All in the Family

Welcome to hero awards-- second edition.  In the last post you met my grandparents.  NOW you get to meet the people I lived with for 18 years, aka most of my life.  You ready for this?

Introducing... my family!!!  Dad, Mom, and my brother Timothy.  I would not be as talented, fantastic, and spectacular if it weren't for my wonderful parents and patience-producing little brother.  :)

Ok... so the brother isn't in this picture, but we'll get to him later.  These are my parents.  Married for nearly 24 years.  Isn't my little mama so precious?  I think so.  Let me say this woman has so much patience.  For the most part she's pretty easy going and she's a great mom.  She never really buys anything for herself.  It is rare, and when I say rare I mean sometimes a decade, that she buys herself new clothes.  Growing up, she drove my brother and I everywhere we needed to go.  She got up every morning and packed my lunch if I so desired and drove me to school-- just because I despised riding the school bus.  She dropped off and picked me up from every girl scout meeting, every after school rehearsal, every sleepover... she and dad were at every soccer game.  Ok.  Pause.  I know what you're thinking.  "Ashley?  Soccer? Hahahaha."  Yeah, I was in elementary school and it was very short lived.  Haha, I laugh to myself just thinking about those days.  But anywho... moving right along!

If I had to choose one picture to describe my dad, it would be one of this sort.  I'm sure you're asking yourself what on earth this is.  My dad is founder and director of Iron Boy Enterprises.  My family started to run powerlifting competitions my freshman year of high school.  The picture is an Iron Boy event this past summer, and it's actually one of a smaller scale.  My dad has become very successful in the powerlifting sport world because of the exceptional meets he puts on.  I tell you this to convey why I look up to Dad so much.  He had a dream and went for it.  He has such a strong presence making him a good leader.  He's a hard worker and may be one of the most persistent people I know.  He was always the voice of reason when I was growing up.  You see, I have this habit of not really living up to my potential.  Most of it is laziness.  Dad pushed me to be better than I was.  I used to get so irritated at all the "lecturing" but now I'm thankful for it and know it was just because he loves me and wants me to be successful.  And if I could pick one phrase of his that will remain with me for life, it's this-- "Be a leader."  Those are words he's told me time and time again, and it's only been in the last few years that I've realized what it means.

This is my little brother Timothy/Tim/Timmy/Timbo/ TP/T-Payne.  Choose your nickname.  I never call him the same thing twice.  :)   He's 16 now and a junior in high school.  This is crrrrrazy to me!  We're about 6 years apart and I've always felt like I was so much older.  Nope.  Not anymore.  Especially now that he's taller than me.  Bless his heart, we thought he'd inherited too many of Mom's genes and be short.  To our surprise, he's surpassed my height.  Go team for that.  So he and I never really got along when we were younger.  Sometimes we still get into it but we've gotten so much better since I left for college.  I've found recently that he and I have very similar senses of humor.  You know we had such a fun time cracking Michael Jackson jokes... the day after same night he died.  I love my little brother.  I love driving around listening to loud music with him, playing guitar hero with him, and most of all laughing with him.

There you have it... 3 more of my heroes.  I will close with a joke from the infamous T-Payne.

What did Michael Jackson say to the guy giving him CPR?
"Just beat it!"

Hahahaha.  You love it.  I know you do.