FAMILY

Every once in a while, I think...oh, this would make a great blog post or picture. Well, this blog post has been in my mind a lot these last few days. These last few weeks, FAMILY, has been a word that has meant a lot to me. When I think of the word FAMILY, there are so many aspects of family that come to mind. They all mean so much to me and have made me who I am today. I could never have been at this wonderful point in my life without them. Families comes to me in many forms (in no particular order).

FAMILY....There is my wonderful husband who puts up with all my quirks. Of course, I do have to put up with a few of his too. I love him all the same. Who would have ever imagine that back in August of 2000 I would find the love of my life with a broken spoke on a bike ride....FAMILY.

(picture taken the day before our wedding back in July 2005)

FAMILY....There are my children, Alex and Aubrey. I never would have realized how much two little innocent beings could mean so much to me and how they could give me so much joy. I worry everyday about them....am I reading enough to them, am I giving them enough hugs, am I providing the right discipline...all this to make sure they turn out to be all that they can be. I know I am doing the best I can at each moment, but sometimes I wonder if I could do more....FAMILY

(picture taken when Alex and Aubrey were just 2 weeks old.)

FAMILY....There is Dave's wonderful children, Jessica, Marissa, and Jamison, who are making many decisions that will guide them through their lives...from what do I want to study in school, what college do I want to go to, what job do I want to apply for, what job option do I want to take. They fill us with worry, but Dave knows that he and their mother have provided them with the bases to make the decisions they need to make. Of course, we are always here if they have a question and just need someone to listen. They all make us proud by what they have accomplished in their lives so far.

(picture taken August 2010)

(picture taken at the Grand Canyon in November of 2006)

FAMILY...Then there is my family. My mom; my sisters, Andrea and Kendra; my brother, Paul; and my Dad who passed away back in October 2006. This family has been with me my whole life (of course). They all mean so much to me each in their own way. I know that I can rely on all of them if I needed it. We have had an emotional few weeks lately, but we are all standing next to one another. We all miss our Dad and wish he was here. We cannot understand why he went through all the health problems he had, but we know that because of all his health problems he is in a better place. We miss the Dad he was and I wish he could have met his grandkids, but I know he has from up above....FAMILY

Picture from up in Michigan, December 2010

Picture from a trip to Michigan back in September 2005

FAMILY...There is Dave's family, who have welcomed me with open arms. They helped raise the man I love. Dave's Mom; Sister, Wanda and her family; and Brother, Chuck and his family. They are a great group of people. We all got together last August and it was a wonderful time. Almost all of us in one house with everyone in a happy mood. It was great. I wish we could all get together more often. If only distance didn't keep us so far apart....FAMILY

Family picture from last August

Dave's Mom and Dad celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in July 2004. Dave's Dad passed away in September of 2007. We miss him.

FAMILY...Then there are my friends, who I consider like family. We are there for each other at their times of need. I do need to include our day care provider, Ghatool, and her family. Her and her family have helped make raising Alex and Aubrey that much easier....FAMILY

FAMILY...Then there are the other group families. Our church families, my work family, my twin group family, our neighborhood. All these groups and others have helped provide a local family when part of my family is a days drive away....FAMILY

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I don't know how anyone survives without some type of family. I know I couldn't.

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FAMILY