Many of us have had great parents.  I always knew that I did, but even still, people throughout my life have always asked me if I knew how lucky I was.  Thanks to my generous Mama and my wonderful Dad, I had a very happy childhood.  I certainly had my struggles, but most of them I brought on myself.  Mom and Dad worked hard to make sure that we were very well taken care of and loved.  They were genuinely interested in our lives and our perspectives.

While they created perfect holidays, they made it clear that the ins and outs of everyday life were where you built the foundation for our family. We had breakfast and dinner together everyday.  Mom cooked delicious food- most everything from scratch.  Dad drove us to school, 45 minutes away, before he drove himself to work, in the opposite direction another 45 minutes, at least.  They were happy to have us as a major focus in their lives.  My sister and I never doubted that they loved us. » Read more: Welcome to Next Top Mom!