my dream career working in outdoor education for Girl Scouts when my first child was born because I found something I loved even more- her! (She also had the dairy issue and I breastfed her for 22 months while pregnant- that was a lot). I volunteered for about a year (up until this baby was born- can’t wait to get back soon!) with Lasagna Love, delivering hot meals with my firstborn once or twice a month.

I’m passionate about many things, but most of all taking care of the planet and the people in it. I want my children to feel a sense of responsibility with caring for others and the earth not out of pity, but mutual respect and understanding that we don’t all start in the same place. I care very much about raising strong, resilient, and servant hearted humans, and I think I am doing a good job. My daughter goes out of her way to befriend the stragglers in a group every time, and her teachers have told me that it clearly is how she’s being raised to notice “the little guy”. I would be honored and humbled to be chosen!

Cheyenne

Cheyenne is a stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children, all under the age of seven, and she gives them everything she has—every single day. Her life is constant movement, constant giving, and constant love. From the moment she wakes up to the moment she finally rests, she is caring, teaching, comforting, and holding her little world together. What people don’t always see are the sacrifices—the exhaustion, the moments she pushes through when she has nothing left, and the way she keeps going anyway. She never puts herself first, because her heart is fully wrapped up in her children. But what stands out most is her love. It’s in the way she holds them, the way she listens, the way she shows up no matter how hard the day has been. She is raising kind, loved, and secure children, and that doesn’t happen by accident—it happens because of who she is. She is an incredible mother, and she deserves this more than words can fully express.

She received a 2nd nomination.

I am nominating myself this year. I am a young mother of 3 beautiful children, all brought into this world via C-Section. My oldest is 7 and my youngest is 8 months old. I am a stay at home mom and I see how much SAHM go unnoticed and unappreciated. As a mom, I always look forward to mothers day. But most mothers days, I wake up to no flowers and no extra special hugs and kisses which can feel disappointing. My wonderful husband works long days, 10 hours+ to provide for us, often making me the default parent for every event, game and appointment. Last year my daughter wanted to join Girl Scouts, however there was not a troop near us. I started our very own troop so she could be apart of the wonderful community of Girl Scouts. Since then we have grown our troop from 2 girls to 8! This year incoming kindergarteners are interested in joining Girl Scouts. However, they are running into the same issues my daughter and I had. There are no troops or willing troop leaders around to lead it. I decided to step up a little more this year and I am introducing a starter troop this summer. I put a lot of effort and heart into making a fun, educational space for young girls in our community to be themselves and make new friends. I love being a troop leader, and I love being a mom even more. I am involved in my kiddos sports and other activities and love to volunteer for school trips. Being a young mother has its ups and down. But I wouldn’t trade the life we created for anything! My babies are my whole world which is what pushes me to keep going every single day! I recently started raising chickens in the hopes of helping provide more for our family. I am nominating myself to help feel seen and valued. I realize how mom’s, especially SAHM can reach burn out very quickly but have no choice but to keep going. I see how we can feel undervalued and feel as though as don’t do enough. This is my gift to myself for all the time, effort, hardwork and LOVE I put into raising our little family.

Jennifer

My mom a mother of 14, 9 of us are adopted. She always puts others first and never takes for herself. She homeschooled all 14 of us and is still doing it with my last two siblings. She goes above and beyond for her children and grandchildren. No one deserves to be recognized as much as she does for Mother’s Day. We are all so grateful for her.

Alex

I’m nominating my wife because I honestly don’t think there’s anyone more deserving. She’s a mom of three and somehow carries more than anyone I know, every single day. We started this business together, but she’s the real CEO behind it all. She has helped built our business from the ground up to create a better life for our family and to have the flexibility to be there for our kids—but what people don’t see is just how much she actually does behind the scenes. She’s running payroll, handling operations, permits, and subcontractor applications, managing all of our client communication, doing selections and design work, visiting job sites, and making sure every single customer is taken care of from start to finish. She answers every call, every message, runs all of our social media, writes handwritten thank you cards to our clients, and is even making supply runs in her minivan in between everything else. She’s the reason our business runs the way it does. And then somehow, she does just as much—if not more—at home.

She’s the one making sure our kids are taken care of in every way—scheduling and getting them to doctor appointments, volunteering at school, helping with 4-H and school projects, homework, and showing up for everything they’re involved in—saddle club, sports, all of it. She doesn’t miss anything. On top of that, she’s been there helping take care of my sister while she’s been in and out of the hospital, making sure she’s supported and not alone. She’s taking care of our pets, making sure everyone is fed, and somehow keeping everything moving for everyone around her. She carries all of this without complaining.

