Family

We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Any day spent with you is my  favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day.

When I first created my random ass blog, this page was dedicated solely to my parents. I’m not taking this page away from them, but simply evolving this to include my entire family. The whole gang. The entire shit show. The complete and utter circus. The crazy group of people that make my life a true blessing.

Here’s the breakdown: 

My Generous and Hardworking Dad & My Loving, Energentic, and Very Involved Mom

My Sassy Older Sister Shelly & Her Beloved Chuck

My Super Patient and Musically Inclined Big Brother LT2

Me & My Main Man Benjamin

My Very Special Little Brother Kyle & His Flavor of the Month

Yep, that’s us  ….

When asked what my goals are, my only answer is to make my parents proud. My parents have molded me into the person I am today, and I can only hope to have the same impact on my future children as my parents have had on me. My parents are my best friends; my role models. They are the ones I turn to when I have gotten off track or lost myself along the way. They know me better than I know myself, and for that I am thankful. I would do anything in this world for my parents. Words cannot speak the love in my heart for them. There simply is no language that communicates such emotion.

To my loving mother,

I have so many thoughts racing through my mind that I would like to blog about, but I cannot seem to move forward with those thoughts until I acknowledge the two most important people in my life: you and dad. Since the day I was born, you have sacrificed everything to ensure my happiness, and I want to assure you those sacrifices have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. I know there are times when it doesn’t seem like I appreciate all that you do for me, but please know that I am more than appreciative. I am so fortunate to have a mother, let alone a mother like you. You are my biggest advocate, and you have always encouraged me to do my absolute best. Although at times I don’t  acknowledge your persistence, I promise your persistence is what has gotten me to where I am today.

There have been times in my life when I have caused you great pain and grief, and I just want to apologize. You most certainly do not deserve heartache from the one you have given so much. Also, I want to thank you for never giving up on me even when it was hard to keep believing in me. Your unconditional love has taught me more than you could ever imagine. You are my role model, and I can only dream of being half the woman you are and  hope to be half the mother you are.

I hope that even in your darkest moments, you always remember that I love you more than words could ever explain. Our mother-daughter relationship is something that I deeply cherish, and I can only pray that God continues to foster our mother-daughter relationship the way He has for so long. You are a beautiful human being from the core to the surface, and your love is absolutely infectious. I always joke with you that I don’t know where I got my big heart, but I undoubtedly got it from my mom. 🙂 Matter of fact, I think your heart was way too big when I was born, so God decided to give me part of yours. Yea, that makes sense! 🙂

Anyways, I just want you to know that I love you so much. You are my best friend, and the one person in this world I know I can always count on. You are also the only person on this planet, other than my husband, that I call every single day. Thank you for being such an amazing mother and an always loving mom. 🙂 Skinamarinky dinky dink skinamarinky doo, I love you.

Hugs, Your Baby Girl

To my dad….my rock, 

I wrote to you in your birthday book…”My faith in God was affirmed at the age of four when He blessed me with you. Although your blood may not flow through my veins; your love flows through my heart, and it is your love that gets me through. God blessed me with you, my father; the man that would hold my hand through this journey of life. The man  that would pick me up when I fell, encourage me when I needed the confidence, guide me when I needed direction, and love me regardless of who I would become. God knew His plan for you, and His plan for me, and I believe His plan was to empower each other through our relationship as father and daughter.”

I had to repeat this paragraph simply because it speaks all that I feel. You not only filled a hole in my heart, but you helped parts of my heart grow even stronger. I ask myself, often, how I got so lucky to have a dad like you, and for as long as I live I may never know the answer. What I do know is that I am extremely fortunate to be your daughter, and to have you as my dad. For that, I will forever be grateful.

The other day I heard a song by the Zac Brown Band called Let it Go, and it made me smile because the entire song was composed of life lessons my dad has instilled in me since I was four.

“You keep your heart above your head and your eyes wide open;
So this world can’t find a way to leave you cold.
And know you’re not the only ship out on the ocean;
Save your strength for things that you can change,
Forgive the ones you can’t;
You gotta let it go.”

Your thoughts and actions have taught me so much in this life, and I hope to never stop learning from you. You’ve pushed me to be the best, and have instilled in me to always go the extra mile. I am so grateful for all that you have taught me. I admire your passion for people, your gravitation, and your loving nature. I will never take for granted your unconditional love, acceptance, patience, and support. You have shown me that the only way to truly live is listening to your heart.

Like I told mom, I hope that in your darkest moments, you always remember how much I love you. I hope I can always be your ray of sunshine on cloudy days, and no matter my age be dad’s #1 girl. 🙂 Thank you for being my dad. 🙂

Your #1 Girl

 

Family. ❤