"h" and "i" are for...

As it always seems to be, I'm prompted by a friend to get along with it and create my next post. Sorry to those of you desperately hopeful for a different sight when you stumble upon my blog. Forgive me, but I don't have access to good pictures for this post. You'll have to wait for my next letter to find out why!

I've been getting a lot of grief about this letter. I've got a lot of H's in my life, and I really hate to dissappoint them. As I've gotten older and marginally wiser, I've discovered that while we have quite a few differences, similarities in the personalities of my mom Harriet, my sister Harris and my dear friend Haley and me, seem to peek out now and again. These amazing ladies have taught me many lessons of life, and here are just a few:

1. It's ok if you don't clean your plate at every meal. And if you want ice cream for breakfast, it's your prerogative.
2. If you see something kinda cute at a store that only costs a few dollars, you pretty much have to get it. Even if you only wear it once.
3. If you have on an a couple of expensive pieces and you mix in a few cheap ones, everyone will think it's all expensive.
4. It's ok to be girly - to like makeup, jewelry, new clothes and to let a gentleman open the door for you.
5. Not everyone drinks coffee in the mornings. Some get their sunrise caffeine from Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke or Tab. And, hey, that's ok, too.
6. If you're inclined to dilly-dally after a meal, sometimes you just have to get up and move on immediately after the last bite.
7. Sometimes you will be the cutest one in the room, and sometimes you won't. If you are, work it.
8. Remember who (or whose) you are.
9. Let your friends and family help you. They want to no matter how hard you fight them.
10. You WILL eventually find yourself uttering the some of the same phrases and doing some of the same things as your mom. It happens, and when it does, it's not so bad.

We've all seen Meet the Parents, and horror stories about in-laws are around many a corner. Fortunately, I have no idea what these people are talking about. My husband's parents are an extension of my family, and not just since we've been married. Many of you know that Kell and I dated for years before he popped the question, and for these years I was welcomed only with open arms. They always want to make sure my steak is cooked enough, and even in a house full of boys, they still have a bar of nice, girly soap for me in the bathroom. I'm convinced few have it as good as I do. Oh, and Kell's in-laws aren't bad either.

Stay tuned for my next letter! Guess where I am...?