Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Girls Got To Get Away

I a so lucky to have a huge family. God has blessed me with two families who I love very much. My Mother gave me a wonderful step-father, a brother and two sisters. My Dad gave me a beautiful step-mother and three brothers. Could I have been any luckier?

Now you have some history, let me introduce the girls that I love to travel with. Back row l-r,

Linda is my cousin by choice. She is so much fun and keeps us laughing. The question is what will she come up with next? Linda is also our medical provider and keeps us all healthy on our trips. She now carries super glue for replacing caps. Will not travel without you Linda Leigh!

Karen is my first cousin. Our fathers are twins. Being 8 or 9 years older, oh the memories I have of Karen. The best description is "She's a pistol". Karen is the quite comedian of the group. She loves to silently pester people, but she has such a light up smile. You just laugh with her. Right Linda?

Of course there is Me. What can I say? I like to think that I am fun, kind, good-looking and all of the above. The thing I enjoy the most is the time I have with these people on our trips. I am very selfish. Do not intrude on our time together. We do not get to spend a lot of time together. When we are away it is just us.

Bottom Row L-R

My Aunt Joyce is someone that I could strive to be more like. She has such a loving heart. Joyce is our care giver on our girl trips. All of my life, I can not remember her without a smile. She is just a kind and caring soul. I love spending time with her. Out of the whole huge family that I have, Joyce is my only aunt. Love you Aunt Joyce!

Last but certainly not least is my Step-Mother Betty. She is such a beautiful women inside and out. It took me a long time to truly love her with all of my heart. Blended families can be hard but today we have a warm and caring relationship. I love to see the way my Father loves her. I long to have her strength and courage. Betty faces life's challenges daily through God's love. She is an example to the women in our family. Love you girl.

Can you see why I love these women so much? We love to be together. We can laugh together, cry together, argue together and learn from each other. To me this is the definition of family.