The Saga That Is My Family Part I: The History

When I started writing everything I wanted to about my family I realized it was really long and I didn't want you to have to read a 14 page entry so I am cutting it up in the best way I could figure. Hopefully, all 3 parts (I think that's how many it will be) will be posted today but I if I don't get around to it give me a day or two and I'm sure they'll pop up.

I haven't talked a lot about my family here other than G and my dad. I'm not sure why but I figured a little more insight into my history might be nice. This may explain later entries detailing things I haven't had the strength to talk about before. First, I have a small family. I have extended family in other states but my close family is small and the only way I know to describe that is that at Christmas we can all fit around one dining room table. G's family (on his mom and dad's sides) needs rooms for all the people at holidays, he has a huge family.

Well, as I've written about before, my mother isn't a part of my life but rather my brother (JR) and I were raised by my father and his family. His mother (VC) and father (MC) are still living and so are his two sisters (CC & CL). I hope the initials aren't too confusing but like many in the blogging world I don't want to start using names. Please, if you have any questions just comment or email me and I will be happy to explain anything confusing or whatever here. Honestly I know I tend to ramble so if that's the case just try to bear with me. :-)

Okay, so my father struggled trying to raise JR and me. Because he needed the money he had to commute over an hour each way to and from work. Of course that would make it very difficult to get us to and from school and that kind of thing so we lived with my grandparents. I was so VERY blessed that they were able and willing to do this. Let me repeat, I am THANKFUL beyond measure that they were there. I never had to go to daycare or come home to an empty house. I always had someone to pick me up from school or be there to ask how my day was when I got home. I was BLESSED. My dad was awesome but he was busy and I totally get that but my grandparents taught me the kind of parent I wanted to be. VC was the only mother I knew and she did everything she could to be that person for me. She went camping (on the GROUND) in her 60's just so I wouldn't be the only little girl not to have a parent at the Girl Scout mother/daughter campout. There aren't words enough to tell you how great my childhood was. VC and MC also taught me that a marriage can last and that you can still hold hands and steal a peck on the cheek after 40 years. I love them dearly.

CC & CL are my dad's younger and older sisters. CL lives about an hour away but CC lives in town and they were both a huge part of raising me too. Neither has been married or had children so JR and I, being the only niece and nephew, were a little spoiled by them (I had to admit that one). They both did everything they could to help us have full lives and help my dad and grandparents in every way they could.

JR is my only brother and "full" sibling. I have 3 half sisters but that's another entry for another day. He is only 13 months younger than me so we've always been close, having grown up and done so many things together. My brother and I look A LOT alike, or so I'm told anyway. Actually I do think we look a lot alike because we both look like my dad. The only big difference between JR and I is that he's about 5'10" or so and I'm barely 5'4" on a tall day. He definitely got all the height genes in the family - lol. Anyway, my brother and I are very different people. It's amazing that we were raised in the same household. Where I am independent, he has a need to be helped. Where I am fiscally responsible, he is money stupid and spends like a fiend. Where I am strong and responsible, he is flaky and flighty. I am a peacemaker and he's more of a "riler", so to speak. I've always been the one that wanted to take care of things and make them better and he was usually the one I felt that I needed to take care of. Please don't get me wrong, I love my brother with everything I am, I just know that we are extremely different. Even in all those differences we have been close.

One last person I will mention is my dad's ex-wife, PC. PC was a stripper when he met her and I'm sorry to say it, trash. Please, I don't consider myself a judgmental person and I am being as honest as I can so don't hold that against me. PC grew up trash, was abused as a child, was abused in her first two marriages, and truly knew nothing else to be but trash. My father gave her a good home and good family and she didn't know that it was good. She only knew how to sleep around and strip and be trash. There just isn't any other way to say it.

Okay, on that note I think that's all for this part. Again, if you have any questions on my family or if I've said anything that doesn't make sense just let me know. Stay tuned for Part II.