First Lady Hosts Military Mother's Day Event

Washington, D.C. -- First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a Mother's Day tea for military spouses, mothers and grandmothers on Friday at the White House.

Women with family connections to all five branches of the military joined the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden and women from the Lifetime television show "Army Wives" in the East Room.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) released a statement Friday, encouraging residents of his district to support California's flower growers this Mother's Day.

More than 75 percent of domestically grown flowers are grown in California, accounting for 20 percent of all flowers sold in the United States and directly supporting more than 10,000 California jobs, according to the statement.

Many of these jobs are located on the North Coast, where local growers produce irises, lilies, tulips and other bulb flowers. In fact, the largest cut flower farm in the entire country is located in Arcata.

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the special woman who gave birth to and raised us but, sometimes, that is not the same person.

Although things are changing, there was a time when a woman who gave up her newborn for adoption never expected to see her child again. But more and more adults who were adopted are seeking their birth mothers.

PEORIA —

The average person is expected to spend about $140 on moms for Mother's Day, according to the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C. That could total about $16 billion, a big lift for the nation's retailers.

Expectations are for more expensive Mother's Day gifts, such as clothing, jewelry, and electronic items like smart phones and tablets. We touch base with some central Illinois retailers to assist last-minute shoppers (yes, guys, we're talking about you) looking for gift ideas. But Mom will love whatever you get, you know that.

Mother’s Day is a popular spring holiday in the U.S., a time when families get together and honor mom with cards, flowers and gifts. It is also big business, one of the biggest weekends for retail sales. After several years of stagnant sales, retailers have seen signs of growth in the last two quarters.