Mom and Dad

If I had to sum up Mom and Dad, I would use the words sacrifice and support!
Sure all parents probably make sacrifices for their kids, but my parents seemed to sacrifice tons for us kids to make sure that we had a childhood that would build who we were.  First of all, who is crazy enough to have 8 kids? Then, who is crazy enough to have 8 kids and insure that all of them participate in extra-curricular activities? AND who can keep their schedules straight to not only pay for these activities on a very limited budget but to drive us all around?  That was my parents. I was the fifth of eight kids, but there were many times that I felt it was all about me! They were a great support and spent time with me to make me feel special.

Some of their sacrifices and support gave me these great experiences:

From the time I learned to walk, I was kicking around a soccer ball.  As soon as I was old enough to play on a team, I played every season every year.  All eight kids playing on soccer teams really made some fun experiences!

I also learned to dance from a very young age, and stayed in dance my whole life.  This last photo you can see me in the purple shirt with my mom on my right and my best friend Jamie on my left. When I reached my teenage years we came across a dance called clogging. Finally, mom and I could learn together and dance side by side. My best friend joined us and my younger siblings joined us. Many happy memories stem from the clogging trips we took together. One of the greatest rewards of this sacrifice from my parents is the ability that mom and I still have to dance together. We have been able to run a dance studio together and travel to different places dancing.

When I was in junior high my parents encouraged me to become a cheerleader. Not my first pick of things, but one of my mom's dreams that was fulfilled through me. Although there were many times I was quite embarrassed to wear a cheerleader outfit to school, I learned a lot about myself and grew in new ways. I had to develop confidence in myself and learn to step outside of my comfort zone.

My parents encouraged and supported my love for rabbits. They helped me to build my rabbit cages and taught me to properly care for them. They were patient in my struggles, helped me through the losses, and even provided solutions to keep the hunting dogs away. Rabbits were a great friend to me.

Frequent fishing trips were also a large part of my childhood. We spent many weekends and early mornings and late nights fishing. This was anything from small ponds to large lakes, from fishing along the sides or on a boat. Some how, dad just has the nack for finding the right spots so we can get the fish. Dad and Mom are also great cooks, and I loved to go back and eat the fish.

When I was older and they realized I really wasn't cheerleader material, they let me join the football team (powder puff that it).

And when I was in the crazy adolescent years, they were supportive of my outrageous endeavors. When I came home with a car I allowed my friends help me paint (TWICE!) they didn't flip out but let me be who I was (or as far as I can remember).

Now these were really parents who were made sacrifices to provide experiences for me to grow and supported the things I really enjoyed.