She just shows up every day and gives everything she has to our family and our business. I don’t know how she does it. I just know I’m constantly amazed by her, and I’m incredibly lucky to have her as my wife and the mother of our kids. We wouldn’t have the life we have without her. She deserves to be recognized and celebrated for everything she does.

Michelle

I am nominating my mother, Michelle, because she is the strongest, most selfless, and most deserving woman I have ever known. Anyone who knows her — family, friends, neighbors, coworkers — would agree without hesitation. My mom has spent her entire life putting everyone else before herself, and this past year has tested her in ways no one should ever have to endure.

For years, my grandma lived with my parents, and my mom cared for her in every possible way. Long before the lung cancer diagnosis, my mom was her constant support — cooking for her, helping her move around, comforting her, and staying by her side even when it meant sacrificing her own rest, her own plans, and her own needs. She rarely left the house because she didn’t want my grandma to ever feel alone or afraid. She gave her mother the kind of love that can only come from a daughter with a heart as big as hers. At the same time, she was taking care of her three daughters — including me — and her four grandchildren.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, she watched the kids so we could work without worrying about daycare costs. She did all of this while working a full‑time job just to keep our family afloat. She never complained. She never asked for anything. She just kept giving. When my grandma passed away in January of 2026, my mom and dad finally started dreaming about something for themselves. They wanted to travel, take a cruise, and enjoy the life they had worked so hard to build. After years of caregiving, they were finally ready to breathe. But life had other plans. Just one week before my grandma’s funeral, my dad — my mom’s husband and partner in everything — was diagnosed with lung cancer. She went from grieving her mother to immediately becoming a full‑time caregiver again. My dad’s cancer was aggressive, and he became very sick, very fast. He was in and out of the hospital, and my mom never left his side. She held him through fear, through pain, through every moment of uncertainty. And six months later, she held him as he took his last breath. Losing her mother and her husband only months apart shattered her — it shattered all of us — but somehow, she stayed strong.

She kept showing up for her daughters. She kept showing up for her grandchildren. She kept going, even when her heart was breaking in ways she never deserved. My mom has spent her entire life taking care of everyone else. She has carried more grief, more responsibility, and more love on her shoulders than most people could handle. She has never had the chance to take care of herself, to rest, to heal, or to simply breathe without worrying about someone else’s needs. That is why she deserves this nomination more than anyone. She deserves something beautiful. She deserves peace. She deserves a moment that is finally — finally — just for her. With my dad’s birthday coming up on May 1st, I cannot imagine a more meaningful gift than giving her something that honors everything she has survived and everything she has given. I love my mom more than words can express, and I want her to finally experience the joy, rest, and care she has spent her whole life giving to others.

Maliake

I want to nominate a mom who gives everything she has—even on the days when she feels like she has nothing left. She is raising two beautiful children, including a daughter who is autistic and nonverbal, and a young son who is still learning how to express himself and understand his world. Her days are full—full of communication support, emotional regulation, patience, and constant redirection—but also full of love, growth, and moments that matter.

With her daughter, she’s learned how to connect beyond words—through AAC, through presence, through deep understanding. With her son, she’s guiding him through big feelings, language delays, and those unpredictable toddler moments, all while teaching him safety, trust, and love. Every single day, she shows up. Even when she’s exhausted. Even when she feels stretched thin. Even when no one sees how much she’s carrying. She advocates, she nurtures, she learns, and she keeps going—for both of her babies.

She deserves to be celebrated not just for what she does—but for the strength it takes to keep choosing love in every moment.

Emily

When I became a second time mom last year I was drowning in the thick of it. Emily saw me and stepped up in the most meaningful way. Our oldest children are both 3 and love to play together, and she decided to start coming over every single week to support me for one evening- watching the girls, playing, folding laundry, putting away dishes… she’s picked up the pieces where I have not been able to.

Beyond being an incredible friend (she has been at this routine for a whole year now, despite being very pregnant right now and due any day), she is also an incredible member of the community- she works in the clean energy industry, is passionate about native gardening (she has an official monarch way station in her front yard), helped campaign for a candidate for the school board (knocking on doors with a toddler is hard work!), and she has also stepped up as the “official mom” of the high school robotics team her husband helps coach. She comes to their meets, brings snacks and energy, coordinates events…

All of this pales in comparison to how she mothers, which is why she truly deserves to be celebrated. She is endlessly patient and kind with her toddler, and she plays hard with the best of them! She is empowering and encouraging, gentle but firm, and she brings her whole self into the role. She isn’t afraid to mother by instinct, and pays no mind to people who don’t get it. How she balances all of this is nothing short of miraculous. She is about to become a mom again and her family and community are truly blessed to have her.

