30 Days of Thanks - Day 4 - The Hogsed Clan

Some of you are cringing right now... you can't possibly fathom why in the world I would be thankful for the family that I didn't necessarily "choose."  If that's your relationship with your in-laws, honestly, I feel really, really sorry for you.  I'm so beyond blessed with with "other" family.  I may not have chosen them, but God certain chose them for me.

While no one can EVER replace my mom, dad, and sister... the Hogseds are a pretty great substitute - and a welcome addition to my family.  I seriously love each and every one of them!!!!

1) Tony and Mary - "the" in-laws... the best mother and father-in-law a gal could ask for.  Ever.  Hands down.  They're kind, considerate, generous, have incredibly strong faith and convictions, and lead such a godly example for their entire family.  Mary has a fabulous fashion sense and I have to admit that she does  spoil me a bit.  I even work with her - every day - and we still love each other!!!!  My father-in-law has the same sense of humor that Todd and I do, so there's always a laugh to be had when we get together.  I really look forward to our "traditional" Saturday morning family breakfasts.  We're fun.

2) Jim and Thelma - Todd's grandparents.  Sadly, I don't have any living grandparents left. But Jim and Thelma more than fit the position.  One of the coolest things is that they were really close with my grandpa Harley.  They were all originally from the same part of North Carolina (out in the mountains, y'all), and knew each other from church long before Todd and I even  knew the other existed.  Coincidence?  I think no.  Jim and Thelma sit with my parents at church every Sunday, call my mom and dad pretty regularly to check in on my dad's health... they're super.  I just love them.

3) Tom and Leah - Tom is certainly the brother I never had (and maybe still don't really want... kidding), and Leah is just another extension of my family.  We know that we can go to them for advice on anything, but they'll never pry; never push.  Plus, they're fun.  They're Duke fans.  Leah loves makeup just as much as I do.  She has the same crazy sense of humor as I do, too.  We're just a special bunch.  I just wish we lived closer to them.  I'm so proud of them and the work that they've put in to making The Summit the amazing work of God that it is today. 

Crazy fact that many of you are aware of, but some of you may not be... Tom was my Youth Pastor during my senior year of high school.  Again... coincidence?  Probably not.  Just another step in God's journey to bringing me to be a part of this family.

4)  Tim and Kristy - I can't leave them out, even though I know they'd rather I did.  Oh well, too bad.  I love our Saturday breakfasts and gatherings at Bry and Ian's football games every week.  We all share a love for Will Ferrell.

Kristy has truly become a sister to me in the last couple of years... I just love her to pieces and I'm beyond thankful that she's a part of our family.  I love our trips to the Southern Christmas Show each November and our obsession with mullets. 

5)  The kids - I really hope that my nephews and niece still think of me as the "cool" aunt.  I like to think that I am, but I'm sure that is fading away quickly.  They're growing up way too fast and I demand that they stop.  This instant.  They're each so unique and have their own special talents.  It's so much fun to see them grow up and turn into these young adults and watch as their personalities develop.

Ty - amazing drummer, awesome hair, awesome shoes, lover of music, all around extremely cool kid.  I adore it when I get a random text message or phone call from him.  I love Face time chats to see his mad drumming skills.  I'm glad he still thinks I'm "cool" enough to be his friend on Instagram.  He gives the best hugs.

Bry - he surprised us all this year - he's an AWESOME football player!  Everything that Bry does, he does it 110% percent.  He researches everything that he's interested in and fully commits.  He has a super contagious laugh and he can always make me smile.  He has  really tender heart, too.  He's super imaginative and absolutely hilarious.  I love making up stories with him.  He's super smart and super witty.

Lexi - she's the girl of the bunch, and that's exactly what she is - all girl.  She loves all things makeup and fashion, and just like her super cool aunt, she enjoys all things Hello Kitty.  I'm really jealous of the fact that she has a Hello Kitty mini fridge in her bedroom.  She has a sweet, tender heart as well, but she definitely loves her time with her friends.  You can tell that she adores her mother... and why shouldn't she???
She loves, loves, loves her puppy, Bella.

Ian - holy cow... I  could write an entire blog post about this one.  The kid is hilarious.  Football player extraordinaire, lover of animals, obsessed with Uncle Todd's beard; you never, ever, ever know what's going to come out of his mouth.  When he was younger, he had a obsession with Mocha's "hind end."  Oh, the stories.  Ian is certainly one of a kind, but I hope  he doesn't ever grow out of that.  I can't wait to see the young man he grows up to be.

So, anyway... that was like super long.  To the Hogseds - thanks for letting me be a part of your family and accepting me for who I am... I love you and I'm thankful for you!