My Wonderful Parents

Saturday was my mom and dad's 39th wedding anniversary. I am so thankful for my sweet parents. I feel like they are the perfect parents for many reasons. My brother, sisters, and I grew up in a very loving environment. We knew that our parents loved us and were proud of us. They always thought we were the prettiest, or the smartest, or the most talented and this helped us to gain confidence. They always pushed us to be better- to get good grades, to go to college, and to be strong in the church. I can't remember ever missing a Sunday of church growing up. Their discipline ways were quite funny when I think about it. If Emerald and I were fighting my mom would send us to our room together as a punishment, and then we'd end up forgetting we were fighting in the first place. As I'm older now, I find myself thinking of random things that they did for us like getting all of us braces, or taking us across the country for vacations every year. These type of gestures were so selfless. I'm grateful that they have been married for 39 years and that they are such a huge part of my life.

They are perfect for each other in so many ways. My mom wakes up early on Black Friday to be the first one in Fry's Electronics, buys a bunch of things, and then my dad willingly goes back the next few days to return the items she has changed her mind about. My dad has a little side business of appraising classic cars, and my mom teaches him how to spellcheck or save his documents on the computer. They go back and forth from Utah to Arizona every few weeks to see the grandkids. My mom packs the lunches and feeds my dad his sandwiches while he is at the wheel, and my dad doesn't mind being the driver the entire way. They do little things for each other that they probably don't even realize they do, but to me it is the way that they show their love to one another.

A few cute stories from when they dated in the Philippines:

They went on their first date to a Mexican restaurant and even have a picture from the restaurant.

My dad had an old Corvette that they drove in together. When my mom was getting in the car to sit down one day, my dad covered his eyes and said, "I just saw your underwear," my mom pulled up her dress to show him that she was just wearing really short shorts underneath.

My dad used to tie a piece of my mom's hair around the steering wheel to remind him of her.

My dad proposed in this car. He was driving and was being really shy. He said, "Reach into my pocket," and that is when she pulled out her engagement ring.

The picture above is after their wedding reception. My dad is carrying my mom through the threshold. This is a classic picture that I just love. It's one that I will cherish forever.