Heidi D.

First off, let me say I’m not good with words, that is my wife Heidi’s specialty, I hope I can help her get the day and honor she deserves, being a mom is a selfless jobs, kids always want their mom even for the most mondaine tasks like getting a bottle of water, even if Dad is always in the kitchen, that’s not why Heidi deserves it.

This year is going to be tough for her, in January she lost her mother suddenly, unfortunately her family is not like others, Heidi had to do most of the planning for the service and burial, she did not have the time to grieve, after the service she was also responsible for executing the trust, that was been a long ongoing process also and still Heidi hasn’t had time to morn her mother between taking care of that and raising our two daughters who are 10 and 12, as any mother knows, parenting a preteen is no easy task either. I want to nominate my wife Heidi this year and hope she wins, It will be the first mother’s day without her mother also and they were best friends, please consider Heidi for this award (and prizes)

Laura D

There are moms who keep things running… and then there are moms like me, holding entire worlds together without anyone really seeing the weight I carry. Every day, I show up for my kids no matter what I’m going through. I make sure they feel safe, loved, and cared for, even on the days when I’m running on empty. Life hasn’t always been easy, but I don’t let that stop me from being everything they need. I push through my own struggles quietly because to them, I want to be their peace, not their worry.

What makes me special isn’t perfection—it’s persistence. I love my kids deeply, protect them fiercely, and sacrifice whatever I have to so they don’t go without. I turn hard days into lessons, chaos into comfort, and uncertainty into something they don’t have to be afraid of. To my kids, I’m more than just their mom—I’m their safe place, their biggest supporter, and the one they know will never give up on them. I don’t ask for recognition, and I don’t expect anything in return. I do this because I love them more than anything.

But if there’s ever a moment to be seen, to be celebrated, and to be reminded that everything I pour into my kids matters—this would mean everything to me. I deserve to win not because I’m perfect, but because I never stop showing up, no matter how hard life gets. And for my kids, I always will.

Heather

My mom is the best single mom no matter what through homelessness no money no food no car no support and major disabilities my mom always no matter what comes through n some how makes things happen for me n my 3 three sisters n her 5 grandkids she lives n breaths for us she amazing shes my hero.

Brittany

I’m nominating my sister-in-law Brittany. She deserves this award because she is a great mom. This last January, they lost their home, all their possessions and 3 pets in a fire. It was devastating, but luckily my family (brother, sister-in-law and 2 teen nieces and 1 teen nephew) are alive and well. Brittany has been a rock for her children as they navigate life after this loss. She is the calm and steady they have needed these last few months and always knows the right things to say- she says she tells them exactly what she would need to hear if she were in their situation. I’m very proud of her and honored to call her my sister-in-law! I look up to her so much.

Heidi E.

I made a choice 15 months ago to get healthy for me. I stopped drinking and started going to therapy to work on past issues. Despite having several unforeseen hardships arise, I have maintained that sobriety and being the best version of me. Our family recently grew with the addition of a new baby which is the biggest blessing to all of this. It’s hard to make time for myself much less celebrate everything that I have achieved over the last year and a half which is why I am nominating myself!

Laura O.

I’m nominating myself because this year reshaped me in ways I never expected. When my husband had a stroke, life changed in an instant. I became the steady one — the caregiver, the encourager, the planner, the protector of our kids’ sense of normalcy. I held our home together with equal parts grit and tenderness, even on the days when I felt like I was running on fumes. I kept showing up because my family needed me, and because love makes you braver than you ever imagined.

Even in the middle of this hard season, I’ve kept pouring into others. I chaperone at school, mentor at work, and try to be a quiet source of strength for the people around me. Supporting others has been one of the ways I’ve stayed grounded — a reminder that even when life feels overwhelming, I still have something to give. My faith has carried me through every moment of fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty. It’s been the anchor that kept me from sinking, the voice that reminded me I wasn’t walking this road alone. It’s the reason I can keep choosing hope, keep choosing joy for my kids, and keep believing that beauty can grow even in the hardest seasons.

I’m nominating myself because, like so many moms, I rarely pause to acknowledge the weight I’ve carried or the strength it took to keep going. This Mother’s Day, I’d love to feel seen — not for being perfect, but for loving fiercely, enduring quietly, and showing up again and again with a heart that refuses to quit.