A Tribute to My Mom and Dad

My Mom is a crazy lady. She is fun and I smile when I think about her. I think she'll be 101 years old and still be doing "moosh moosh" with the great grandkids. She is very creative and a great artist. As a kid, we'd always want her to draw the hands or some part of our picture that was hard, because she always did it perfect. I can't believe that she had all of us kids and a daycare, too. It wasn't until I did it, (and failed miserably) that I realized how amazing she is! She is very proactive and always thinks of a way to get over an obstacle, which I love about her. If we complained to her, I would remember her saying "Well, why can't you do it?" and I'd say "You don't understand, mom, it's just not that easy." Well, now I hear that little voice in my head that sounds like my mom saying "why not?" Go back to school to get my masters when I have a 16 month old and 9 months pregnant? why not?? and look, now I did it and I'm glad. Backpack with a stranger in the Ozark mountains? why not?? put a house on layaway? why not?? :) (that one was for you, dad:)). I remember she would leave notes for us on Valentines Day and I loved that. She was fun and let our childhood be filled with great memories. And now that I truely appreciate it, thanks for doing the daycare so you could be home with us, changing my diapers, not killing me when I was a teenager, and going along with my crazy ideas and not stifling them--Alex is also filled with crazy ideas like me and now I realize it can kind of be tiresome. I'm sure you wanted to faint when I wanted to go to Julliard ($20,000 semester tuition), go to that private music school for high school ($2342342354234534 tuition), be an exchange student ($1234892358) and the list goes on. Luckily for you, I didn't do any of those things- but you never said no while I was still dreaming. Well, I could go on forever, but I'll stop there. I love you!

My dad is my hero. He always has the right answers. If you have a question and need some advice, call 501-472-1271. He's a physical therapist, but to me and the people in back-country Arkansas he's a counselor, computer technician, Santa, logger-- what else, mom? (Oh yea, and Allison's stock broker.) He will always make everyone laugh, even if you've heard the joke 1,000 times. He is great with people and one of the nicest people you will ever ever meet. He is an amazing woodworker, teaching himself everything, and getting noticed from famous people (the internet video) and even getting published in a book! He fixed up a gazillion crashed Saturns so he could pay for weddings and college. But, the pinnacle achievement of his life, I would have to say and I think he would agree, is living through the teenage years of his children spaced so closely together in age and having more teenagers at our house most nights than any local club pretty much anywhere. Not only did he live through it, but we did too-- he managed not to kill any of us and kept mom from doing any of us in (or just me). He can also hula hoop and do inverted arial ski jumping.
My dad is very thoughtful and I love him to pieces!

Dear mom and dad,
NEVER EVER DIE!! (well, until I do).
Love,
Kristie