Meet My Family

Okay, so I mentioned in my last blog that I have this awesome family. I really do, though they're kind of weird and crazy, I love them to death.

First we have my Grandma B., my father's mother and the matriarch of the clan. She had three kids in three years, starting at the age of 18. This seems to have made her both tough and tender at the same time. My Grandma B. is one of my favorite people in the world, and one of the few people who I'll actually listen to. She gives love freely, to her grand-kids, her pets, stray animals, tomato plants, and just about any other living thing that crosses her path. Sure, she's kind of strange, always wearing overalls and never doing her hair. But then again, she's like 72 and retired. I think she's entitled.

Grandpa B. lives about 20 minutes away. He and Grandma B. divorced about 10 years ago, and both seem much happier now that they're apart. Grandpa B. isn't perfect, but he means well. He is the man with the green thumb. I wish I had half his knack for growing plants. His yard is beautifully landscaped and he did almost all of the work. He's also incredibly intelligent. He never finished high school, but has retired very comfortably. He figured out how to buy and sell stocks, as well as running his own furniture store with Grandma B. for like 25 years. He's a little goofy, but I love him to death.

Next is Grandma C., my mother's mother. She lives out in Pennsylvania, so I don't see her much. But she is honestly the strongest, bravest woman I know. She grew up in Norway during WWII, and for those of you who don't know much about world history, Norway was hit hard. Not as bad as Poland, but their economy was decimated. She met my Grandpa Robert during the war and they moved to America in 1951. Grandpa Robert passed away before I was born, and Grandma married Grandpa C. when I was very young.

Next we have my parents. There's my mom, Nina. She's a nurse and works in a nursing home. She's super patient, super organized and super creative. Oh, and she's a lot of fun to hang out with too. My mom is awesome, I can't imagine my life without her.

Then there's Dad, Jon. Dad owns a furniture store about half an hour's drive away. He's a good guy, good sense of humor, fun to hang out with. But he hasn't always been the most reliable of fathers. Still, I love him very much and wouldn't change him if I could.

Did I mention my parents are divorced? They're also both remarried.

My mom married Steve. Steve is teh awesome! He's a comic book geek, political commentator and obsessive collector of classic rock CD's. He's working on writing a novel that's sort of a spoof of comic book characters. Steve is great, and my mom is crazy about him.

My dad married Jill. Jill and I haven't always gotten along, but she has great taste in home decor. Her house always looks like it belongs in a magazine. It's probably a good thing she married someone who sells furniture for a living.

Then we have my siblings, Lauren and Justin. I'm the oldest, and Lauren came along two years later. She's a pastry chef and married to Dale who's kind of a jack of all trades. They have an adorable little girl named Christina who is the absolutely the apple of my eye. They're also expecting a little boy this June, right around my birthday.

Justin is married to Kendra. They live out in Kansas where he is a youth pastor and she teaches kindergarten. No kids yet, and I don't get to see them often. I really miss them a lot sometimes.

Next we have my aunts. Aunt Susan is the second of Grandma B.'s kids and was married for a few years, but got divorced. Like me she has panic disorder, and agoraphobia on top of that. Agoraphobia is basically a fear to leave your safety zone. For years Aunt Susan has had difficulty leaving the house. She didn't drive or anything. Now though she's behind the wheel again and getting out more and more. It's good to see that there's hope for me. She loves to go to garage sales and BINGO, and is always willing to offer a helping hand. I sometimes wonder where she gets all her energy.

Aunt Jamie is the oldest of Grandma B.'s kids. She's married to Glen and has three kids, Danielle, Deanna and Curtis. My siblings and I grew up closely with our cousins. We saw each other all the time, it was almost like we were all brothers and sisters instead of cousins.

Danielle (affectionately called Danni) is getting married next month to Robin. They live in Pennsylvania.

Deanna is a nurse and works at a hospital about an hour and a half away. She also attends college and is working toward her BSN. Dee is one of those girls who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to work hard for it.

Curtis is still in college, working on his second associate's degree. When he's done he plans to work in the technology field. He's a cool guy, I'm always saying if I could find a guy like Curtis, only older and not my cousin, I'd totally marry him.

So that's my family. Well, the gist of them anyways. I'm sure you'll read more about them in the coming weeks. They're kind of weird and really neurotic and tend to completely overwhelm strangers with their outgoing personalities and vocal opinions. But they're awesome and I wouldn't trade them for all the money in the world.