Dear Mom and Dad.. Happy Parents Day!

HAPPY PARENTS DAY! 

One of my favorite parts of being the oldest is that I got to make my mother and father parents for the first time! 

As of today at 6pm, they have been parents for 26 years! 

Holy cow! 

As I get older and even have a few of my own friends beginning to have babies, I am realizing more and more how much dedication,  understanding and patience you  need to be a parent and I am one lucky girl to have two parents that have gone and continue to go above and beyond the requirements of parenthood.

From driving me to and from gymnastics and diving practice for the good portion of the 26 years…

to putting up with my crazy teenage years…

and even..

having the patience to explain to me that IHOP and the International House of Pancakes are indeed the same restaurant( I was a blonde most of my life.. and can say that I had just a few blonde moments along the way…opps!)

But regardless of the situation I had two incredible parents that always put me first, supported and protected me, guided me and even let me get lost a few times along the way.

And as of recently, they have loved me enough to let me jump out of the comfortable nest they built and test my wings across the county in Washington D.C.

 Growing up, my mom had a quote taped up on her desk that said :

“LOVE YOUR KIDS ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM HATE YOU JUST A BIT”

I couldn’t be more thankful that both my parents didn’t take the easy way out on raising me.

They taught me about:

love-  respect- hard work- dedication-having values- that happiness is more precious than money- to dream BIG- that it is ok to FEEL something- to ask for help-that no problem is so great that it can’t be solved-  to take a leap of faith- that laughter is the best medicine- that there are plenty of fish in the sea – how to be confident- how to apologize- to speak my mind- to be a strong women- and the list can go on and on! 

So on my birthday I want to wish my Parent’s a VERY VERY Happy Parents Day! 

Thank you for making the commitment to have me and raise me into the women I am today. 

I wouldn’t be who I am with out either of you and for that I am BEYOND Thankful!