Happy Father's Day! June 15, 2014

Today, I'd like to take a moment and share an old post that I shared on my other blog, Freelance Lady. It was part of my "Thank You Thursday" series, where I thanked my father for all that he has done for me. I am resurrecting that post today right here, along with another "Thank You Thursday" post dedicated to my husband. They are both amazing fathers, and they deserve recognition today.

Thank You, Daddy!

It didn't take much thought to decide who I was going to thank today. It's a no-brainer.

From the moment I was born, this man has been there for me. When I scraped my knee, he was there to comfort me. When I was teased in elementary school, he backed me up and reassured me that I was an amazing person, no matter what anyone had to say. When I entered my rebellious teenage years and began pushing him away, he still stood by my side. When I gave birth to my son, he became a loving grandpa.

The man I am thanking today is my father.

Jess, me, and Daddy.

My dad has worked his ass off, doing his best to take care of us. There were good times, bad times, sad times, and joyful times, but no matter what we were going through, we knew we could rely on Daddy. Without him in my life, I don't think I would have ever learned the meaning of "common courtesy," something that still remains incredibly important to me. I don't think I would have known the meaning of "security." Without my dad, where would I be?

That is something I don't even want to know the answer to.

Daddy, I love you with all of my heart and I want to thank you for EVERYTHING that you've done for us. We love you.

Thank You, Justice. My Husband, My Love!

I've known my husband for almost 7 years now, and we've been together for 6 of those years, and married for 2. Throughout these years, we've had good times, bad times, highs, lows, twists, and turns. But we got through it all. We always do.

We've grown together---and we're still growing.

From the first moment that I met him, I knew that I had to get to know him. He radiated something that I had never seen before. A happiness that I longed to feel. That was all it took. I don't know what had gotten into us, but my sister and I walked right over and introduced ourselves. And he smiled. And I melted.

As it turned out, he was good friends with the guy my sister was dating (and still is with today), so we all started spending lots of time together. And the rest is history.

Even today, I see him as one-of-a-kind. I have yet to meet someone like him. He has this way of turning anything and everything into a laughing matter, or into an art form of sorts. He can turn a dreary Monday afternoon into a wacky family day that we all enjoy. When I'm feeling inadequate or down on myself, he knows exactly what to say to motivate me, and to make me see the brighter side of things. He knows how to turn an awkward situation into a lighthearted affair. He's brutally honest, but he knows just how to say things to avoid backlash. He's hilarious and full of character.

He's shown me---Mrs. Serious---that it's okay to take risks once in awhile. It's okay to laugh at yourself instead of beating yourself up.

He taught me that everything will be okay.

And for that, I thank him.

I love you with all of my heart, J. <3