Family

This weekend my entire family was together for the first time in years.  The celebration? Finally getting to see my niece from Alaska and my brother's departure. He ships out on Monday for a 6 year stint in the Navy.  As we laughed, ate, and played board games all weekend, I was reminded at how different we all are, yet how much we all love one another. Up until we moved away for college, our life experiences were relatively similar - we all grew up in the same town, went to the same church, had similar friends, etc.  But since then, I moved to Australia, Nepal, Thailand, and NYC, Brittany lived in L.A. and San Jose, Cassie went to San Francisco, and Eirik to Alaska.  We all met and married the loves of our lives who brought additional life experiences.  All this richness and personality shapes and molds us into who we are today.  I am so thankful for the changes that have occurred in all of us, for it adds spice to the family! This does mean an increased amount of differences, philosophies on life, and goals for the future.  It would be so easy to judge one another, get frustrated with one another, and expect that everyone should be like us.  That, of course, would rob us of the joy that comes from learning from one another and reveling in our differences.

So, today I am thankful for my family in all their similarities and differences and all the spice that comes with being together. Here we are in all our uniqueness.

Dave and I love the outdoors.  You can usually find us hiking on a mountain somewhere, skiing down slopes, or snowshoeing through ravines. We'd usually rather sleep in a tent in the great outdoors than in our own beds. Our summer plans consist of backpacking through Europe.

Bill and Cassie love their baseball!  Cassie is a die-hard Red Sox fan and Bill an A's fan - a cause for tension in their marriage =)  Bill loves to hunt and is an Environmental Science major while Cassie prefers the luxuries of a good shopping mall. I love these guys!

 

Brittany and Anthony probably spend more time at the gym than at their own house.  They have each competed in multiple marathons and their latest is a body building competition where they will be competing as a pair. Anthony is a personal trainer and Brittany teaches aerobic classes.  They are a great match for each other.  I love these guys and the diversity they bring to the family!

 

Eirik and Lauren spend much of their time with their new daughter Alexa. She brings so much joy to the family. Eirik fixes electronics on fighter jets for the Air Force, and Lauren, once a real estate agent, now a stay at home mom.  Eirik usually has us in stitches with jokes while Lauren rolls her eyes and laughs at the husband she has chosen.  I love the positiveness these guys bring to life and the joy they are to be around.

 

David walks to the beat of his own drum.....as you can see.  He loves the outdoors and the rigor of challenging himself physically.  David also loves acting and singing in local theaters.  He joined the Navy and ships out in a few days.  His quick wit and complete randomness makes him so much fun to have around.  We will all miss him dearly.

 

Here's the whole clan all together. I love each and every one of them in their unique way. My prayer is that as we grow older and make different life choices that we can remember that it is our diversity that brings life to the family.