Dear mom & dad...

WARNING! This is a total gush post.

This post is dedicated to my momma & poppa! They will quote me all the time on this but I'm going to say it anyway, I really would spend every waking hour with these two. 
They inspire me every day to be a better person, to look for the good in everything and give me the gentle reminder that I can't do anything in my own strength; that it all comes from God.
I am thankful that they have loved each other through all the good times & the hard times and have been a great example of how I want my marriage to be. I have seen them lose themselves & find themselves again, struggle financially & celebrate living comfortably, be generous beyond their means & give their time, advice and wisdom to anyone and everyone. I have seen them cry, fight, hurt & yearn but I've also seen them laugh hysterically, love, forgive & choose happy. 
We were never without anything growing up. My dad grew a great business & my mom stopped work to bring us up. She was with us every day, every hour teaching us, loving us, making us into creative and hardworking people.
We would have an activity to do always, bath times, story times & bed times were exciting and any health issues, sickness and poorly sleepless nights they were both around for cuddles.

They taught us about Jesus, they taught us to pray, to hope, to dream, the difference between want & need, good & bad, happy & sad. They praised us, encouraged us and loved us through our tantrums & teenage years.

They said NO! but they also said YES! and they were always right. They knew, we didn't, but now we see. They've done the hardest job in the world & they are still doing it. Even in the moments I packed my tiny suitcase & left home (hid behind the alleyway) to spite you and yelled 'I hate you!' you loved me. Even when I hit you or refused to eat the dinner you cooked, you loved me. Even when I trashed my room or slammed the doors you loved me. Thank you for loving me through all that. I bet that was one of the hardest things.

Thank you for family film nights, english country holidays, 30 mile family bike rides (ok, we did that once!), sugar sandwiches, handmade birthday cakes, dancing in the rain storms, singing us to sleep, making up stories, car games during long journeys, activity packs and dooey boxes, foreign holidays & much much much much more!
I am thankful for you and so proud to call you mom & dad. You are my heroes, my best friends!

Thank you for being here always.

Xxx