"Families are like fudge..."

"Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts" -Unknown

Today in church we had a lesson on Families. It just made me think of my own family and how much I love them and miss them. So I thought I'd dedicate this post to them and share a little bit of why I love them :)


Sara:
Sara is funny. She is strong. She is caring. And she is beautiful. 
Our whole lives we have been opposites. She was a cheerleader (which for a long time I deemed not a sport but after seeing how hard she worked to get the routine down and have everything perfect for each competition I came to my senses and now consider COMPETITION cheering a sport) and I was into soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey. 
I was/am more of the extrovert go, go, do, do kind of girl and she was/is the more keep it cool and collected at all times kind of girl. Which I always admired. I was also stressing about something and she was always the one to  put me back in my place and say, "Annie, it's really not a big deal. It doesn't matter as much as you think it does." 
She has been the girl I looked up to for everything and still look up to for everything. And even though I say we have nothing in common it's not true. As we have grown up and lived apart from each other I've realized how much of her is a part of me. I catch myself saying things that she would say or doing things how she would do it. At first, I'll admit, it freaked me out but now I embrace it and am proud of the parts of me that are similar to her. She paved the way for me and was always there when I needed some common sense. 
Love you Sara.


Mom: 
Oh Mother, where do I begin? I am more like my mom then I had ever imagined I'd be. We have the same excitement for planning things and doing things that it is sometimes a little overwhelming. For a while I'll admit I was freaked out by the thought of becoming my mother (no offense mom...there is a but coming..) BUT I came to realize that all the traits I've taken from her are the best traits I could ever hope to have. 
My mother is the one to go, go, do, do all the time which is exactly how I am. We can not sit still for more then 20 minutes it feels like. It is so easy for our imaginations and wild ideas to get out of hand but luckily we have Sara and Dad to bring us back to reality. 
My mom is incredibly strong. I get my determination to be happy from her. When she had to go through maybe the hardest trial in her life so far she was unbelievably strong when it would have been so easy to not be. She didn't let cancer slow her down. She fought it and did not let it take her from her family and those she loved. 
Whenever I was going through something hard I would always know there would be a letter coming soon with some encouragement to help me through it. She taught me to be happy during times of trial and just all the time for that matter.Which has become the motto for my life. She has this quote on her desk that describes perfectly how she sees her life, "It'll all be alright in the end, if it's not alright, it's not the end." 
Love you Mom. 


Dad: 
My dad is simply the best. He is such a sweetheart. He knows just what I need when I need it. He is my go to guy for any type of advise. Even though it usually ends with me still without a decision and him exhausted from all my questions it is so helpful, more then he probably knows. I can remember me going into his office saying, "Dad..." in a distraught voice and him dropping whatever he was doing and just listening to me and adding his two cents. 
He is stubborn and does things his own way. Which I think I inherited that trait. He is always saying how when I'm told one thing, I do the other. Which is embarrassingly true. But I argue that he does the same thing, and I only do it because I learned it from him. (The line in here, dad.) 
Me and Sara know to go to dad when we want something. While our mom would say "choose one" our dad would quickly say, "why choose when you like them both? Let's get both!" He has a definite soft spot for his girls. He never misses an opportunity to buy some beautiful flowers for birthdays, anniversaries, surgeries, or even just because. 
I can only hope that I marry someone as good as my father. Because if I do I will never have to worry about anything because I can trust that he will have my best interest at heart. 
Love you Dad.


And of course Nikki:

How could I forget Nikki. When I was little all I ever wanted was a dog. One year for Christmas all I asked for was a dog. Nikki is the best dog ever. Even though he never was any good at fetch he is the best snuggle-er on the planet. He feel so comfortable with any and everyone that he doesn't hesitate to make himself comfortable, even if it means moving you out of the way. He is the best cleaner-up-er ever. He rushes over at the sound of any food dropped, or he simply waits patiently with his tail wagging for you to "accidentally" drop some food for him to gobble up. I miss his kisses and excitement every time I walk in the door, even if I was only gone for 30 seconds. 




I love my family. We have our nuts for sure, no doubt about that. But like that quote says, 

"We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."