Michelle Kinder

MY DAD: My dad has always been my number one hero and the number one man in my life. I hope to one day meet a man who is like my father. He has always worked so hard to provide for our family so that we could have what we need and want. There's never a day that I doubt my father's love for us. He is a very dedicated, hard worker who often sacrfices for his family. It was he who taught me the value of the belief that talk is cheap and actions speak louder then words. My dad and I may have pushed each other's buttons as I grew up but that was because we were so much alike and he wanted me to strive to do better with my life. I would be honored to ever be anything like him. My guy friends all love my father and respect him. They know to never ever get on my dad's bad side because that means you have done something truly wrong. My father is a wise and caring man with great morals and a very smart head on his shoulders. I may not have told him a lot growing up how much he means to me, but I want to now. Dad, I love you more then words can say and I always will. I am so proud to be your baby girl. You are the best father any girl could ever ask for and I'm glad that in recent years we've had the chance to bond. I miss going to the hockey games with you and I'm so grateful we didn't lose you;

MY GRANDPA: My grandfather was a really remarkable man. He was shy and a homebody, but he had a heart of gold. I will never forget how he used to listen to music with me and helped form my deep appreciation for admiring all aspects of a piece, from the strings to the trumpets. Grandpa loved photography too. Every time we'd go on our trips there he was with his camera in tow, savoring the beauty of nature. I used to love to sit and listen to Grandpa tell me his stories about how life used to be and wish with all my heart that life could be that way again. Grandpa always had a smile for me and always believed in me and encouraged me. I miss him so much at times, but I always feel his strength and love with me. He was so devoted to his family and especially to his wife of 66 years, my grandma. He taught me the value of family and love. I will always love you, Grandpa, and miss listening to the music with you, but always remember how you taught me the value of each instrument in a piece and how it can affect your emotions.

INDIANA JONES: He was the underdog but an intelligent, every day kind of guy. I love the whole era and just Indy's personality. The movies were always a lot of fun and I think the adventure was always great! Indy didn't really want to be a hero but was made one by his circumstances, by perserving history and he made archaeology cool. He had that devil may care attitude and was such the reluctant hero. Not to mention he had it all, the charm, the looks, the brains, the mystery. He, too, can rescue me any day;

KATE WINSLET with her motto "Life is not a dress rehearsel": When Kate Winslet burst on the scene when I saw that little boat film "Titanic," I was very impressed with her acting ability. I thought she was fantastic and absolutely beautiful with those red curls. She captured my admiration with her chemistry with Leo DiCaprio in that film. And I loved the fact she was not stick thin like most of Hollywood. She was a fuller figure and loved her curves and finally someone with a size bigger then 4 was a leading romantic heroine. Once I began reading up on her I found her to be a very intelligent and level headed woman who had not at all let fame or fortune go to her head. Kate simply loves acting and entertaining people and remains just the girl from Reading, England. She is an amazing woman to look up to and a terrific role model. You go, Kate! Keep up the brilliant work!;

DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN: Back as I graduated elementry school in 1994, the little show on CBS that my mom and sister loved really finally grabbed a hold of me at the end of its 3rd season. I was captivated. Here was a show set in the Old West about a woman physician, the youngest of all girls, who left her cultured home of Boston to find acceptance as a doctor (a man's profession) on the frontier where she inherited a family from a new friend who died, not to mention that she caught the eye of the honorable, loving, silent mountain man, Sully. Dr. Michaela Quinn, M.D. was a brave woman who showed vulnerability and strength. Her ideas were unconventional a lot of times to the good folks of Colorado Springs in 1867, but she always stood firmly by her beliefs and morals as well as she always fought for the underdogs like the Cheyenne and immigrants. Jane Seymour is beautiful, smart, and the ultimate woman when you look at her. Dr. Quinn knew she had faults and yet proved that a woman can survive in a man's world, can take care of herself on the frontier and can have both a family and a career. She taught this young girl that her dream of being a physician could happen and that my differences and book smarts were just fine. I love Dr. Quinn and I truly believe that she is my ultimate role model and example. It also showed the real meaning of true love and the strength one can gather from that through her budding relationship with Sully to their marriage and to the growth of their own family. Stupid CBS for cancelling it.;

RACHEL MCADAMS: She is just awesome in all her acting. She knows what she wants and stands by it. Like when Vanity Fair asked her to pose naked on the cover with Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johanessen, she turned it down, saying she wanted to be remembered for her talent, not the way she looked. She has proven that beauty and brains go hand in hand.