Thankful Thursday

This edition of T.T. will focus on those who made me who I am today...my family: Mom, Dad, Matt and Cam.

I love my mom. She is a social butterfly and has many friends. She loves the Lord and works tirelessly to show others the freedom that is found in Christ. My mom has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh. She instilled in me a great love of books and reading. She's one of the few people I know who has a broader vocabulary than mine. We both also have an uncanny ability to remember minute details of an event even years later. Though we look nothing alike and are very different people, the similarities and shared interests make for a great friendship.

My dad is great. He has such a big heart. The happiest moments for him always involve helping others. He is incredibly hard working and has been all my life, yet he can always make time to raise money for an injured soldier, take meals to firefighters on Christmas Eve, secure donations for various fundraisers and work in any and every capacity for the football team. I really admire his heart for service. My dad and I are very similar in a lot of ways. He is strong and passionate about his beliefs, just as I am. That can be both a good and bad thing, but overall I am proud of the person he is and the person I am because of it.

My brother, Matt, is very much like my dad with a dash of my mom. He also has a big heart and such a great sense of humor. I have so many great memories of growing up with Matt. Though we often fought, as brothers and sisters do, he was always a great friend and comrade. Matt loves being outside. Since he was a little boy, he always loved trucks and now he gets to be on one every day. I really admire him for following his dreams no matter what anyone said or thought. He has two little girls who he loves to pieces and I am truly moved by what a great father he turned out to be.

My baby brother, Cameron, is one of my favorite people in the world. I don't know what contributed to our closeness, but I am very thankful for it. Cameron is growing into such a wonderful man. He will graduate from high school this year and it is my sincere hope that he will at least consider staying relatively close so that we can still get together from time to time. It must have been so strange for him to have me leave for college when he was 8...and now I am the one being left. I will miss him terribly. I could go on and on about the kid, but I will just leave it to the top 3 reasons I love him so much...
1. Sense of humor. I really get his humor and have spent many hours laughing with him.
2. Sweet, kind heart. He has a heart of gold...both for God and others. I'm 10 years older, but I could learn so much from him.
3. Willingness to put himself out there. Cameron is never afraid to ask a question or ask for a favor. He is seems so oblivious to the fact that rejection or disappointment are a possibility. I want to live like that.

It's getting late, so I will try to get some pics up soon. Check back!
Ciao!