60 Things We Know and Love About our Parents

On Saturday, October 16th, we jointly celebrated my parents 60th Birthdays with a surprise party.   And YES…it was still a surprise.  The party was held at Sierra Vista Restaurant in Southlake and we had 40 friends and family in attendance.   Everyone had a choice of prime rib, shrimp, or chicken.  Joy Hurley and Toni Hogue of Sierra Vista  did an excellent job serving us.  The evening was rounded with stories and tributes to my parents.  My sister and I put together the following list of 60 Things We Know and Love about our Parents.

1. Taking us to school in Silky Red Pajamas
2. Giving us a love for Broadway plays
3. Making up songs like the Wheelchair Family and Fatty Fatty Two By Four
4. Teaching us how to ski between their legs while skiing backwards
5. Giving us a love for the beach minus the camping part.
6. Equipping us with a stylish wardrobe in high school thanks to all his girlfriends at Harris.
7. Their generosity to those less fortunate
8. Patiently gardening with Nicole
9. Diet Coke with Cherries and a few more cherries
10. 99 Cent Whoppers and Water at Burger King
11. Expand-o-matic Pants
12. Butter as a major food group
13. Preparation H
14. Chocolate Milkshakes for dinner
15. Giving us a love for good literature
16. I CARE PILLS
17. Discount travel specialist
18. Braiding and curling four girls hair
19. Their expensive taste in cars….aka the Silver Bullet/ the Handy Van
20. Mom tolerating Dad’s love affair’s with Dennis Miller, Ann Coulter, and Rush Limbaugh
21. Teaching us how to be kind to one another which occasionally involved time-out hugs.
22. Debbie Kent’s Summer Boot Camp
23. Tutoring us in high school math whether we wanted the help or not
24. Vasoline coated feet
25. Is it cheesy enough?
26. Instilling in us a love for our extended family
27. Super Mario Brothers Competitor
28. Their Stock in Kirkland Brand Motrin
29. Best Saturday morning short order cooking in town
30. Velour Jumpsuits, Denver Bronco Shorts, and Cal Trans worker coordinating t-shirt and swim trunks.
31. Cream, Cream and more cream.
32. Brown trout stories
33. Yummy chocolate chip cookies
34. All their tireless efforts to help each of their children become successful.
35. Making sure all the computers in the house are equipped with the latest and greatest software.
36. Love for the Padres and Lakers
37. Bringing us up in the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
38. Texas Hold Em Tournaments, Bridge and Progressive Rummy
39. Teaching us that all obstacles can be overcome.
40. Giving us a love for the water including swimming, snorkeling, boating, wave running, scuba diving.
41. Watching Mystery TV shows together
42. Dad perming his hair
43. Love of Toyota Camry's
44. AM/PM stops for coke Slushies
45. Mom going back to school to get her education with Joe
46. An unending supply of currently used toothbrushes
47. Always thinking of others
48. Passing on the clumsy gene
49. That dad can still get mom to turn Beet red
50. The Whittleton giggle
51. Always prepared to give hugs
52. Reading out loud
53. Loves and supports us unconditionally
54. Sneezing 5-6 times in a row
55. Love of Neal Diamond and Barry Manilow
56. Tender hearted
57. Speaking Spanish when we're around so we don't know what they're talking about
58. Unconventional swimming lessons, "Jenny, Joe don't help her"
59. Being courageous, strong, and faithful
60. Loving each other