30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 4

Day 4: Your parents

I have the greatest parents in the world (I know, I know, a lot of people say that, but it's only the truth if me or one of my five siblings say it!) :) Remember when you were little and you swore up and down that when you got older you were going to do whatever you wanted? Yeah, that was me. I was a hard-headed child at times (I know, this shocks all of you!) I may or may not have said once or twice "I'm [insert age here], I can do what I want." I started saying this about age 8. My siblings are always saying I got away with everything because I was the youngest and since my parents were in their 40s by the time I graced the world with my presence (remember, I'm a bonus baby). I don't think I got my way all the time. I never got a pony (oh wait, I never wanted a pony). Anyways, here some tidbits about my folks.

With my folks in 1982- do I look spoiled to you? :)

My dad: 

-My dad has been preaching for almost 60 years (if not 60 exactly). At age 62 he felt the Lord was calling him to be a missionary so after sending me off to college, he and my mother moved to Thailand to do mission work for two years. After that, they lived in Brazil for two years doing mission work. 

-To this day, he still calls me dumpling (or baby dumpling). 

-He loves to read (I get my love of reading from him). In fact, my father has read the Twilight series (he heard me talking about it when I was reading them, so he decided to try it out). He thought they were good, but didn't like Book 4 (most people don't). 

-He loves history and knows more historical information than Google.

-He loves watching crime shows (see a pattern? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree). 

-He loves anything about his hometown San Antonio (especially the Spurs). I love hearing his stories about growing up during World War II. 

-He loves watching the news and making comments throughout the broadcast when he disagrees or is disgusted by something.
-He's been known to talk politics for hours (that is something I did NOT get from him- I avoid political discussions like the plague). 

-I'm pretty sure he remembers the name of every person he's ever met. 

-I think he secretly wants a dog, but knows my mom won't let him have one. 

-He makes really good chili. 

-He is fascinated by anything related to the Titanic (except the James Cameron movie- he didn't care for it).

-He says he was fascinated by the Titanic before it was "cool" to like it. In fact, one of my favorite sermons of his is one about the Titanic. 

-He still acts surprised whenever he gets a stocking on Christmas or basket on Easter (my mom still makes one for him). 

-He listens to the Dallas news on the radio (they live about 2 1/2 hours from DFW). One time he called me at 6am because he heard on the Dallas news about an apartment fire and the name of the complex was similar to the one I lived in at the time. He wanted to make sure it wasn't mine. 

-He likes sports but has never really been a fan of watching the games on TV. I get that from my brothers.

-He loves fruitcake (yeah, he's one of the 5 people who actually like it).

-He jokes about selling some of the grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) to a band of traveling Ishmaelites. He's been threatening to do that since I was a kid!

-After retiring from full time preaching a few years ago, he pulled a "Brett Favre" and is a pastor again.

 

My mom: 

-To this day, if I don't call my mother at least once a week, I get "have you forgotten your own mother's phone number?" 

-She calls me her angel. Or sugarfoot. Or just "sister" (in fact, she calls all three of her daughters "sister").

-She ends every voicemail/phone call to me with "I love you so much". 

-She is a compulsive baker. At Thanksgiving, it is not unusual for her to bake 70 dozen cookies and 30 pies (sadly, I'm NOT exaggerating).

-She loves watching Bill Gaither videos (click here to find out who Bill Gaither is). Even though she owns about 100 Gaither DVDs (again, I'm NOT exaggerating), she claims there are dozens more out there she doesn't have. Bill Gaither has made his millions off of my mother buying his DVDs. I have no doubt when the Rapture occurs Bill Gaither will be selling his final DVD at the Pearly Gates and my mother will be standing there with her credit card. 

-She loves when her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren come to visit her (and she is always wanting pictures of all of us together). She also loves it when we all leave (although she would never admit that). My dad will though! ;)

-She yells at baseball games on TV (gosh- I don't know ANYONE else who does that). ;)

-At the last Rangers game we went to she asked Mike Napoli to please hit a grand slam and the next pitch he hit it out of the park. Everyone was staring at her in amazement. She was like, "well, I asked him nicely."

-After about the third curse word in a movie or TV show my mother threatens to wash their mouth out with soap. Note: my mother can NEVER see a Quentin Tarantino movie. ;)

-She still fixes me chocolate milk (yes, with NesQuik) and toast for breakfast whenever I go visit. 

-She loves The Wheel of Fortune and will yell at the people when they don't listen to her about solving the puzzle. 

-After watching Twilight: Eclipse my mother is Team Jacob because she says he is better looking that Edward. In fact while watching the movie my mother said, "Oh Bella, can't you see that Jacob loves you so much." I fell off the bed laughing, it was pure greatness!

-She prays every day for her family. If I can become a small portion of the woman of God that she is, that would be awesome.

So yeah, those are my folks. Aren't they great? Next week they will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary. They give me hope that true and lasting love does exist!!

With my folks last year

XOXO!!