Things I want to thank my parents for:

Being away from home and especially working with children has made me realize some things that I have definitely taken for granted for most, if not all, of my life. So mom and dad, this thanksgiving I'm sending a HUGE shoutout to you!

Thank you for having jobs that allowed you to be home for breakfast and/or dinner.

Thank you for having jobs that allowed you to take care of me when I was sick.

Thank you for being the type of parent who would take time to play with me.

Thank you for sending me to public school.

Thank you for bringing me up in church and helping me see the love of Christ.

Thank you for speaking the little bit of Spanish you knew to me, even if it was only "porque no?"

Dad, thank you for those times you randomly picked me up from elementary school just to go to lunch on your break.

Mom, thank you for being on of those moms who volunteered in my class, and for that time you surprised me on the playground at school when you came to help with a class party.

Thank you for giving me two older brothers, who taught me to be tough (kinda) and who played with me... sometimes.

Thank you for driving up to Lynchburg College on Sundays just to go to church with me or to go to lunch.

Thank you for not sticking me in front of a television for the majority of my childhood.

Thank you for supporting me studying abroad and now living abroad even though it meant I would be far away and you'd miss me.

Thank you for getting me braces.

Thank you for always having a dog in the house.

Thank you for selling Fiona to me (my car).

Thank you for cooking meals for me and not feeding me too much fast food.

Thank you for paying for those years and years of dance and competition.

Thank you for coming to all of my dance recitals.

Thank you for showing how to treat others with respect and what it looks like to be treated with respect.

Thank you for raising me to be confident in myself.

Thank you for taking me on vacation almost every summer.

Thank you for coming to visit me for Christmas this year!

Thank you for only throwing me a birthday party every other year. (Because I did get to celebrate, but I was not too spoiled).

Dad, thank you for making me laugh when I was sick, and for when you were just being your weird self.

Thank you for dance parties.

Mom, thank you for packing my lunch EVERY SINLGE DAY of elementary school.

Thank you for taking me to Disney World.

Thank you for being open minded people who like to travel the world just like I do.

Thank you for showing me that it is okay to have more than one job and to work in lots of different types of fields.

Thank you for taking me to the airport when I went to Costa Rica and Spain.

All in all just thank you for being the kinda of parents that I miss so much and that I am so excited to see in December!

Can't wait to Skype later!

Happy Thanksgiving, I love you!