Thankful for My Family

My Family is what you would call blended. We are made up of My Dad and Nana G. (his girlfriend Carla, whom we adore) We also have My Mom who is Nana. Then there is My sister who is referred to in our house as Tae Tae (Stacy is her real name). She also has a son, Joey or JoJo. I also have 2 half brothers from my dad's first marriage. I cannot locate any recent pictures of them right at the moment so I won't be posting much on them. We don't see them often either.

My Dad is called Poppa in our house and he really enjoys his grand kids. He's a retired police officer and from the "old school" if you know what I mean. I used to think he was off his rocker when I was a kid for making us be so polite etc... but it ended up benefiting us in our futures. Dad is one of the most active retiree's I know. He loves to drive his Harley, go boating, or take of on long car trips all over the U.S.A. My dad and I are a lot a like in the sense of determination to get things done and our competitive nature. He loves playing with my kids and would drive a million miles to help us in a jam. (He did some of the handy work on the closets)

Nana G. is what you would hope for in a partner for your parent. God knows and so do we that my mom and dad are much better apart then together. Nana G. is one of those people I admire because she's not afraid to get dirty and never really gets upset. You'll often hear her remark "oh well" to any given situation that others might be freaking out about. They both love our kids and we love them.

Nana, my mom, is a true blue stereotypical full blooded Italian. She is loud when she needs to be, gives advice when not asked to, and tells you how it is with love and humor. She's the type to dance and make your friends wish their mom was that "cool" To give an example... when she found out last year that she had ovarian cancer and would lose her hair from Chemo, she decided to "go all Britney Spears and shave it off" She can cook like a champ and is the reason I am so outgoing,

competitive and fun. She loves to dance with the grand kids to music like 50's-60's and bon jovi and spoil them rotten.

Tae Tae and Jo Jo are 2 of a kind. Joey stole my heart the moment I watched him being born. He is basically like a son to me and a brother to my kids. He makes me laugh with his logic in life and is beyond sweet with Luke.

Tae Tae is also a funny lady. She and I are like oil and water 60% of the time but when we are getting along, she is just about the funniest person I know. She has a laugh that is contagious and loves my kids with a big heart.

The thing I am most thankful for about my side of the family though might surprise some people. We are what you might call "dysfunctional" We come with divorce, single parenthood, skeletons etc.... but the thing I have learned from my family is that rarely, if ever, is there a "white elephant" in any given room. We drive one another crazy most of the time but, it comes from a place of love and need to help each other. We love hard, fight a little more then we should, but you always know where you stand with them. We say I love you out loud all the time and mean it. Throughout the years and the tears, we have come together and become stronger then ever. I love them very much, each in their own little way.