Home for the Holiday

So I am not usually one to get all personal on my blog for everyone to see… but this is a story worth sharing with everyone. I recently took the 10 hour drive (with my boyfriend and our puppy) home for the Thanksgiving holiday. We try to get back to my home in Louisiana at least 3 times a year. Normally when we travel we always fly, instead, we decided to drive in and completely surprise everyone. I informed my sisters of course, who were responsible for keeping my parents at home (they have a tendency to just travel whenever they get bored). So after 9 hours in the car, we finally pull up at my parents 40 acres and jump out of the car, surprising them while they eat their lunch. The tearful surprise was worth the long drive.
Let me just say a few things about my family…. I believe that I have the best family anyone could ever have. My childhood was wonderful growing up with nothing but love surrounding us from my parents, sisters & brother. My family is very loving, talented and caring. My dad (I believe) is the smartest man I know. He has always been able to answer any question that I could think of and managed to come up with new stories to tell me every day. He can pretty much built, fix or make anything you could imagine. He, of course, planned & built all 3 houses that we have lived in (with my mom’s help). My mom is talented all on her own. From crafts, to sewing & gardening, to making the perfect get well soup, she can do it all. She never let us get bored, always having a new project for us to work on. She has the biggest heart and doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. My parents made every day of our lives better than the day before. I have more respect for my parents than I could ever have for anyone. I am blessed to have my family and I hope they know that. So with that said….
My dad’s 60th birthday just happened to be the same weekend and my sisters & I planned a surprise party for him. We had the perfect plan; my nephew’s birthday is on the same day as my dad’s so we just sent him a fake invitation to my nephew’s party. Of course, my dad had to start building him the best present ever…. A big boy bed. A real bed, not the kiddy one he is use to sleeping on. So my dad busted his butt to get this bed finished before the big party. He gets it in the back of the truck and covers it just in time for it to start raining. We head to my sister’s house for the party and as he walks in to get help to take the bed out of the truck, he is greeted by lots of cameras and smiling people yelling “Surprise”. Here are a few pictures of my family from that day.