Day Nine

30 Things My Kids Should Know about me, day 9.

List 10 people who have influenced your life & describe how.
these are in no particular order.

1. My mom.  My mom has always been a huge force of life.  She's overcome things I can't begin to imagine, is totally badass, & she did an amazing job raising me.  Because I'm awesome.  & it's all thanks to her & my #2.

2.  My granny.  My granny is going to be NINETY-TWO in February.  This means she's seen more & done more than you or I could EVER imagine.  She raised 4 amazing kids, mostly by herself, then did a pretty awesome job helping to raise me.  My granny had hardly ANY schooling & I still believe she's the smartest woman I've ever known.

3.  My favoritest friend, Ambie.  I met her on myspace, of all places, before I transferred to South Carolina. I NEVER thought I would meet such a kind, amazing, smart woman.  Now that we're older & wiser, I see her as an amazing mother to her beautiful children & I only WISH I could be half the mom she is.

4.  The Codester.  I never in my life could imagine a love as great as that for my kiddos.  Cody is everything I ever imagined in a child.  He amazes me, frustrates me, & at the end of the day, I am BEYOND thankful & blessed for him.

5.  Sawyer Face.  What an awesome & delightful child he is.  His permanent mohawk & smile get me, every time.  He's so sweet & helpful (when he's not tackling or throwing things) & he's just SUCH a joy to have in my life.

6.  My cousin Kim.  I don't know if I ever told her, but she's the reason I joined the Navy.  She got herself out of nowhere, Arizona, & I figured if she could do it, I could too.  She's one of my only cousins in AZ to leave there & I'm pretty thankful I followed her lead.

7.  My cousin Kristin.  In junior high, I pretty much wanted to be her.  She was so cool & grunge & not all ghetto like most AZ folks since she lived in California.  I'm pretty sure if it weren't for her, I would have been doing the awful 90's teased bangs deal with heavy eyeliner & listening to rap.  She's funny & has always been super cool.  Once I grew up & stopped trying to BE her, I realized we could have fun together on those rare occasions we see each other. :)

8.  My in-laws.  Patty & Sobby have been married for like 32 years (or is it 33?) & I can't imagine having better people to look up to.  They are both SUCH amazing parents, grandparents, & I think it's awesome that they are still married & still in love & it gives Tony & I an awesome model to follow in our marriage.

9.  My one & only TSS, Kristi.  From the minute I met her (even though I was oblivious to the obvious), I could tell that she was one of the few people I'd ever met that wasn't afraid to BE herself.  She's always done well for herself, & isn't afraid to be the way she is.  I admire her for her honesty, & I'm so very thankful that she is my friend.

10.  Last, but certainly not least, is Tony.  He's a good husband, great father, & he does what needs to be done to take care of his family.  I'm proud of him, I love him, & I couldn't ask for anyone else to journey through this life with.