Day. Four.

Your parents.

I'm not really sure how to write about two of the most important people in my life, so I guess I'll break it down individually, and then kind of fill you in on the relationship that I have with each.

My dad: My dad just turned 63 years old on Thanksgiving Day. Had I been with him to celebrate, I would have probably called him an Old Fart and made comments all day long about how ridiculously old he was. Those of you who know the relationship I have with my dad would totally understand this - he and I are relentless with one another. We tease, we tease, and then we tease some more. It's never meant to be mean, though. It is all in fun and love.

Need an example? This might mortify you, but I promise it was AWESOME. By the time I turned 18-years-old, my best friend and I had nicknamed one another "Fatty." Let me be clear - neither of us was even close to being fat. We were both physically active, cute girls. But, somehow the nickname stuck and we started using it on others, while they used it on us. Including my dad. So, for my 18th birthday, my dad picked out a cake that was shaped like a whale. Literally...it was a whale cake for his "fatty" daughter. To any other girl in the world, it would have probably been devastating. But I remember I laughed and laughed. It was hilarious!

My dad - scary enough - has a twin brother. So there are actually two of him walking around this world. Scary thought. If you work at a store, and you ask my dad how he's doing, he'll tell you, "If I was any better, I'd be a twin." That always embarrasses me because I see the look on the clerks' face as they're like, "Ok, weirdo. Not even sure what that means."

He has a heart of gold. I have never met a more patient man. In all my years growing up as a huge brat, I only saw him get visibly angry once. 

People are drawn to my dad. He's funny, and welcoming and very personable. He's never shy, or quiet, and - unless my sister is around - he is typically the center of attention and the life of the party. When she's around, though, she takes the cake. ;)

One of my dad's best qualities is that he can be very serious when he needs to be. We can be joking around one minute, and the next minute he can do a total 180 and offer me some incredibly important life lesson. He's never nagging, and he is always very straight forward. If my dad doesn't like something, he tells you. And if he's proud of you, he will tell you that, too. And if he is lying, you'll know - he is the worst liar in the world. Lol.

My relationship with my dad has always been strong, but I think it's become stronger as I have grown older. Oddly enough, we are not related by blood, although we are often like two peas in a pod. He became a strong presence in my life when I was 4, and he married my mom when I was 6. He likes to tell people that he "tamed the beast" because when he first met my mom, I was the child from hell. I think he helped to serve as the male influence that I was desperately needing.

Now, I can honestly say that my dad is one of my very best friends. And honestly, he is much the person I like to model myself after when making decisions in this life. I always admired his laid back personality, and his sense of humor. I could only hope that some day Thad will look upon me with the same pride and admiration that I have for my own dad.

My mom: My mom turned another year older in June (I'm not sure if she would kill me for stating her age, but isn't it some kind of secret code amongst women to keep that number private?). And, since day one, my poor mom has been the punching bag of the family.

When my dad and I weren't busy making fun of one another, we were busy teaming up together and picking on my poor mom. In fact, we still do this. She's such a good sport about it, though. I think she almost enjoys the attention. ;)  Don't you, mom!? Lol.

My mom is a woman whose mind is swimming with ideas. She is always coming up with some creative project, or some fun activity for the family. If you've ever seen our house at Christmas time, you would get a sense of what my mom's creative side is like. No wall is left untouched, and every inch of the house is adorned with crafts I did starting in preschool. There is an entire village with fake snow and people in the bay window. There are two Christmas trees. It's amazing.

She started her own salon while I was still in high school and has been incredibly successful in its growth. Her clients adore her, and Christmas morning is usually spent watching her open all the gifts from a million people we don't know. We complain about it, jokingly of course, but it's fun to see just how loved she truly is.

I think one of my mom's best qualities is her incredible loyalty. And I am thankful, because I know I picked up this same sense of loyalty. As a mom, she is the very definition of a mama grizzly. She would walk across the street to get in a fight if it meant someone had done me harm (not really, but you get the idea). I swear, I think if I told my mom that I hated my grandma, then she would hate her too. Lol. Ok, maybe not to that extreme. But close. ;)

The other thing I love about my mom? She wants to please everyone, but not at the risk of becoming a doormat. She's very good at brushing aside those who try to give her shit about minor issues or mundane problems. She sees her energy and time as best used when not being wasted on worry, or hate, or concern for those who just don't matter. I think that's awesome - imagine all of the energy we could save if we could distinguish between those who matter and those who don't. Often times people who matter hurt us, and that's when the relationship is worth the repair. The other times? Just move on.

My mom is so good at that. I'm envious!

Through the years, we have always been very best friends. I tell my mom everything (which my husband hates, lol). But how could I not? She's sympathetic when I need to cry. She's angry when I need to vent. She's an open ear when I need someone to listen. And she always gives great advice. I definitely strive to model much of my parenting after how she was with me. She was my friend, but she was also my mom. She was definitely a perfect mixture of both.

Mom and dad, I love you both very much. Well, mom, I love you more than dad. Ha! Just kidding daddy! Lol. 

See? It's funny.